I’ve been holding off on writing this post for several days. It’s really been hard to express my thoughts in a coherent way. Not only am I filled with anger and sadness at having to write another post about the tragic death of an Austin cyclist, but I’m also trying to wrap my head around the change that will be required to keep this from happening again. And I don’t want to sound condemning.

We as a city and a society are at a crucial point in history. The winds of change are blowing through, bringing new thoughts and new ideas. As that new philosophy starts to pollinate our minds, it causes a cultural clash. And in the midst of that, it gets a little chaotic.

Simply put: People are rethinking the way our streets should be used. Some see bicycles as a better way to commute. Plus, with massive growth over the last couple years, Austin is due for an infrastructure facelift. Now is the perfect time to talk about what we can do to improve the city to make it a safe place for everyone.

Another day, another tragedy

But first, I’ve got to share this:

This past weekend, a cyclist was struck from behind and killed while riding in the huge shoulder of 360. Here’s a picture of him smiling while on a bicycle. In this moment, he may be dressed as a cyclist, but you can see the joy and underlying humanity that connects each one of us.

Verter Ginestra was killed this past Saturday on 360.

Who blames who?

I could condemn the driver–but what good would that do? The person is also a human. And like all of us, that person has memories, sadness, and pain.

Rather, I’d like to think about what in our society has lead to nearly a dozen cyclists killed in 2012.

Is it because some rogue cyclists run red lights and stop signs? Maybe, but none of the folks killed got hit because of that. And for the record, I see at least 5 cars a day running red lights on my commute to work.

[See my previous post: 14 Tips to Help Cyclists and Drivers Coexist]

What about texting? I see tons of drivers texting despite it being against the law.

There are tons and tons of reasons to place blame. But that’s not going to help. Whether they are drivers in a hurry or cyclists who are trying to be bad asses, there will always be rogues. Nothing will change that.

Learning from the past

I read an article in Atlantic Magazine this week about the birth of Jaywalking. In the 1930s, there was a lot of resentment against cars for endangering the streets. After one particularly bad accident in Cincinnati, cities decided to start limiting cars through local ordinances. Knowing that more limits would decrease car sales, the automotive industry started lobbying to lessen restrictions and change perception of responsibility. Instead of manslaughter for a driver causing an accident that killed someone, they started shifting the ordinances to penalize the pedestrian who jaywalks.

It’s an interesting read that made my mind flip. For me, I thought streets had always been controlled by cars. I didn’t know that there’d ever been a time when people had questioned the purpose and use of the streets.

It got me thinking: What can be done to take back the streets? Aren’t we all just trying to get to work in the morning and home in the evening? Until we move beyond the automobile, what can we do to make the streets safe for cyclists, pedestrians, and cars?

Ok, what to do?

The answer is being addressed all over the country. LA, the pinnacle of car culture, is building 832 miles bike routes, making it the largest network of bicycle-protected lanes in the country. They are also putting problem roads on road diets, a new way of controlling traffic flow to make streets more pedestrian and bike friendly. (Check out Curbed LA’s full coverage of bikeification of the city).

Although Austin claims to be bike-friendly, it’s a joke; rather, we are a city that has a lot of cyclists, and our city government has built token bike ways. Our current bike lanes are shoulders with a bike logo in the middle.  And, I mean, seriously: 4 blocks of protected bike way on Rio Grande, 2 protected blocks on 4th St, and another protected bicycle way that parallels the Lady Bird Lake trail does not a “bike-friendly” city make. Plus, meandering through neighborhoods, the current bicycle trails aren’t practical for commuting.

We need to move Austin away from the automobile in a smart way. We should look at commuting patterns to make safe, protected, viable North-South and East-West routes. We need to look at areas with heavy foot traffic and see how to make them safe. And maybe someone in the City Planning can look at this map:

Bicycle vs Car Accident Map in Austin

[Check out the full interactive map of Bicycle vs Car Accidents here (via KVUE).]

That map shows the  location of bicycle accidents since 2009. What’s interesting about it is that all of those accidents happen on major North-South and East-West thoroughfares. And most bicyclists know how unsafe all of those intersections and roads are. In fact, last week I was thinking about writing a post called: South First, Barton Springs, or South Lamar: Where will the next death take place?

Yes, we NEED safe streets for ALL people. And we need it now, not after another 100,000 people move to our city. Not after more high-density condos and offices go up downtown. Not after another cyclist gets hit. We need it NOW.

Today, you can join hundreds of cyclists in a peaceful ride to help ensure that our roads are safe for everyone. Won’t you join?

EXPERIENCE: Pedaling for Safer Roads; Thursday, May 3rd, 2012; 7-9P; Meet at City Hall then slow ride to the Capitol. Facebook Event

Writer’s note: The goal of this piece is not to increase violence and hate. It’s me trying to wrap my head around this tragedy. Hopefully it can increase discussion around how our civil servants protect and serve us.

