2010 September | Pecan Street Festival

Costco is known by some as the free sample empire and others as a bulk warehouse. My roommate says they have giant jars of peanut butter and I believe that alone is worth the visit. Seriously though, they have a ton of whatever you need and more than friendly service.

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AAA in Texas is your best friend. “24 hours roadside assistance” , Triple A in Texas is AKA the motor club and leisure travel association serving North America. They will pick you up when you need it most: dead battery, out of gas, flat tire, too drunk to drive on New Year’s Eve (Check out the Tipsy Tow). Additionally they will help you out with travel advisory and various discounts .

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Delicious Living ‘s modern approach to living simple and healthy fits right in to green-conscious Austin. Your guide to healthy food, organic living, beauty, family and domestic tips. Check out their blog for good news on conscientious topics.

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Locally grown home improvement reviewed by customers as “Honest”. These remodelers run the gamut from the inside out. Statewide remodeling is your go-to to for home and yard transformations.

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Bud light has so much going on I don’t know where to start!! Their website is an interactive adventure featuring facts, media, sports and charity.

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The southern belle of t-shirt storytelling, Storyville is a fun path to self expression. Located in Louisiana and Texas, this creative endeavor offers locally made apparel and screen printing services.

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A flashy website featuring gluten-free, corn-free, high fiber, protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Be sure to catch their samples at the festival and you’ll be hooked for ages.
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Vacation with Silverleaf Resorts around the nation and you will experience an intermission from reality that rejuvanates the soul. With steadfast pillars of value, variety, convenience and flexibility, any family or individual will be more than pleased with their experience. Drop into their booth at the festival for an introduction to the good life.

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THE LENNINGS

Our last names weren’t always Lenning, but we took an oath and made it so. We wear it for the sick and lonely old. For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold. Jason writes songs and sings them while Ross, Karl, Zach, and Cory work their magic on bass, drums, banjo, and guitar respectively. Mid-tempo folk-rock with infectious melodies and inviting vocals. Rhythmic strings drizzled with eerie effects. Songs focus on finding beauty and absurdity in the mundane and inanimate.

Old Pecan Street Festival veterans The Lennings have been together in Austin for a little less than a year. With sounds of rock & noise pop, Lennings are still blanketed by an hearty Americana sound.

They have played Pecan Street twice…Both times they ended up on the street playing while walking through the crowd.

I had the chance to ask the band how things are going, and where they see their music going:

What are your goals as a band? In 5 years? Lollapalooza ’98! Love to be able to tour and play festivals…have the lennings songs very well-known and on the tips of tongues across the land, and an official Lennings Day in Austin would be cool.

They have a couple great albums out, one called “Big Beige Car”, an EP titled “Geographic Tongue”, as well as a recent sampler. They are getting started on a third album with hopes of a Winter release.

The Lennings will play the Old Pecan Street Festival Saturday, September 25th at 4pm on Trinity & 6th St.

A new addition to the Old Pecan Street Festival is an international food court! Featuring yummy Cajun, German, Chinese, Mediterranean, and South American cuisine. Stop by to take your taste buds on a trip across Earth!

Part 2 of Our sponsor recognition series!

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98.9 The Big Talker is the frequency to tune into to if you want colorful talk radio. Featuring Gleen Beck, Sean Rima, Dave Ramsey, Mark Levin, Robert Rees and Bob & Tom. With a slogan of “Live Chat about Texas Politics” , you’ll find everyone talking about it.

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With two locations in south and central Austin, this store offers a unique style enhancing women’s natural beauty. Sola is sweet on their customers with the reward program for “Solanistas”, which allows exclusive invites to parties, first dibs on new items, reward points, and limited deal offers via twitter.

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mmm nothing like the real thing, baby. 92.5 true oldies station hits the spot everytime with Hall of Fame radio personality Scott Shannon. Tune in to hear thousands of Rock & Roll classics 24/7. When you can’t get enough of them, be sure to check out their facebook page!

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Bandera, Texas (AKA the cowboy capital of the world) is just West of San Antonio and known for its preserved old-skool cowboy culture. Perfect for family outings or the lone ranger, there is plenty of horseback riding, rodeo, trail exploring, eateries, music, dancing, cold beers, scenic drives, year-round events and thats not even scratching the surface, yall!

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107.1 La Z is your local radio station portal to Spanish tunes. Shows include El Show de la Mañana with Don Cheto, El Locutor del Medio Día with El Gallo, El Locutor de la Tarde with El Chiquilin, El Locutor de la Noche with El Tigre. Featuring oldies and contemporary hits, their choices are sure to invoke emotions across the spectrum.

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Teeth are real important for chewing and flashing a great sparkly smile so why not take care of them with the best of the best. Recommended by 9 out of 10 dentists, Sensodyne is perfect for those whose teeth are a sensitive or or just need a little extra armor.

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104.9 FM The Horn, is your sports station covering games, bringing you interviews and analyzing plays. They feature contests and special treatment for Horn Insiders.

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One easy way to be green is through recycling. Creative repurposing of materials is showcased with the Recycled Art Fashion show on Sunday, 4pm at the Greyhound Stage. Brought to you by Mike Litt of the Treasure City Recycled Fashion Show, this event inspires DIY fashion from an uninhibited perspective.

