The dudes (and dudette) of Bishop Allen probably steered clear of stage three; they’re absolutely adorable, they played a terrific set, and I half expected them to be swarmed by desperate A&R folks before they could clear the stage. Their sound was razor-sharp, with more punch than what I’ve heard online. Everything sounded like a hit. They’ll be all over the CW, and they matched the mood of the moment: bright and sunny. I may be embarrassed to admit it later, but I loved them.
The hardcore supergroup Rival Schools was slated to play the indie rock stage; they had already played a fiery set when they lit into a vicious cover of the Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?” Rival Schools: stay together! Tour more! And without question continue to perform “How Soon Is Now?” because you need that song, and that song needs you. Funk masters Brownout are now the local band I’ll take visitors to see for a guaranteed good time.
Best-kept secret of the festival was the Revival Tour – Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music, Tim Barry of Avail and Ben Nicols of Lucero, a bunch of tattooed country-punkers having a blast.
They were squirreled away on stage two, which – partly by virtue of its location – had the smallest crowds all weekend. A small, happy crowd during Revival.
But the absolute most fun (fun fun!) to be had was bobbing up and down with Atmosphere on Saturday. Slug seemed genuinely moved by the love he was getting from Austin and, the man is a pro. Dead Milkmen and Bad Brains had the nostalgia/legend factor going for them, but there wasn’t a better show than Atmosphere.
That being said: the Dead Milkmen! Admit it: you forgot what a perfect song “Punk Rock Girl” is. You forgot how many other hilarious songs they have. You forgot about “If I Had a Gun,” and “Stuart (What the Queers are Doing to the Soil)” and “Right Wing Pigeon From Outer Space.”
You forgot what a stone cold maniac Rodney Linderman is. At one point the music stopped and the crowd surfing didn’t: “the deaf kids are crowd surfing,” he said. Later he launched into an anti-Palin, pro-activist, totally coherent and convincing tirade. You love the Dead Milkmen, you just forgot; and if you were at Fun Fun Fun, now you remember.
– Tom Vale
Fun Fun Fun Fest: www.funfunfunfest.com