In the evenings, I like to work in the garden in my backyard. It clears my head. Usually when I come back inside the house, I’m calm and super chill. Last night, in light of the shooting of Austinite Mike Paxton’s dog Cisco by an Austin police officer, however, my world felt a little less peaceful.

You see, walking around the corner from the back of the house to the carport, I imagined myself as Mike walking out of his backyard. He’s probably just as carefree as most folks on a Saturday evening. Turning the corner, he’s suddenly being shouted at by a police officer holding him at gunpoint. Confused, he puts his hands up, and then watches helplessly as his dog, curious about the sudden change in his owner’s voice, runs out of the backyard, and gets gunned down.

The more I watch and listen to the dashboard recording of the moments leading up to Cisco’s shooting, the more sad I get. I can’t help but put myself in that situation, replaying the tape and imagining myself, my friends, or my neighbors in Mike’s shoes. Each time, I’m left feeling helpless and confused.

WATCH: Dashboard Recording from Officer Griffin’s Car

Then I start thinking about Officer Griffin. What were his moments like?

As he gets out of his car, maybe he thinks about Officer Padron, a colleague who was recently shot and buried. When he takes his gun out of its holster before stepping on the property, does he think about his family or kids? Does he just want to be safe? Does he want to help the couple in the alleged domestic dispute?

Like Magnum PI, he has his gun ready. Suddenly, someone walks out of the backyard into the driveway.

“Show me your hands! Get your dog!”

Gunshots

“Get back! Get back!”

“What did you shoot my dog for?”

That transpires in 4 seconds. What would you do?

You can hear the heartbreak in Mike’s voice when he repeats: “What did you shoot my dog for?”

Officer Griffin yells: “Why didn’t you get your dog?”

Mike, in shock, responds: “I didn’t know you were here. I was just in my yard. Oh my god. You came here and killed my dog. I need to see a vet.”

You can hear the confusion when he asks: “Why did you pull your gun on me? I live here?”

Officer Griffin continues to question Mike. He’s trying get a grip on the situation the only way he knows how, by applying more authority. There doesn’t seem to be compassion in his voice. No sympathy. He’s not talking to a person who has just lost a friend, it’s a potential criminal who needs to be wrangled.

Ordering him around, he asks why Mike didn’t tell him he had a dog. Asks why his dog charged him.

Watching and listening to the tape at home is kind of like watching Jeopardy. Without the pressure of the moment, we can see the answers the participants can’t. In this case,  we can see that in less than 5 seconds, Officer Griffin told Mike to freeze and then shot his dog. His dog ran out of the yard because he was curious and that’s what dogs do–especially if they sense their owner is in danger.

Cisco

I feel like the suspects and victims are the ones always forced to answer questions. So I’d like to ask Officer Griffin some questions:

• Why did you take your gun out of the holster when you stepped out of your car?
• Why didn’t you calmly walk up to the house and ask if there was a problem?
• Why did you yell at Mike to freeze without even letting him know you were there?
• Are you so jumpy and trigger happy that you would have been startled by a child running around the corner?

And now a couple questions for Chief Acevedo:

• We’ve had several shootings over the last year, why have cities larger than us had fewer?
• How do you have your officers approach situations that aren’t violent?
• What sort of training do your officers get on when to use their weapons?
• What do your officers do to cultivate peace and understanding?
• How are your officers trained to handle pets?
• Do you have programs to help stressed out cops?
• If workplace culture comes from the top down, what do you do to ensure that you set the example for peace instead of instilling aggression?

Listen, we all know the world can be unsafe at times. And mistakes do happen. I would not want to be Mike or Officer Griffin right now. It is truly disheartening when any creature, be they cop, man, woman, dog, or child loses their life.

But violence and fear beget violence and fear.

When police officers lose another officer, they get more stressed out. Likewise, when an officer shoots a civilian (or a handful of civilians get shot in a year), the city’s population begins to question the department’s ability to uphold peace. They also become more suspicious, skeptical and aggressive, further threatening the safety of police officers.

We, as a city, have the power to change. We have to decide how we as citizens and those who serve us should act. Do we promote fear and violence? Or do we move towards peace and understanding?

One of my favorite Buddhist writers is Thich Nhat Hahn. His book “Answers from the Heart: Practical Responses to Life’s Burning Questions” is full of answers about modern life from the Buddhist perspective. In response to a question about being physically attacked, the answer pretty much says the best defense is a good offense:

We can eat and work and sleep in a way that we preserve our health and resilience. We can cultivate mindfulness, concentration, and compassion. Every time the Buddha was in danger of being attacked physically, he used his mindfulness, intelligence, and compassion to subdue the person who was about to attack him, and he didn’t have to use martial arts

How can we and our leaders inspire brotherhood, compassion, and peace?

How do we recognize the delicate thread of humanity that connects us and still maintain a lawful society?

These are questions that we need to ask ourselves. They are also questions our Mayor, Police Chief, City Manager, City Council, and community leaders need to ask each other.