Sponsor recognition time!! Yep, these fine lookin’ logos here represent the people that have so generously supported us. We thought it would be fun to highlight each and every one. So here are the first seven in our three part sponsor recognition series.

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Early in September, Capitol One launched a new interactive website that provides savvy tips for saving money. Endangeredsavers.com is an interactive adventure boasting quizzes, statistics, fun videos, and a place to meet friends.

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Greyhound lines will take you all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico too. This Dallas based company founded in 1914 is no stranger to supporting the arts. In 2003 they sponsored Latino American student artists to paint murals in Greyhound stations. This year they are supporting our main stage!!

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The Austin Chronicle support our community by delivering news, events and sponsoring the Old Pecan Street Festival. Doing their part, the chronicle also created eco-friendly resources like the Green Guide and the Kill-A-Watt Challenge.

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Twin Liquors has a Texas history filled with great taste and loyalty. Always ready to lend a helping hand, this unique spirits company is supporting the festival as an extension of their ehtics.The third generation President, David Jabour, has said this about this about their giving spirit, “We believe that helping communities is an essential component of fulfilling the needs of our customers.”

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Located right here in Austin, TX, 11 Productions produces the iVote For Good contest, which raises money for non-profit organizations and gives a voice to creative ideas and talents of all sorts. The Festival hasorganized its own iVote For Good contest, which you can visit on Saturday 4:00pm, at the Greyhound Stage.

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The City of Austin is hard at work making our beautiful more green and educating residents on eco-friendly methods. Recently, the city released the clean air interactive car . This teaching tool teaches positive methods to protect our environment.

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Seen them lil’ cars around sporting a Car2Go logo? They are the new phenomenon of green commuting available in Ulm, Germany and Austin, TX. Register for their service and you can hop in one of their cars and go to the location of your heart’s desire (though you have to return it to the coverage area). Touted as the future of urban mobility, we are proud to have their innovative support.
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The iVote for Good talent show is Austin’s showcase of young, local artists. There are 6 contestants that will perform at the Greyhound Stage [ on Neches & 7th St ] Saturday at 4pm. Cast your 1$ vote on their website and you have supported exposure for your favorite up and coming act. All proceeds go to TALA, a non-profit lawyer association helping to protect creative freedom for artists, musicians and other creatives by offering free legal and accounting services.

This contest features six artists:

Deep 6

Neckbone

The Aviators

Schmillion

The Cipher

Blue Kabuki

QUIET COMPANY

Quiet Company, led by Taylor Glen Muse, is one man’s vision brought to life with a little help from his friends. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Taylor Muse already has years of experience under his young belt, having fronted and played in many bands, including an early version of Eisley. After the break-up of his last band, The Connotations, Taylor hoped to complete an album of collected contributions from his extensive cast of musician friends. Instead, he played nearly everything himself, and ended up with a very personal and visionary endeavor entitled “Shine Honesty.” By the end of it all, you may be uncomfortably aware of exactly who he loves, who he hates, and how he feels about them all.

After the release of their critically acclaimed first record, “Shine Honesty,” Austin’s Quiet Company took to the road for over 200 shows all across the U.S. The video for “Fashionabel,” by Emmy nominated director Cameron McCasland, won several film festival awards and was added to rotation by MTV.CA. During that time songwriter Taylor Muse began recording demos that would later become “Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon.”

Soon after the tour the band sought and achieved release from their agreement with Northern Records and began making plans to release their new record by themselves. Now, almost three years in the making, the proudly present to you, “Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon”. Lyrically, the record promises songs that will make you fall in love with life and then just as quickly challenge everything you know about it. With 15 songs equaling an hour of music, Quiet Company tells tales of love, death, and frustration with the world we’re forced to live in. Though always uplifting, the songs range form the raucously energetic to the beautifully intimate and never go without melodies that are immediately haunting and infectious.

Quiet Company will make your tail wag on September 26th at 7:00 PM on the Red River Stage.

WIRETREE

Wiretree is an indie pop rock outfit from Austin, Texas. The quartet is fronted by Kevin Peroni and also includes Joshua Kaplan, Rachel Peroni and Daniel Blanchard. Their debut, a self-titled EP, was released in 2005 under their own independent label, Cobaltworks. In January of 2007, Wiretree released their first LP entitled Bouldin. Their latest LP “Luck” released in late 2009 found it’s way on various year-end best of lists (Blurt, Absolute Powerpop, etc.) while being labeled Blurt Magazine’s “Best Kept Secret.” After playing their official 2010 SXSW showcase, the band is now working on a new EP.
Austin’s Kevin Peroni has been writing songs under the moniker of Wiretree since 2005, when he released his first EP. The latest album, Bouldin, is a nine song testament to American chords, everything that was good about real folk music, bridging the gap between The La’s and late ’70s George Harrison with ease. Peroni’s vocals are at times extremely Elliott Smith-ish, but that’s not a bad thing. The songs are reminiscent of all those great bands the people who are slightly older than you are remember buying: Smithereens, Squeeze and the the Posies all make their appearances in the influenced-by department, but so do Tom Petty, James Taylor and Brendan Benson. Big Coat is the stand-out track, featuring big hooks and a hummable chorus that sticks with you (and begs to be an AT&T commercial). Bouldin is, at the end of the day, a sweet, inoffensive collection of tunes that are perfect for drives to the lake, first date dinner at my house evenings and chilly fall morning mixtapes for boys and girls that don’t know you exist yet.

