the driscoll, rented out by the dems for the election, was spilling with people: packed onto the balconies two, three stories up, looking down at the organism below, a crowded crowded blocked off street of celebrators. "yes we can" and "obama" and obamanos" shouted into thick austin air. a young black man squeezes through the crowd wearing intense face, his fist tightly balled above his head. a ring of folks bouncing in unison ~ "obama! obama!".
whooping, shouting, high fives from strangers. "the canadian
s are going to start wearing the american flag on their packs!" says dear friend joey beeson in portland or. "people standing on cars, popping champagne" from joanie in seattle, the capital hill crowd pushin' the cops, says she.zig and i learned of obamas victory from the bus driver. "they announced it ten minutes ago", he says, and, gesturing to his headphones "only one of the speakers works". GIVE IT TO ME RUSTY had performed our first show only moments before at the CLEMENTINE, a sweet lil' coffee bar located on the east end, the chill end of austin.
we played to a handful of folks rocking away on their computers - not a rapt audience (though we got some applause after a couple of songs, GRANNY by RED ROCK {{dedicated to Obama's passing nana}} but it was definitely a good first show, perfect and quiet, a chance for zig and i to slowly familiarize ourselves with our vocal chords after 5 hours of plane time. plus, free mate and beers for the band. (the band that followed us also played to a near empty house in spite of the monkish hooded robes they wore during their performance).
now, we're staying with some friends, crashing on the back porch of EVA and AXEL's place here in NW. eva and i met through islandwood (she an intern looking to glean some editing/production experience). she moved down to austin to, among other things, follow her sweetie to grad school. both work in sustainability and environmental consciousness. terrifically cool folks (beer mixers ~ eva a v8 and axel sprite with their LONE STAR BREWS - the local lite beer delicacy here in austin).