If you would like to contact them, you may email them here:

• Police Chief Art Acevedo: art.acevedo@austintexas.gov
• Mayor Lee Leffingwell: lee.leffingwell@austintexas.gov
• City Manager Marc Ott: marc.ott@austintexas.gov

V + <3 + \m/

#JusticeForCisco

Cisco as a pup

Think that's a lot of wristbands? You should've seen the other hand.

Here’s our full listing of SXSW Free Party RSVPs recommendations.

Oh yeah, Check out our SXSW Party Pintrest Board.

Not enough party? Head over to SXSHHH. They’ve got ALL the parties.

Big apologies, y’all. Friends came in town early last week for SXSW, and it’s been nonstop. This may be the last update.

Have fun! Rock out! Drink booze! Bike! Or take the Tito’s Trolley around downtown. And if you’re hungover, try some of our SXSW hair-of-the-dog detoxifying cocktail recipes!

V + <3 + \m/

Multiple-day/Major SXSW Party RSVPs:

Hotel Vegan presented by Brooklyn Vegan [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: March 14th — March 17th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Hotel Vegas & The Volstead (1500 E 6th St, 78702)
• MORE INFO

Thrasher Converse Death Match [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: March 14th — March 18th, 2012 NOON-2A
• LOCATION: Scoot Inn (1308 E 4t St, 78702)
• MORE INFO

Urban Outfitters Back Lot Performances [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: March 14th — March 17th, 2012 NOON-7P
• LOCATION: Urban Outfitters (2406 Guadalupe St, 78705)
• MORE INFO

The Pitchfork SXSW 2012 Day Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: The Mohawk (912 Red River St, 78702)
• MORE INFO

Death & Taxes East End [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: March 15th — March 16th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Cheer Up Charlie’s (1104 E 6th St, 78702)
• RSVP

The Roxy Theatre’s 5th Annual AUSTINROX at SXSW [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 7P-2A
• LOCATION: Bandpage HQ (604 E 7th St, 78702)
• RSVP

Scion Presents: Check Yo Ponytail – Mad Decent – Fool’s Gold SUPER PARTY [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012 NOON-7P
• LOCATION: Emo’s East & Beauty Ballroom (2015 Riverside Dr, 78741)
• RSVP

MyOldKentuckyBlog.com, INDIGENOUS, & Knuckle Rumbler present VAYA CON TACOS 2

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Peckerheads(402 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Home Slice Presents…Music By The Slice [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Frida, March 16th, 2012 1130A-9P
• LOCATION: Homeslice Pizza (1415 South Congress Ave, 78704)
• MORE INFO

Baeblemusic Presents: The Launch Pad at The Knuckle Rumbler Lounge [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Peckerheads (402 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Twangfest and KDHX SXSW Day Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, and Friday, March 16th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Jovita’s (1619 S 1st St, 78704)
• RSVP

Lucy’s South by South Austin Fried Chicken Revival [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: March 14th — March 18th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Lucy’s Fried Chicken (221 College Ave, 78704)
• MORE INFO

SXSW Music (March 13th-18th, 2012) Party RSVPs

Way Out West [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Bayou Lounge (500 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Consequence of Sound’s CoSign Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Beauty Bar (617 E 7th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Gram Parsons Foundation Launch Event [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Hotel San Jose (1316 South Congress Ave, 78704)
• RSVP

Grown Kids Radio & The Mint Collective Live SXSW 2012 [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-5P
• LOCATION: Malverde (400 W 2nd St, 78701)
• RSVP

The Good Danny’s + Navigational Society Day Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 10A-6P
• LOCATION: The Parish (214 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Sea Now! SXSW 2012 [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: March 14th — March 17th, 2012 NOON-2A
• LOCATION: The Brew Exchange (706 W 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Chicken Ranch Records & Friends SXSW 2012 [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Elysium (705 Red River St St, 78701)
• RSVP

The Windish Agency presents…Austin or Bust! SXSW 2012 [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: The Mohawk (912 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

Terrorbird and FOrce Field PR 5th Annual SXSW Day Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Red 7 (611 E 7th St, 78701)
• RSVP

The Billy Reid Shindig [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: The Swan Dive (615 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

South By East By West Spring Bash [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: The Liberty (1618 1/2 E 2nd St, 78702)
• RSVP

The Audio Perv & Knuckle Rumbler Present: Perveyors of Rock [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Peckerheads (402 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

KVRXplosion 2012 [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-2A
• LOCATION: Spiderhouse (2908 Fruth St, 78705)
• MORE INFO

Get Bent presents [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 NOON-2A
• LOCATION: Spiderhouse (2908 Fruth St, 78705)
• MORE INFO

GigaCrate 5th Year Anniversary [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 830P-2A
• LOCATION: Beso Cantina (307 B W 5th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Classic Weird Party : Classic + Weird Collide! Sounds of Athens & Austin [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-7P
• LOCATION: The Liberty (1618 1/2 E 6th St, 78702)
• MORE INFO