Black Pistol Fire, a new Austin blues-rock duo transplanted from Toronto will be sure to melt some faces at the Fall 2010 Old Pecan Street Festival. Formerly The Shenanigans, the now two-piece outfit have relocated to Austin in pursuit of success.

I met with Eric Owen, the drummer of Black Pistol Fire and had the chance to talk about where he and Kevin (guitar & vox) are headed as a band.

Eric & Kevin have known one another since they were five years-old. Both playing in several bands together, Eric says: We were always the core and were in many great bands together. After playing in Toronto for a while, things just kind of got stale. It was time to do our own thing; Austin felt like the perfect place to do it.

After playing as the Shenanigans for around 7 years, a name change felt appropriate as Eric & Kevin felt that the name didn’t match their style. The guys now have more of a dirty-southern, soul-driven, rock & roll sound. They are, indeed amazing.

Black Pistol Fire’s biggest influences are CCR, The Allman Bros, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, & early Kings Of Leon.

Eric says: Kevin sounds like John Fogherty…He brings the blues, where as I bring kind of a punk rock sound. Our ultimate goal as a band is to create a following and tour the world.

Black Pistol Fire performs Sunday, September 26^th at 3 o’clock on Trinity & 6^th St.

Weston L. McGowen

Austin, Texas

DAVID BECK

Old Pecan Street Festival veteran, David Beck returns yet again to deliver a soul-filled experience to the audience at this year’s Fall Festival.

After playing bass in various bands from the area, David Beck eventually decided to venture out on his own. Playing in Austin for about a year now, David has created quite a following.

David says: My father was a major influence in getting my start as a musician. . It wasn’t such a fantasy being a professional musician…”it’s what my dad does.”

David and Zach (drummer for the outfit), met while attending Texas State University in San Marcos. They have been in pretty much every band together since then; both got their start playing country music – it really gives an interesting flavor to their sound.

The band seems to still be in a stage of evolution- David’s first gig consisted of seven friends and was eventually stripped down to just a three-piece. He has recently added the fiddle and saxophone to his act, first-heard at the Saxon Pub two weeks ago.

David says: The band’s goals are to keep writing songs and keep playing shows…Touring is what it’s all about.

You won’t want to miss his performance at this year’s festival. David Beck puts on an unforgettable show.

David Beck plays Sunday, September 26^th at 6 o’clock on Red River St. & 6^th St.

Weston L. McGowen

Austin, Texas

RockLove jewelry is the brilliant designer label from Allison Hourcade. Her studio is in New York, but her mind is elsewhere, traveling through years of art history and the valleys of her imagination. She creates treasure from nickel-free specialty materials, rock ‘n roll energy, and collaborative spirit between artists. Her imagination introduces old world design with a fresh edge. Typically I find jewelry lines pretty specific, with little to offer outside the designer’s style. RockLove however, transcends this narrow scope by extending a creative invitation to innumerable tastes.

Allison and I communicated recently through email about her plans to attend the Fall 2010 Old Pecan Street festival. Even through the internet I could sense her enthusiasm for her second visit to the festival.

1. What is your opinion as a merchant about the Old Pecan Street Festival, the people that you meet while there or the management of the festival?

The Management of the Old Pecan Street Festival is some of the best I’ve seen – the event coordinators made my guerrilla appearance from NYC a cinch. I work with primarily high profile shows, Hollywood movies, and well known bands… and it’s difficult to get the type of personal attention required for setting up a large scale show when flying in same weekend from out of town. Not only was everything taken care of for my first ever trip to Texas, but the attendees of the event were so friendly and enthusiastic. By the first morning’s breakfast burrito and mexican martini, I was already planning my future bohemian life in Austin.

2. Where does your passion of art come from?

I‘m not sure which it is – I’m either an extremely passionate artist or a terrible work-aholic who will have ulcers by the time I’m 30 years old An utter history nerd, I’ve lived in both France and Italy studying different eras of art. My RockLove Jewelry collections infuse various lost art forms (from carved military coat buttons to Victorian watch fobs and hand tatted lace) with exotic world traveled materials and rock n roll edge.

3. Is there anything really crazy or new in the future of your work?

My latest Medallion Collection will debut at the September Old Pecan Festival, inspired by the medals which Prince Albert and Queen Victoria would award to their courtiers – a sort of monarchical “gold star” for winning games, entertainment, etc. This series, along with the Anthology Collection, are also popping up in a lot of magazines and on the red carpet, including on Halle Berry in her upcoming film “Dark Tide.” I’m also creating an exclusive new line for Iron Fist, which is a huge international company specializing in rockstar styled clothing and shoes… I’ve been a fan wearing their designs for years, importing their pumps from London!