Friday night the Austinist folks had me out to draw their Local Music Is Sexy pre-party for Fun Fun Fun Fest. Music + cupcakes + booze = a magic formula. My favorite moment was TV Torso covering The Wipers’ “Over The Edge.” You can hear an MP3 of them doing it in the studio if you head over to Paige Maguire’s blog. (Thanks, Paige, for inviting me!)
Note: click any of the drawings to see them bigger.
Thursday night was a historic one for Austin City Limits: the studio was officially designated as a rock and roll landmark, and it put on it’s first hip-hop show.
My neighbor Dusty was kind enough to give me one of his space available tickets for the (somewhat grueling) 3-hour double taping—we stood on the floor for the full set, and I learned one thing: it’s near impossible to draw and raise the roof at the same time.
Really rough doodles below.
Derek writes in,
I am very new to drawing and wondered if there are any pens that you would recommend…
I don’t recommend any particular drawing tools, because I think tools are very personal and idiosyncratic–I mean, the tools that work for one artist might not work for another. One of my artist friends won’t draw with anything more than a .5mm mechanical pencil. I, on the other hand, don’t like to draw with anything less bold than a 1mm gel pen.
Regardless, here’s a list of what I carry around in my bag:
The tools change, based on the occasion: when I go out with my wife to a movie or a concert, I carry a Sharpie or a gel pen and a stack of index cards.
Feel free to share your own favorite notebooks/drawing tools for Derek in the comments!
I’ve been wanting to see Elvis Costello live ever since I was a teenager. Last night, we got to see him tape Austin City Limits. Talk about wish fulfillment!
Sure, he was playing bluegrass (with The Sugarcanes), but his voice sounded great, the band was top-notch, and he was witty and great with the audience. We even heard “Mystery Dance”, “Everyday I Write The Book,” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding.” Not too shabby.
I was going to take the evening off and devote my attention solely to the music, but I pulled out the Sharpie for a couple doodles.
I frequently get asked by people how they can get tickets to ACL. You’re best bet is to follow Leslie (@theotherleslie) and Emily (@acltv) on twitter, and subscribe to the Austin City Limits blog for giveaways.
And to see drawings I don’t post to the blog, check my twitter feed!
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