The Wind and The Wave + Vivogig present: The Second Annual Matchbox Showcase [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Dirty Dog (505 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Check Yo Ponytail 2 & Uweekly Austin Day Party

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-7P
• LOCATION: Emo’s East (2015 E Riverside Dr, 78741)
• RSVP

Insound’s 2012 SXSW Party! [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-7P
• LOCATION: Club De Ville (900 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

relix | creative allies SXSW Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-530P
• LOCATION: Maggie Mae’s (323 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Killer Tofu Party presented by Small Plates Recs, Ultra8201, Tumblr, and Left Hand Brewing [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-530P
• LOCATION: Lovejoy’s (604 Neches St, 78701)
• RSVP

Knuckle Rumbler x Nah Right x The Smoking Section Present – The Grand Ole Party 4

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 NOON-530P
• LOCATION: Peckerheads (402 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

FoF x SXSW Texas Takeover [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 2P-8P
• LOCATION: Barcelona (209 E 6th St, 78701)
• MORE INFO

The Mint Records, Olio Festival, Light Organ FREE SXSW DAY PARTY!!! [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 2P-6P
• LOCATION: Headhunters (720 Red River St, 78701)
• MORE INFO

Polyvinyl Record Co. Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 7P-MID
• LOCATION: Emo’s East (2015 E Riverside Dr, 78741)
• RSVP

Scion Presents: FOOLS GOLD Austin Party

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 8P-2A
• LOCATION: Beauty Ballroom (2015 E Riverside Dr, 78741)
• RSVP

Red Bull Music Academy Presents…TWO SEVENS CLASH 2012 [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 9P-2A
• LOCATION: Hudson’s on 5th (301 W 5th St, 78701)
• MORE INFO

Sonicbids Day Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012 1130A-520P
• LOCATION: Maggie Mae’s (323 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

And So…3rd Annual SXSW party: [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012 1130A-520P
• LOCATION: 29th St Ballroom (2906 Fruth St, 78705)
• RSVP

A BADASS ROCK PARTY Presented by The Boxing Lesson & Slacker Magazine

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012 NOON-10P
• LOCATION: Guero’s (1412 South Congress Ave, 78704)
• RSVP

Etnies Presents…Fake Life Fête [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012 NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Beauty Bar (617 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Front Gate Tickets 6th Annual Morning After Party [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012 NOON-5P
• LOCATION: Front Gate Tickets (1711 South Congress Ave, 78704)
• RSVP

A Club Called Rhonda [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012 9P-2A
• LOCATION: Beauty Ballroom (2015 Riverside Dr, 78741)
• RSVP

Kevchino.com presents Maison d’Etoile’s Day Show [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Maison d’Etoile (2109 E Cesar Chavez St, 78702)
• RSVP

Trouble & Bass: Bass Bash [Added March 13th, 2012]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012 NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Barcelona (209 E 6th St, 78702)
• RSVP

Think that's a lot of wristbands? You should've seen the other hand.

We’ll be updating the main page of SXSW Free Party RSVPs regularly, so check back. It’s only gonna get more insane.

Oh yeah, Check out our SXSW Party Pintrest Board.

Feeling overwhelmed? Check out RSVPster, our homies who will do the RSVPing for you.
Not enough party? Head over to SXSHHH. They’ve got ALL the parties.

So. Many. Parties. Not. Enough. Time.

I’ll be posting more tomorrow–maybe a big one! Stay Tuned!

Multiple-day/Major SXSW Party RSVPs:

Spotify House [Added March 6th, 2012]

• DATE: March 12th – March 17th, NOON-6P
• LOCATION: 1010 E Cesar Chavez, 78702
• RSVP

SXSW Interactive (March 8th-13th, 2012) Party RSVPs

Samsung Mobile FEED @ Night [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Friday, March 9th, 2012, 9P-2A
• LOCATION: ArtHouse (700 COngress Ave, 78701)
• RSVP

CODEX: DMT RMX EXPERIENCE [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Friday, March 9th, 2012, 4P-2A
• LOCATION: St. Elmo Sound Stage Warehouse (415 East St. Elmo Road, 78745)
• RSVP

The Foodspotting SXSW Street Food Fest 2012 [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 10th, 2012, 4P-10P
• LOCATION: 2nd St & Congress Ave, 78701
• RSVP

Suicide Girls SXSW Party at Hotel Vegas [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 10th, 2012, 8P-3A
• LOCATION: Hotel Vegas (1500 E 6th St, 78702)
• RSVP

Turntable Does SXSW 2012 Presented by Pepsi and Powered by Intel [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 10th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: ND (501 N IH-35, 78702)
• RSVP

WordPress SXSW Party [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 6P-9P
• LOCATION: Pure Volume House (2nd St and Trinity St, 78701)
• RSVP (must have WP account)

