Our driver for the first leg of the jaunt was wearing an Anniversary shirt. I realized that yes, it was about that time. I’d had some thoughts when I couldn’t find my Constantines shirt in my closet. If it wasn’t the barely still functioning Constantines, I couldn’t wear it. You can’t wearing something that still thrives, rocks, exists. For you will not look like a man of experience. The Anniversary blazed a fiery, Hart Crane hot brick road through my adolescence. Then they broke up. Then their instrumentalists apparently kicked poor Adrianne Verhoeven to a fate of wandering the road with a reggae band with Neil Young tunes on her mind and heart. This seems to me a fate sadder than fading Marlboro man posters. I have a feeling this love affair with the power pop band from Kansas happened to our mostly taciturn driver, who nevertheless is wording every word of The Anniversary’s “Designing a Nervous Breakdown.” It’s part of why we go to SXSW, to represent and remember old musical moments, and seek out new ones…
How do you chose your festival shirt? Is there an art to me? Because if you don’t choose, then what will you choose? Gotta wear that right shirt.
This year I’ve read more books than listened to music, so I’ve decided not to represent for any bands. My Constantines shirt couldn’t be found. So it’s stretching way back into Texas memories. Dallas Cowboys shirt, faded, tight. That will work. I look at our editor in chief Colin, and I think his jacket with representing okc.net buttons hits just the right tone we need as a collective.