[kj] OT: SXSW!

[Amy Moseley Rupp]

> > All of us here made everyone the world over feel at home and loved.
> > They didn't come to GeorgeBushVille, they came to a city full of
> > music lovers.
> 
> Except for those damn criminals from Ozomatli. How dare they play music 
> outside a club, and those people in the crowd deserved to be hit with 
> the refreshing spray of pepper, too.
> 
> FREE THE OZO THREE!
> 
> Austin is not what it use to be, nor remotely what it still claims to 
> be. Tragic.

Well, the drummer did not have to drum on the cop's head, BUT.....

(I spoke to someone who was in the audience at that gig)

The pigs, erm, I mean cops, even in Austin, still are Texas cops.
I don't know what it would take to get through their thick heads that
we want them to enforce *our* community's standards, not Texas'.

But Jester, you'd've been proud of us during SXSW.  The enrollment
surged last minute and we were overwhelmed -- I volunteered -- 55
freakin' hours in 5 days straight.  And the volunteering continues
when you're out and about.  We "adopted" total strangers from all
over the world and let them stay at our houses -- both bands and
fellow attendees/volunteers.

And the sheer amount of BBC radio out of here.... amazing.  Got hit
on by Zane Lowe.  Met amazing numbers of Brit musicians.  Fucking
HEAVEN.

Those of you who know of Snow Patrol may recognise the blokes
(and meself):

http://www.maple.org/markamygarysmall.jpg
http://www.maple.org/nathansmall.jpg

and Jester, you'll recognise where we are ;-)

I think I'm framing that first picture.  And putting it
on my ceiling.  Last minute Gary (the singer) pulled me
close to him so that I'm precariously off balance and
clinging to Mark's right shoulder for balance.  But I
could live on Gary's chest quite, quite happily ;-)