Thrillist Rocktail Party [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 10P-2A
• LOCATION: The Rattle Inn (610 Nueces St, 78701)
• RSVP

SurveyMonkey & WUFOO @ SXSW [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 630P-930P
• LOCATION: Shakespeare’s Pub (314 E. 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Jansport Bonfire Sessions [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Tuesday, March 13th, 2012, 1P-5P
• LOCATION: The Mohawk (912 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

Snake Skin Prison Presents Pre-SXSW Party [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Tuesday, March 13th, 2012, 7P-2A
• LOCATION: Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

SXSW Music (March 13th-18th, 2012) Party RSVPs

Eventbrite Arcade Party [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, 130P-6P
• LOCATION: 604 E 7th St, 78701
• RSVP

The Portland Party [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, NOON-2A
• LOCATION: The Grackle (1700 E 6th St, 78702)
• RSVP

Turntable Does SXSW 2012 Presented by Pepsi and Powered by Intel [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: 1100 E. 5th St, 78702
• RSVP

Austin Psych Fest and Sailor Jerry present: LEVITATION [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012, NOON-2A
• LOCATION: 29th St Ballroom (2906 Fruth St, 78705)
• RSVP

All Things Gold [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012, 11A-6P
• LOCATION: The ND (501 N IH-35, 78702)
• RSVP

Comedy Central Presents Workaholics House Party [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012, 1P-2A
• LOCATION: Icenhauer’s (83 Rainey Street, 78701)
• RSVP

Iheartcomix & Life Or Death PR TEXAS Hip Hop Party w/ DAS RACIST [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012, NOON-7P
• LOCATION: Beauty Ballroom (2015 E Riverside Dr, 78741)
• RSVP

Starving Artist Showcase [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th & Saturday, March 17th, 2012, 9P-130A
• LOCATION: Peckerheads (402 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Rachel Ray’s Feedback [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012, 1030A-430P
• LOCATION: Stubb’s (601 Red River St, 78701)
• MORE INFO

Shout It Out Loud Music Crystal Daze [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012, 2P-7P
• LOCATION: Takoba (1411 E 7th St, 78702)
• RSVP

MOG at the Mohawk [Added March 6th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012, NOON-6P
• LOCATION: The Mohawk (912 Red River St, 78701)
• MORE INFO

This morning I woke up to an explosion of flowers on the plum (cherry?) tree in my backyard. And although I’d love to invite you all over to witness the occasion, I have a tiny backyard. Instead, I decided to take some pics and share them with all of y’all.

I’m currently reading “Creating True Peace” by Thich Nhat Hahn. In the book, he describes a neighborhood celebration of cherry blossoms. When someone in the neighborhood notices that the cherry tree in his backyard is about to bloom, he invites over family and friends for an all-day party. With cups of tea, cookies, and drums, everyone gathers around and celebrates a beautiful moment together.

By celebrating the natural cycles and rhythms of life, it helps us cultivate a feeling of peace within ourselves.

“Time is life; we should use our time in order to live with peace, joy, and freedom.” –Thich Nhat Hahn

Wishing you all a peaceful weekend before the joyous chaos of SXSW!

.

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Our “Voyeur Music Video” series is a lot like porn for music lovers. Shot in one take at locations around the city, the videos are intimate, stripped down and raw–nothing like traditional live performances. Enjoy!

Quick music history lesson: In the late 1970s and early 1980s, folks felt the radio was shit. All that you’d hear would be overly commercial disco or mainstream, disposable pop. As a response, several musicians tried to return modern music back to its roots. The result was the New York Noise and No Wave movements. Bands like Bush Tetras, ESG, Liquid Liquid, Public Image Ltd, A Certain Ratio and a slew of others wanted brink the funk back into music. Out of that movement evolved 80′s synth pop bands like New Order, Human League, and Pet Shop Boys, and New Wave bands like The Smiths and The Cure. You also had the foundations of House music and Hip Hop.

Fast Forward to 2012: The radio is shit. The commercialization of dance music makes me want to throw up. And rock music is nothing but reality TV background fodder. Sound familiar? It’s time we take it back to the roots of music to evolve music.

Enter Reverse X-Rays.

Last April, I fell in love with Reverse X-Rays’s album RXR. When I listen to Reverse X-Rays, I hear the deconstruction of music. Elements of jazz and funk float in and out of afrobeat grooves. Song structures build and then collapse, all the while maintaining pop sensibilities. If you listen closely, you can hear foundations of hip-hop and synth pop ebbing and flowing throughout the tracks. It’s almost like they strip music of its genre in order to find the essence of that which we call music.

And while Reverse X-Rays may sound tripped out, there’s a certain underlying pop element that aligns them more closely to Animal Collective instead of The Black Angels. (I’m probably gonna get hate mail from the purists, but whatever. Music is a personal journey that should ditch labels.)

