It's all about photons.

Secret vacations are the best vacations. I just got back from one and I had a great time. I went to a music festival, which frankly isn’t really my scene. I don’t like large crowds, I don’t get off on music when it’s 100 yards away and being projected through giant speakers and giant screens. It just doesn’t do it for me. It also doesn’t help when you are outside in Texas in September. Thankfully it wasn’t the height of summer. It was only about 95 every day instead of 105; but the lack of rain all summer made for a dusty occasion.
I went to the ACL Fest in Austin. I went with a good friend of mine, who lives in LA, so it was a nice little gathering to meet in Austin. Plus, I got to show someone around my hometown who had never been there, which I love to do. And it just gave me excuses to talk about all the random facts I have on that town. And it’s a good thing he came too – we were without a car and those I knew with cars, frankly, weren’t very reliable or helpful about picking us up or taking us anywhere, so I was really glad to have someone to walk across town in sweltering heat with so that I didn’t have to do it alone. Plus we got sno-cones. There were certain points though where the sun and heat were just too much to bear. Day 2:The highlight of the festival for me was Conor Oberst, otherwise known as Bright Eyes. He just put out a solo album. I know what you’re thinking, “But Bright Eyes is just him anyway, how can he put out a solo album?” Frankly, I don’t know. I would say it’s because his musical style is different, which it is from where he started. It’s much more folky, driven at times. But his last Bright Eyes album went into the same arena as well, so I don’t know, maybe it’s for a tax break. He really is a great performer live. I saw him here in Portland last year at the Crystal Ballroom and it was a great show, certainly one of the best I saw last year, and now this is one of the best I have seen this year. Way to go Bright Eyes – I mean Conor.

Other notables were Hot Chip, MGMT and Louis XIV. Apparently Louis XIV is “like so two years ago”. But they’re new to me, and they put on a good show, so whatever.Another highlight was watching people in headbands. I got a nice little spot in the shade at the MGMT show and took the liberty of snapping some shots of the many headbands walking around Zilker Park. I guess it’s all the rage with the kids these days, but I don’t really get it. And as was so astutely pointed out to me, they are all going to have headband tanlines after this weekend. Which I think is hi-larious.

I spent the majority of the festival texting people and trying to meet up with them. This rarely happened. In fact, I only found people twice. It was a madhouse. Seriously. Look at all these freaking people.So, it was a great time. I highly recommend secret vacations. Or really just vacations in general. Next on the list will have to be either San Francisco or Seattle. I’ve been to both for 1 day each, but nothing more. And they are right up and down the coast from me. I don’t have any good reason not to go other than I don’t have anyone to wander around the cities with, and even that probably isn’t reason enough.