6th Street Endurance Team: Monday Funday Kicked My Ass June 13, 2009

It’s been a while… quite a while… since my last blog, and after getting several requests for a new one, I decided to combine several of my most recent 6th Street adventures for your entertainment pleasure.

As we all know, Nuno’s is my absolute favorite hangout on 6th Street. The people are the best, the bands are incredible, and I just can’t get enough of live music… especially the blues. But believe it or not, I actually do hang out at other places on 6th. A while back, my girls and I started doing Monday Funday: a girls’ only night of drinking, bar-hopping, and more drinking. The crew usually consists of some combination of me, Johanna, Jessica, Veronica, and Linda. But one particular Monday Funday, Johanna had a date, and Jess and Veronica had to work early, so I was left to my very first Linda-only drinking experience. I wish someone had warned me beforehand.

Linda isn’t downtown yet when I get there, so I start the night at Nuno’s. Just as I am having my inaugural shot for the night, Linda texts me to let me know that she’s at Maggie Mae’s, and that I should hurry up. Cool. I’ll just grab my purse and… what the hell? Where did this vodka tonic come from? Dammit, Nuno. I’m not drinking here tonight! Well, I suppose it would be inconsiderate of me to waste a complimentary drink… Fine. So I suck the vodka tonic down as quickly as possible, then head out the door for Maggie Mae’s.

I arrive at Maggie Mae’s, and Linda is already drinking with her girl Jacqueline, who bartends at Friends. We have a few rounds of drinks and a few shots, then begin the most rapid-fire 6th Street bar crawl I’ve ever experienced.

Shots at Touche. Flaming Dr. Peppers at Touche. Then we leave.

Shots at Pure. Order, pay, drink, leave.

Shots at Treasure Island. The bartender pulls out a book to find the recipe for a kamikaze. Oh, dear. At this point, I request a brief reprieve for a glass of water. Apparently this request is too much to ask. Have to keep moving. No time for water. Only time for shots.

Shots at Cheers. Johanna reports on her lame date via text, and says she’ll meet up with us in a few. I tell her we’re bouncing around. Leave Cheers.

Shots at Chuggin’ Monkey. Verify location with Johanna via text. Then we leave again. Still no time for water.

Shots at Friends. Change location to Johanna via text. She seems annoyed. We actually get two rounds of shots at Friends. Then we leave.

Shots at Dizzy Rooster. Johanna is texting me in all caps, telling me to stay still. I tell her I can’t. Linda is a bossy drunk.We leave again.

Shots at The Library.This is starting to get out of control. Well, actually, it was out of control by the time we hit Treasure Island. But now it’s really out of control. Back to Maggie Mae’s.

Shots at Maggie Mae’s. By now, it’s about midnight. JOHANNA IS HERE!! YAY! She takes one look at me and says, “Oh, no. I should have warned you about Linda. You’re hammered, aren’t you?” Hammered? Me? Nah. I’ve only done shots at 87% of the bars on 6th Street tonight, with no time for sitting, H20 or blood transfusions. Of COURSE I’m hammered!

Johanna and I split off from Linda and Jacqueline and go back to Touche for more shots. Back to Nuno’s for more shots. To Treasure Island again. Then to The Lodge. We’re getting some fantastic pictures! I’m having such a great time, and I can’t wait to recall all of these wonderful memories when I upload the pics to Facebook. Then… nothing. I remember NOTHING. I seriously lose TWO HOURS of my life. Apparently, I ditch JoLlo and run across the street to get a chili dog… then decide I have to buy one for Nuno and Tank, too. By about 1:30, I’m back at Maggie’s, and I say I need to go to the bathroom. Then I leave and go to Nuno’s, alone, apparently in search of my elusive late night snack. When I don’t find it at Nuno’s, I begin asking everyone where my chili dog went. Johanna starts to worry about where I am, but Linda is just as drunk, and she’s telling Johanna I’m fine. But thankfully, JoLlo doesn’t listen. She calls me and I tell her I don’t know where my chili dog is. I only got the chili dog 30 minutes before, and Johanna is steadily telling me that she has my chili dog, and it’s at Maggie’s with her and Linda. But I still think I might find it somewhere at Nuno’s.

Johanna is not amused. She comes to get me at Nuno’s, where I enthusiastially order 3 more shots for me, Jo and Nuno. Nuno, sweet as can be, tells me the shots are on the house. And they’re absolutely delicious. I try to tip him $10. He refuses my tip. I’m confused until Jo explains that he just gave us 3 shots of cranberry juice. FML. Nuno just cut me off without telling me he was cutting me off. I no longer think he’s being sweet.

