by Mitch Jones

My eyelids are heavy and my neck is sore as I lift my head off the car door. As I yawn and stretch my arms over the back of the headrest I see a Days Inn sign reaching towards the heavens. This can only mean I’ve woken up in Austin. We check into the hotel, we check in at the convention center, we check our cameras. By the end of the night I’ll be pinching myself to check and make sure I’m not dreaming.

Our first stop is at Red River & 7th St where we caught a peppy set from Austin locals Driver Friendly. They’ve got a small brass section and a big sound, a sound that makes me all nostalgic thinking clear back to the last time I was in Austin (a whole 12 months prior). It was a a warm welcome back to a warm city.

Cutting through downtown, I then arrived at Hype Hotel where there were plenty of free food and drinks, as well as a pretty stellar line-up for a Tuesday night. It was a packed house, so I found myself sneaking through the crowd and right up against the stage, among the lights and fog machines. As we walked back to the car the night was warm and I found myself smiling. Austin, Texas, is always a good time.

Words and photos by Mitch Jones