It’s this crazy amalgamation and deconstruction of music that I love. So for their video, I wanted to shoot in a place that felt like it was falling apart while complementing that ebb and flow of sound. What better place than the dredge of Waller Creek below UT Campus?

Reverse X-Rays perform on Waller Creek

For the video, the band stripped down their sound and went acoustic in very unique ways. For example, instead of filters on the vocals, the singer puts his head in a bucket full of water. Plus, if you look closely in the video, you can see used needles, condoms, trash, and bags of blood (?!) floating in the water. What you don’t see is a hobo camp just a few steps away. The end result is a visual representation of what they sound like to me. It’s also the creepiest video we’ve ever shot.

WATCH: “dqpb” by Reverse X-Rays

You can catch the band during SXSW at the NiNXSXSW event.

EXPERIENCE: ESCAPES —>> NiИXSxSWƧxƧXNiИ; Club 1818 (1808 E 12th St, 78702); Friday, March 9th, 2012, 1P-2A Facebook Event

WARNING: There’s a new indie band in town. With a tight rhythm section and swirling beats, they’ve inspired many a skinny jean to dance in venues around town. And while my Facebook feed is tired of hearing about presidential-year politics, I can’t stop listening to Politics, one of my favorite upcoming Austin bands.

I first heard Politics through my homie Richard over at Ultra8201. Knowing I like my indie rock on the dancier side, he not only heavily recommended them, but he also sent me a copy of their then-unreleased Cities EP. From the opening beats on first track Warning through to the final fading notes of closing track On Our Way, I was hooked in a major way.

Bringing all the swirling moodiness of Foals combined with the upbeat guitar riffs of Two Door Cinema Club, both two of my all-time favorite bands, Politics Cities EP is a solid release. The band’s tight rhythm section demonstrates a maturity you don’t always see with new acts. And production from Love at 20‘s Mike G brings a sophisticated clarity that helps accentuate Politics’s complex layers.

Dreamy 1st track Warning opens with syncopated beats, drifting through a murky cloudy of bass with glints of guitars dancing through the cool thickness.

Fuel For The Flame swoons with playful guitar and a driving beat. Blood rushing to head with youthful shyness…or is it lust? Either case, the chiding vocals speak of of guitar dancing on waves of blue, moody bass.

Light In Your Eyes is addictive. I find myself jonesin’ for those guitar hooks.

[Grab a free download of the full Politics "Cities" EP]

LISTEN: Politics “Fuel for the Flame”

Before I left for my walkabout, I met up with the band at local record shop End of an Ear to play a little game. I pulled each member of the band aside, and asked them some music-related questions to see how well they knew each. Think of it as a Newlywed’s Game for the band.

WATCH: How well do the Politics members know each other?

Had a lot of fun hanging with the band. During the game, I learned Politics are as in love with Foals as I am. I also learned that I might want to reconsider my dream of hosting Jeopardy.

You can catch Politics today (Thursday) at Ultra8201′s SIXTH Anniversary show. Rock out with the band and celebrate another year with one of our favorite Austin music blogs.

EXPERIENCE: Ultra8201 Turns 6; Swan Dive (651 Red River St, 78701); Thursday, March 1st, 2012; 10P-2A; $5 Facebook Event

Think that's a lot of wristbands? You should've seen the other hand.

We’ll be updating the main page of SXSW Free Party RSVPs regularly, so check back. It’s only gonna get more insane.

Feeling overwhelmed? Check out RSVPster, our homies who will do the RSVPing for you.
Not enough party? Head over to SXSHHH. They’ve got ALL the parties.

So, we’re still playing catchup with RSVPs AND some big ones are rolling in. Wanted to get these out to y’all so you could get on it!

Multiple-day/Major SXSW Party RSVPs:

Pure Volume House [Added Feb 28th, 2012] <–Late Night madness

• DATE: March 11th – March 17th (Late Night)
• LOCATION: Pure Volume House (2nd St at Trinity, 78701)
• RSVP

Mess With Texas (MWTX) [Added Feb 28th, 2012] <–Transmission

• DATE: Saturday, March 15th, 16th, 17th, 2012, NOON-6P
• LOCATION: 1100 E 6th St, 78702
• RSVP

Hype Machine presents The Hype Hotel [Added Feb 28th, 2012]

• DATE: March 13th – March 17th
• LOCATION: 504 Trinity St, 78701
• RSVP

FILTER’s SXSW Showdown @ Cedar St. 2012 [Added Feb 28th, 2011]

• DATES: Thursday, March 15th; Friday, March 16th; Saturday March 17th, 11A-5P
• LOCATION: Cedar Street (208 W 4th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Dickies and FILTER Magazine present Dickies Sounds [Added Feb 28th, 2011]

• DATES: Thursday, March 15th (3p-1A); Friday, March 16th (3P-1A); Saturday, March 17th (2P-6P)
• LOCATION: Lustre Pearl (97 Rainey St, 78701)
• RSVP