I also lose my camera. We have no idea where it went. Probably the same mysterious location as the last two hours of my life. I can’t remember any of the bars we visited, so Jo carefully explains where we went, who we saw, and where I might have left it. Fail. Someone has taken my camera and all of my lovely memories. 6th Street has taken my sobriety. Inebriation has taken my dignity. Monday Funday, you kicked my ass.

Then… nothing.

SXSW 2009: Part 2 March 20, 2009

7:30 p.m.: No line for wristband holders @ Stubb’s. I grab my first Lone Star of the night and head over to the stage, where I land front and center in a sparse crowd. Not for long. By the time 3Oh!3 comes on, I am swimming in a sea of teenagers and very low 20-somethings, rocking out to what could possibly be the most energetic, infectious show I’ve seen in a LONG time. I literally could not stop dancing for 45 minutes straight, and rocked out to every single song. Fantastic show. On my way to the ladies’ room, I meet a security guard who informs me that my green Artist wristband is fundamentally no different than a badge, at least when it comes to concerts, but that didn’t stop me from finding my way into the Green Room to meet 3Oh!3. Apparently, when people think you’re in a band, you get a lot more perks. 😉

9:00 p.m.: On my way out of the Green Room, I meet a Canadian band called Lloydminster, and they become my BFF’s for the night. These guys were so effing hilarious that I could hardly stand it. We drink, dance, sing along to Meat Puppets, and drink some more. I become an honorary band member. I now play the finger cymbals.

10:00 p.m.: Gomez plays Stubb’s. Fantastic show. Again, I duck into the Green Room, but the band members are kind of occupied and I need food. I grab a sausage wrap (yum!), my 10th beer of the night, and make my way back to my new band.

11:00 p.m.: There is an absolutely hypnotic violinist on stage. I discover this band is called Andrew Bird. I love them. The boys and I have a few more beers, then go up to the VIP lounge to watch Ben Harper from an elevated perspective. On the way, my new security guard friend informs me that Metallica will be playing at Stubb’s tomorrow night, but it hasn’t yet been announced.

12:15 a.m.: Ben Harper is way late coming on, so I go to the Green Room yet again, and manage to catch him in a moment where he has time to chat. He’s cut his hair since the last time I saw him. It looks great. He kisses my hand. I melt. I see his wife. I go away. Back to the VIP lounge. OMG. Ben Harper. LOVE. While dancing lustfully to that sexy guitar and crooning voice, I meet Joyce, an agent from Fearless Records in Orange County, and she is just effing fabulous. We hug a lot. I get her card and promise to call her with my whereabouts tomorrow.

1:00 a.m.: Leave Stubb’s slightly early to try to catch Kid Cudi @ Aces Lounge. With the boys in tow (and very drunk), I make my way back to 6th Street. Drunken Todd is hard to contain, and we don’t make it to 6th Street until 1:30. Chris and I make an executive decision to go to Nuno’s instead, so I can make good on my promise to Tank. Glad we did. Nuno’s is packed, with great blues as always, and the whole family seems to be around tonight. Angie, sweet and precious as ever, is collecting tips for the band. Chris and I dance for a while, then Nuno Sr. stops to talk to us. I love his philosophy on finding talent: “Everyone is local. Fuck everyone else. We’re here for the locals.” Time for more drinks, and Nuno II leaves the bar to dance. I suddenly realize how effing hot Nuno II is. I immediately develop a temporary SXSW crush on the guy I’ve seen almost every weekend since New Year’s Eve Eve. More dancing, more drinks, and we leave well past 2:00.

2:30 a.m.: I can’t believe this happened. The boys and I have walked all the way to I-35, completely the opposite direction of my car. We walk halfway back and my feet really start to hurt. Chris offers to carry me. I seriously consider. We find a pedicab that fits 3 of us, and Chris sits with me, while the other 3 remaining band members take turns running beside the pedicab and sitting with me and Chris. Todd finds it amusing to yell at our pedicab driver and smack him on the ass as he drives. FML.

3:30 a.m.: Breakfast @ Kerbey Lane. So hungry. We finish up, and I drop the guys off to sleep it off at their hotel with a promise to call them tomorrow.

4:00 a.m.: Home in Round Rock. SO EFFING TIRED. Can’t wait to go back tomorrow.