SXSW Day 1: Journaling w/Jake Cohen

We asked our very own Jake Cohen to take us on his journey through Austin while he was in SXSW. The experience we couldn't take in journaled by one of ours.

Tuesday, March 16:

8:30 AM. Waking up in a living room with 16 of your best friends all sleeping next to you in Texas is a trip.



All of us are either in our last semester, or have already graduated Berklee College of Music. For some, it’s a long awaited reunion. Eugene Brown from Tono Records has been so kind to put us all up in his house in Round Rock for SXSW. Nini and Ben are playing at two of his showcases. One tonight at the Flamingo Cantina, and the other Saturday at Waterloo Ice House. Both of these showcases are full of Berklee bands like Merry Go Round, Jordan Tarrant, and Ann Driscoll.

5:00 PM. Just walked into Flamingo Cantina for the first gig. This place is a typical reggae bar. Fish, and flowers all over the walls, pretty ridiculous. I’m just waiting for the margaritas and pina coladas to surface. Gonna be a great night!



11:00 PM. First gig is over. Killin. The band hasn’t rehearsed since last week, but it felt like we’d been playin all day. Kick pedal bailed midway through the first tune (ahh) but the floor tom became my new friend. Kinda interesting/challenging to try emulating a kick with a floor! Luckily we had a RIDICULOUS arsenal of gear so after the first tune we switched out pedals. I just met Kelly Gruber, a former all star/world series winning/gold glove MLB player from the 80’s/90’s. Unbelievable to meet someone who has achieved the ultimate prize in their field. Great beginning to the week!