What I did for Spring Break...

As a design departure, let's take a trip around Baldy's SXSW day show acts taken in... well, at least the ones he took a couple pictures of, that is.



For the most part, I'm a rock dood. I like rock and roll and bands with doods performing it. Might sound like a sexist? Maybe, but then there's Palomar. They are the cutest girls bringing the best pop ever, IMHO (Nicki had to tell me what that meant.) The pop is hard and fast and good. Downside was the lead singer had laryngitis, so there sets were a wee bit short/not EXACTLY up to snuff, but the first time I saw them this year, I had a free giant burrito and free dos xx's, so I'm not one to complain. Divya got to hang out with them, and gave insider's scoop to me about them. I could go on and on, but lettuce continue.

This girl is cute, and couldn't stop hitting on me whilst watching Palomar, so I took her to the next show.

We headed over to Breakaway Records to watch the Cynics play in the parking lot. The guitar player for the Cynics also owns Get Hip Records, and distributes some of my record label stuff, so I did ultra light shmoozing there... actually Julie did most of it for me. They were great, and have been doing it for who knows... 20 years? Probably longer... anyway, they had it down.



My fave act of the year was the Black Diamond Heavies. Two guys- one on the organ and one on drums. They are the best/loudest/gravel-iest rockandrollingist two guys I see play. I saw em twice actually- once at a bike shop (more free beer), and once again at Breakaway Records. Julie got to see them for the first time and recognized their badassness first hand. Everytime I see them, there's a line of people looking to buy stuff from them afterwards. I didn't take this pic, but the singer/organist was shirtless like this... and greasy. No- greezy...

Also got to see Jack O and the Tearjerkers play... FINALLY. Been trying to get to see them for a while now... especially since Jack O is Jack Oblivian of the Oblivians, AND plays in South Filthy on one Licorice Tree Records (toot toot). Anyway, Walter Daniels (also in South Filthy) is a local dood seen here playing harmonica (harp, if you rock) and is an all around super nice guy with way wicked skills, as seen in a short clip I shot below.

Anyhoo, another great time at South by Southwest... and ALL FREE. Day shows are the way to go. Back to designland soon.

Patio (Paddy-O) Kelly

So it was spring break, and since I don't go to work no mo, I had it off. Ma and Pa decided to come down to Austin to visit their only grandchild, but I put Pa to work making a new decomposed granite patio under our weird carport/party cover. Imagine my chagrin coming out of the shower and seeing my dad already working. I decided to take pictures instead of picking up a rake. Bald guys are kind of a-holes.




After a couple more cups of coffee, I went out to help dad, and we had the party patio prepped, Patty! It WAS St. Patty's day, and it ain't cool to make guys with the last name of Kelly work on said day, but..



A big ole dump trunk dumped this pile of decomposed granite in our driveway/neighbor's yard. Thought mom was watching the baby! It's cool, we had shovels, so we dug her out pretty quickly.



Behold! Party patio!



Dad even washed off the tables and chairs fer us.

At the end of the day, he did get about 15 minutes of quality time with the leprechaun before we told them it was time for them to go home. They are allowed back when we landscape the front yard.

Weeds Man... weeeeeeeeeeeeeds.

Brahs n sahs, we need some landscaping like nobody's bidness. We have new siding that looks great, and a new front door, and giant weeds that have bloomed up past the windows. I shant even take a picture...

So I've been perusing different pics to figure out what the hay. We need some serious xeriscaping since you know... they need little upkeep. I'm assuming dandelions could be considered xeriscaping... anyhoo, I have a solar powered fountain that needed a cool pot, and I saw these old guys whilst looking at Jenn Ski's Modern Landscaping flickr group. That same day, we went to the Birth of the Cool exhibit, and on display was that rad planter with the legs shooting through the middle!

I did get me a couple cool giftcards recently to Gardens and Big Red Sun. Those joints can burn up a giftcard by the time you park the car in the lot unfortunately... It's cool though- can't wait to use em. Also, pa is coming down to help me get some decomposed granite at the Natural Gardener to slosh around the backyard under the party cover (read: carport in the yard). We'll be on our way... been watching too much DIY Network, and need this chump to hit me up and fix up our yards for free. Til then, it's me, the giftcards, and these bitchin weeds.

WTF, DWR MDF! LOL...

So there's this little joint 27 blocks due south of our haus called Design Within Reach. Heard of it? Anyhoo, they are having this thing called M+D+F. They say it's a little something like this here: "M+D+F 2009 is a juried exhibition of innovative furniture by emerging designers in the Austin area. Organized by the DWR Austin Studio and juried by local creative professionals in the design, architecture, art and fashion worlds, M+D+F provides an opportunity for peer, public and professional recognition for up-and-coming designers and firms."



Not that I'd call myself an up and coming designer, but I'm thinking about entering this gaywad lampshade in its pendant form, AND doing it outta bamboo veneer to make the hippies happy to boot. See, you can grow bamboo better than your beer gut, so it's environmentally friendly. Anyhoo, back to the wailing child and her milk concerns. I'll let you know when I get the rejection letter in the mail. Don't worry, Claire has her mother's disposition.

Museums Are Cool

Baldman, wife, Jenn and baby claire all went to the museum yesterday. One of us for the first time. Finally Birth of the Cool is here that I talked about one zillion years ago. Though our docent was so so, the goods they had there were really great. I'm considering going back on some random Thursdays (free day) to see how those Eames cats made such cool stuff, and take some notes. Jenn also broke down this pic above by Karl Benjamin... broke it down as in, "how does one paint that?" She's in the artworld see, so that's her kinda breakdown. The Austinist had some other pretty good pics, including a superad birdhouse they had on display. They didn't let bald guys take pictures however. It's a cruel cruel world out there for baldies. We left as Claire was getting her fuss on, and went outside to catch some skin cancer on top of the pate. I prefer that to cold rain, however.