FILTER Magazine present S.O.TERIK Now.Art! Showcase [Added Feb 28th, 2011]

• DATES: Thursday, March 15th (3p-1A); Friday, March 16th (3P-1A); Saturday, March 17th (2P-6P)
• LOCATION: Clive Bar (609 Davis St, 78701)
• RSVP

 EITS presents The Future of Music Showcase [Added Feb 28th] <--Lots o' hometown heroes

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012, and Saturday, March 17th, NOON-2A
• LOCATION: Shiner’s Saloon (422 Congress Ave, 78701)
• RSVP

The Warner Sound [Added Feb 28th, 2011]

• DATES: Tuesday, March 13th–Friday, March 16th, 2012
• LOCATION: La Zona Rosa (612 W 4th St, 78701)
• MORE INFO

 Sennheiser & Paste Present “The Stages on Sixth” Day Parties [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Thursday, March 14th–Saturday, March 16th NOON-6P
• LOCATION: The Stage on Sixth (508 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

SXSW Music (March 13th-18th, 2012) Party RSVPs

 ECHO / ECHOPLEX / ORIGAMI VINYL SXSW THROWDOWN @ SHANGRI-LA [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, 11A-8P
• LOCATION: Shangri-La (1016 E 6th St, 78702)
• MORE INFO (Free Party)

 Party Ends Showcase [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, 1P-6P
• LOCATION: The Highball (1142 South Lamar Blvd, 78704)
• RSVP

 PHOTEK + APPARAT : Free SXSW Show pres. by Munitio/Electronic Beats/!K7 [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, 10P-1A
• LOCATION: Kingdom (103 E 5th St, 78701)
• More Info

 IODA at SXSW Opening Day Bash 2012 [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

 LetsGetMessy Day Party [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012, 1130A-6P
• LOCATION: Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

 riot act media x SXSW [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012, NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Swan Dive (615 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

 Aquarium Drunkard Day Party [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Thursday, March 15th, 2012, NOON-8P
• LOCATION: Hype Hotel (504 Trinity St, 78701)
• MORE INFO

 Noise Pop SXSW Party presented by Wente Vineyards [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

 The Midgetmen’s Texas Jumpstart 5 [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Friday, March 16th, 2012, NOON-6P
• LOCATION: Lovejoy’s (604 Neches St, 78701)
• RSVP

 Do512 and Shiner Present: The Big One 2012 [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012, NOON-?
• LOCATION: The Belmont (305 W 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

 Red Bull Thre3Style Showcase [Added Feb 28th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012, 7p-2A
• LOCATION: It’s a Block Party! 8th & Trinity
• MORE INFO

If you’ve never been to SXSW, let me give you a tip:  You need to get on the FREE party circuit. As anyone who’s been to SXSW knows, all of the beauty and chaos occurs during these events.

Kanye West makes a surprise appearance at the Perez Hilton Party (photo courtesy of The New York Times)

Free food. Free booze. And FREE shows–all without a badge!  But here’s the thing tho: They don’t just let any chump off the street into these free galas. You have to RSVP–and FAST, because once the RSVP closes, that’s it. No entry for you!

We’ll be updating the main page of SXSW Free Party RSVPs regularly, so check back. It’s only gonna get more insane.

Feeling overwhelmed? Check out RSVPster, our homies who will do the RSVPing for you.

Not enough party? Head over to SXSHHH. They’ve got ALL the parties.

I’ve been putting this off for the last month. Watching the emails trickle in gave me a special kind of anxiety, RSVP Overload. And maybe a part of me is still recovering from last year.

Yes, yes, call me a slacker. I’ll wear it as a badge of honor. After all, this is the city of slackers. Maybe I’m saving all my energy for TEN days of non-stop party.

So now, with out further ado, here are 25 RSVPs you’ll want to get ASAP. More will be coming all week, so stay tuned!

SXSW Interactive (March 8th-13th, 2012) Party RSVPs

 TechKaraoke SXSW 2012 [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Friday, March 9th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: The Stage on Sixth (508 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Do512 and AirCover Present: Epic Interactive! Featuring Delta Spirit, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE:Friday, March 9th, 2012, 7P-MID
• LOCATION: The Belmont (305 W 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Startup Weekend, Zaarly & Twilio SXSWi Party [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Friday, March 9th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: Kingdom (103 E 5th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Beauty Bar X[Added Feb 27th]

• DATE:March 10th–March 12th (9A-3P)
• LOCATION: Beauty Bar (617 E 7th St, 78701)
• RSVP

SpareFoot + Uncle Bob’s present: SPARE BEATS with TBA DJs [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 10th, 2012, 2P-MID
• LOCATION: Molotov (719 W 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Copyblogger Media Presents: The Computer Blue Party[Added Feb 27th]

• DATE:Saturday, March 10th (6P-8P)
• LOCATION: Rattle Inn (610 Nueces St, 78701)
• RSVP

