I Went All the Way to Nashville and All I Got Was This Elephant: RSD 2013

I wondered if I was even going to write a blog post about my trip to Third Man Records in Nashville for Record Store Day. I originally decided that I was not. After all, I don’t have anything particularly exciting to report. There were no (personal) Jack White sightings, no surprise performances, no parties into the night (for me), no special unannounced releases. In fact, there was a lot of standing, a lot of waiting, and much more napping than I usually get in over a week-end. I overheard someone in line say something that made me chuckle, “I am standing in a ridiculously long line, in the cold, at the crack of dawn, to pay $30 for a record that I already own.” I could just add that I bought a plane ticket to get here so I could do it. So what is there to write about? That I am crazy?

I wrote a blog post before the trip about my apprehension about it. The initial excitement of actually going to Nashville for Record Store Day, something that I have wanted to do for years, wore off rather quickly when the reality of the situation set in. I am essentially going on a trip by myself to (hopefully) hang out with people I know only in an online world. This is not like me. I was nervous that the friendships would be awkward, that I wouldn’t make any personal connections, or that I wouldn’t have patience or tolerance for people, or they wouldn’t have it for me. I am not a really social person outside my close circles, I generally have no interest in talking to strangers. I started to dread the trip. I was excited in theory, but I couldn’t shake my social anxieties.

When I pulled into the parking lot of Third Man Records, or more accurately, the homeless mission across the street, my heart immediately started to pump. I was so excited to be here again. This place was essentially the homeland of one my biggest passions. This is where Jack lives. I was here once before, but I had the giddiness of a school girl as I parked my car.

Third Man Records in Nashville, TN

Before I could even cross the street, someone recognized me from our mutual online friendship and called out my name. Before I knew it I was standing in a small group of people, all of whom I knew from years of online communications about our mutual love of Jack. It felt easy and natural and I knew instantly that my fears were unfounded. Within minutes I felt comfortable, like I was hanging out with old friends, in fact these were old friends, people I have known in a certain capacity for years. In my anxiety I had convinced myself that these people were strangers, when in fact, we have been following each others lives online for years. It is a reality of our modern lives, I had formed real connections with people I knew online, I just hadn’t classified it that way in my mind, because it seemed strange to say that I was friends with someone I had never met in person. I proved myself wrong.

The one thing that really stood out to me that first afternoon in the parking lot in front of Third Man Records is that there was absolutely no pretension among fans. I was standing with a small group of people that included men and women, teenagers to adults (am I an adult? No not yet, I don’t think) of different races, ages, and backgrounds, all bonding on a mutual love of music and Third Man Records. Kindred spirits with likely not much in common other than our passionate love of music, and that was all we needed.

I went into the tiny crowded store and resisted the great urge to buy one of everything that was available for sale. I bought a slip mat, a magnet, and a couple of tokens to make an Airline guitar mold in the Third Man Novelty Shop.

Who wouldn't want a wax mold Airline guitar?

While I had friends who had tents set up affectionately known as “Tent City” or “Tent Yorba” in prime position to be the first people through the doors on Record Store Day, I ultimately was too unprepared for a night of sleeping on a sidewalk. While others had cold weather gear, sleeping bags, pillows, chairs, and tents, I had not much more than the lightweight sweatshirt. After considering the overnight weather forecast, I decided it was either too cold, or I was too old, for sidewalk camping. I planned to sleep in the comfort my warm hotel room and head back down at 5am to stake out a place in line.  I'd have to take my chances that I would still get a record.

In 2011 in LA I had met this awesome couple waiting in line at a Wanda Jackson show (featuring Jack White on guitar, of course) and had remained friends via Facebook these last couple years. When I announced on Facebook that I would be going to Nashville, I was excited to hear that they planned on going too. They were driving in from Kentucky, and we made plans to meet for a late dinner downtown Nashville on Friday night.

Me and my old friend. :)

We spent the evening rehashing our Jack White encounters, discussing our concert experiences, weighing the odds of laying our eyes (or ears) on Jack tomorrow. It was just like we were long-time, old friends reuniting, although we had actually only met once before on a chance encounter.

We arrived around 5:30am to claim our place in a line that was already to the end of the street, wrapped around the corner, almost to the next block, filled with mostly sleeping campers in their tents or sleeping bags.

I’ll spare you most of the details of the next eight hours, because it was a lot of standing, sitting, waiting, moving, not moving, wondering why we were not moving faster. We forged new friendships with all the people around us in line, all while listening to acoustic versions of our favorite Jack songs performed by fellow fans around us.

