Party Ends: the first draft - john (austin,tx)

The first Draft Sessions went off without a hitch, thanks in part to all the sponsors (Independence Brewery, Insane In the Meshbane Productions, Groove Labs, Raw Word Records and Starke Circus) but most of all thanks to the steaming masses of people (approximately 400 and up?) who came out in the cold rainy weather to a part of town that they typically (for the most part) don’t frequent. There were no fights and lots of smiles, which is what I chalk up to having a great time. Even the (free) beer line, which at one point was comparable to the Great Wall of China in length, contained shiny happy people, clapping their hands. Michael Stipe would have been proud.

Due to the success of our inaugural Draft Sessions event talks are already in the works to do February with more bathrooms and more beer stations. So, clearly, all will have a more fun time.

DJ Orion seamlessly juggled Diplo, Bonde Do Role, and Stevie Wonder beats underneath a MIA acapella to much amazement from onlookers. DJ Jazz One kept things moving, perhaps best with his live mash of Jay Z and Tom Petty. Their sets were both as diverse as they were full of talent. Shit was tight all around.

Foot Foot opened the with the front man, Brian Lawhorn in a devil costume and closed the set with said front man flailing on the floor. In between: high notes were nailed and effects pedals were manipulated… and at one point a well-placed Cars cover was included. Foot Foot delivered unapologetically their unique rock and roll in front of the brewing tanks, which were lit up in a way that would have impressed the set designer from Dream Girls.

Clap! Clap! has a new album in the can and is set to get it heard by the masses in a matter of months. They utilized their headlining position of Draft Sessions to test the waters of several fined tuned new songs. Prognosis? Extremely positive. The crowd was huddled around the band in awe of the sheer clapping brilliance! Clap! Clap! has everything working for them right now because the dance punk sound is currently marketable (and certainty danceable) and they have a distinct attention-grabber built into their very essence: clapping. The bond the group instantly makes with its audience is perpetually fascinating and as a result their fan base is known to trek all over Texas to support the synthesizer-loving group. Clap! Clap! begins their sets, the audience claps along and this continues for the remainder of their 45 minutes. Rinse and repeat.

Many attendants walked away with commemorative Independence Brewery pint glasses, and everyone walked away with their fill of whatever it was they needed… whether it be getting out and about before another rumored freeze (ice storm 07 part duex?!) or their fill of free good local brew. The need to see a man roll on the floor like an Austin Les Savy Fav was met, as was the overall curiousity of what a rock and roll show would be like in a brewery. We covered all of the bases. Above all, we delivered on the mission statement of the whole Draft Sessions premise: Independent music. Independent Beer.

Thanks to EVERYONE who made it out to the South Austin brewery, dragged their friends out, tended the bar, ran the sound, played the records or guitars, drank the beer, waited in the lines, donated the money, and especially those who wore the Party Ends pins with pride. Ha.

Thanks to all of you, Draft Sessions is set to have a healthy life. Cheers!