Girl + Guy Party SXSW 2012[Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 10th, 2012, 2P-MID
• LOCATION: Stubb’s (801 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

Vivogig & DejaSet’s Mobile Music Invasion (Octopus Project +) [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE:Saturday, March 10th (8P-MID)
• LOCATION: Swan Dive (615 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

Big Ask Bash SXSW 2012[Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 10th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: Hangar Lounge (318 Colorado St, 78701)
• RSVP

Klout & Barefoot Wine present One Beach! [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE:Sunday, March 11th (1P-3P)
• LOCATION: Parish (214 E. 6th Street, 78701)
• RSVP

Big Ask Bash SXSW 2012[Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Saturday, March 10th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: Hangar Lounge (318 Colorado St, 78701)
• RSVP

CNET PARTY AT SXSW 2012 FEATURING DELTA SPIRIT [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Sunday, March 11th, 2012, 9P-11P
• LOCATION: Maggie Mae’s (323 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Yelp’s Interactive Event & Mobile Lounge Launch”[Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Sunday, March 11th, 2012, 9P-2A
• LOCATION: Violet Crown Social Club (1111 E 6th St, 78702)
• RSVP

Zagat “Beer, Blues, & Bites”[Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Sunday, March 11th, 2012, 6P-9P
• LOCATION: Clive Bar (609 Davis St, 78701)
• RSVP

HGTVGardens.com Launch Party at SXSW [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Sunday, March 11th, 2012, 9P-1A
• LOCATION: The Ghost Room (304 W 4th St, 78701)
• RSVP

GET.DOWN SXSW 2012 [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Sunday, March 11th, 2012, 8P-11P
• LOCATION: The Pure Volume House (504 Trinity St, 78701)
• RSVP

The Barbarian Group & Tumblr present: #RobotripSXSW [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 6P-1.30A
• LOCATION: Mohawk + CLub Deville (912 Red River St, 78701)
• RSVP

Byte Rock Riot [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 6P-9P
• LOCATION: Flamingo Cantina (518 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

gdgt Live in Austin [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 7P-10P/li>
• LOCATION: Austin Music Hall (208 Nueces St, 78701)
• RSVP

IndieGoGo Presents STARRY NIGHT at SXSW! [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 6P-9P
• LOCATION: Icenhauers (83 Rainey Street St, 78701)
• RSVP

The Boxing Lesson Presents: A Music OVRLD [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Tuesday, March 13th, 2012, NOON-10P
• LOCATION: Guero’s (1412 S. Congress Ave, 78704)
• RSVP

White Whale Games presents God of Blades Party [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Monday, March 12th, 2012, 6P-9P
• LOCATION: Shangri-La (1016 E. 6th St, 78702)
• RSVP

SOUND PELLEGRINO VS BODY HIGH – AUSTIN TX ROOFTOP PARTY [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Tuesday, March 13th, 2012, 9P-2A
• LOCATION: Speakeasy (412 Congress Ave, 78704)
• RSVP

Art Disaster No. 14 [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Tuesday, March 13th, 2012, 8P-2A
• LOCATION: Beauty Bar (617 E. 7th St, 78701)
• RSVP

Pond5 Media Makers Soirée SXSW 2012 [Added Feb 27th]

• DATE: Tuesday, March 13th, 2012, 9P-2A
• LOCATION: Maggie Mae’s (323 E 6th St, 78701)
• RSVP

.

Yo, check out the Mounty, a kick-a bicycle mount for your smartphone designed by Eleanor Seaborne and Kevin Keller, two enterprising young Austinites:

What makes it so kick-a is that it’s not hard plastic like other mounts. Rather, it’s rubberized and bendy like knog lights. It also doesn’t require any tools. Here’s how it works:

Ok, so the headline was sort of misleading. The Mounty isn’t available to buy…yet. But if you act now, you can pre-order one for yourself AND help this Austin-based duo raise enough money on Kickstarter to manufacture the Mounty.

Please, please, please help them fund this. It’s perfect for looking at maps or GPS navigation through your phone while biking. And it’d make such a great addition to my daily bike commute.

WATCH: Head over to the Mounty Kickstarter page and watch their pitch video. It features Kevin and Eleanor demonstrating the Mounty in action in places all over Austin. It also includes music from local faves The Black and White Years.

DONATE: A $20 donation on Kickstarter gets you a Mounty. $35 gets you two. They have to raise a total of $29,000 by MONDAY FEB 27, 11:39PM CST. They’ve got roughly $18,000 remaining. That’s approximately 1,000 donors. Donate, then get your friends to donate. We can do it!!

One final plea from Eleanor:

My name is Eleanor and I am an Austin-based mechanical engineer…also a closet-hipster, community gardener and road bike rider…My friend and I have designed a tool-free smartphone mount for bikes, shopping carts, strollers, etc. We call it the Mounty and have launched a Kickstarter campaign to help us get it to production…We’re just trying to get a buzz going and appreciate any help.

Let’s do this, y’all!

.

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