Shout out for Bobalu Cigars

While at SXSW this weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting one of my favorite spots on Sixth Street--Bobalu Cigars. Bobalu rolls all of their own cigars right on the premises, and they have an outstanding selection of different types and blends for every palate.

Cigar rollers can be a bit of a mixed bag. Sometimes you get a Cuban roller outside of the homeland who can assemble a first-rate stick, and sometimes you get something sloppy that is not quite up to the standards of the professionals. When I first tried Bobalu for the first time last August, I didn't know what to expect. I thought I'd found something that was on the kitschy side, something that fit into the carnival atmosphere on Sixth Street, But the folks at Bobalu make excellent cigars, and they surpassed my expectations in every way.

Here I am smoking my favorite of theirs--the Oscuro that is dark, rich and peppery. The guy in the window looking into the camera was the actual roller. It was a genuine pleasure to stand in front of Bobalu and smoke that divine cigar as I watched all the people attending SXSW walking on by.

If you'd like to know more about Bobalu, just visit their website at http://www.livecigarrollers.com or check them out in person at 509 E. Sixth St., Austin TX.

The Material at the Dorm Room

I did manage to hear quite a bit of music yesterday at the 2011 SXSW, and if there was one single unifying theme it was "every band needs a great drummer." I heard so many outstanding drummers yesterday, and it pleases me to no end. When I go down the list of my favorite rock musicians of all time, it's never people like Clapton or Hendricks or Page. It's Moon and Copeland and Bonham and Clem Burke.

That said, I was able to catch The Material, a San Diego band, playing at the Dorm Room last night, and within a few seconds I realized I was watching another great drummer in action. Kevin Pintado is actually new to the band, but he was fun, dynamic and showy in the great rock and roll tradition. Singer Colleen D'Agostino added to this classic vibe by channeling a little Pat Benatar in both looks and voice. I'm not sure if this is a put-down in this day and age, but suffice it to say that she had one powerful, expressive voice, even though she said she was a bit hoarse because it was the band's fifth appearance at SXSW. It didn't matter.

The Material, who also consist of Jon Moreaux (guitar, backing vocals), Jordan Meckley (guitar) and Roi Elam (bass), combine that melodic classic hard rock feel with moments of sheer post-punk energy.

I spoke to Jon briefly after the show about SXSW, guitar cables and our mutual friend Nate Muzquiz (son of Dan Muzquiz of Blackbird Audio). I didn't notice until the morning after that Colleen now goes by the name Colleen D'Agostino Moreaux, which in posterity brings a certain sweetness to their songs. The set was altogether too short (only six songs), but I dug them and hope to see them again soon!

You can also download the new album from The Material at wearethematerial.com/sxsw.

SXSW 2011--random pics

Yes, I did go to SXSW this year, but I was hopelessly disorganized compared to last year. I had only one band, the Materials, on my radar. I was looking forward to seeing old friends such as Jon Ragel of Boy Eats Drum Machine (he didn't go) and DJ DUS (he went, but I couldn't track him down). I even missed seeing Jason Gross and Robin Cook of Perfect Sound Forever; we were scheduled to meet up Saturday evening but I couldn't get a cell phone signal and didn't get any of my messages until 11am Sunday morning.

I had a lot going on with Blue Computer Solutions over the last week, and I just didn't have the time to plan anything. But I did have fun hanging out on 6th Street and SoCo. I did manage to meet up with Colleen Cardas as well as Dean Peer and his wife Deborah for drinks at the Hotel San Jose. I also visited Brian Di Frank at Whetstone Audio...he was sponsoring a gathering of bands that performed in the park behind his store.

I've made a promise to myself that next year I will plan ahead, and I will go to the main event and have much more to talk about. Here are some random pics from yesterday...enjoy!