This is the line behind me after about six hours

Entertaining ourselves on the street

Eight hours after I first stood in that line, I turned over my credit card in exchange for a coveted copy of a limited edition colored vinyl release of the White Stripes 2003 album, Elephant. I was exhausted, but ecstatic. Mission accomplished. But was there more? I felt my trip was fully satisfied, but I couldn’t help but hope for the surprise Jack sighting or performance. Karen Elson was on stage in the infamous blue room, and I felt excited just to stand in the room where I had seen so many recorded performances (not to mention the Elephant head from Jack’s appearance on American Pickers.) Then the room starting buzzing…Brendan Benson just arrived, people reported seeing Jack’s kids get out of a SUV. Was there going to be a surprise Raconteurs appearance? Was Jack going to show his face? When asked if Jack would be taking the stage, Third Man employees responded, “I have no idea.” It really seemed like something big was going to happen…until the lights came on, and they announced that the performances were complete for the day. Thank you, come again. It felt like a letdown at the time, but honestly the buzz and the anticipation of those moments were some of the most exciting moments of the trip. It would have been nice if something would have materialized, but I wasn’t going to let it take away from the fun and success of the day.

In front of TMR

In the end, I walked away with exactly what I came for, and in the meantime, had an experience of a lifetime. I could see this becoming a yearly tradition.  

I went all the way to Nashville and all I got was this Elephant

The fruits of my labor

In closing, I will quote something one of my friends posted on Facebook after the event:

“The surprise was that after all was said and done, even though there wasn’t an “unannounced super-special record” or a Rac’s or Jack show, we still walked away fulfilled, knowing we all just had one hell of a good time, enjoying the company of our fellow music lovers…while experiencing just how bad ass TMR is, on every level…Sure, there were some employees acting coy, and occasionally giving bum information that would lead us to believe that there was something else up TMR’s sleeve, but at the end of the day, it didn’t matter. We came, we hung out, bought a bunch of kick-ass merchandise, caught some live music, and even the speculation was a blast. Best RSD @TMR ever? Hell yes…” - Ryan Muddiman

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I'm so happy that I didn't let fear keep me from this experience. Thanks to all my old and new friends who made this trip memorable, and to my husband who is so understanding and supportive of my crazy passions.

Lea

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Blunderbuss: A Completely Biased Pre-Review...

Blunderbuss: A Completely Biased Pre-Review of an Album I Haven't Heard in its Entirety.



Asking me to write an unbiased review of Jack White’s new album "Blunderbuss" is like asking an 8 year old to write an objective review on Disney World. There is just no way I won’t love this album. Jack could put out an album of instrumental accordion work and I would probably be first in line to buy it. This is not to say that I think Jack can do no wrong. Remember that whole ICP 7” thing? Yeah, still not loving that one.

It is just that Jack is continually evolving, as he should. He is not the kind of artist that is going to rehash his successes over and over again. This is not a White Stripes album, nor is it intended to be. If you are expecting a repeat of what you have heard in the past, you will probably be disappointed.

I can’t help but remember back to when the White Stripes "Elephant" CD came out. Remember way back then when people still listened to CD's? This is almost embarrassing to admit now, but after the very first listen back in 2003 I thought, “What the heck is this crap?” Yes, I thought that (blushing). Shortly after, I woke up and realized that "Elephant" is pretty epic, but it wasn't "White Blood Cells." At that time, I wanted another "White Blood Cells." Jack and Meg were evolving. I didn’t get it, at first. I listen to it today and try to remember what it was that I didn’t like at first and of course, I have no idea.

The first song the world heard off Jack's new album "Blunderbuss" was "Love Interruption," a sweet sounding but lyrically bitter acoustic duet with Ruby Amanfu. It gave us our first hint into the excitement that would be Jack’s first ever solo album, but Jack was quick to point out that this song was not representative of the tone of the album. Which only led to more wonder and excitement about what to expect.

Then on 03-03, a date that was fitting for Jack White, we heard a second song from his album during his performance on Saturday Night Live. “Sixteen Saltines” made me thirsty for more. This is the kind of stuff I was hoping for, Jack doing what Jack does best on guitar. In response to a comment that the album was 90% piano, Jack said in a vault chat that “There's more guitar solos by me on this record than any I’ve made since Icky Thump.” I took that comment as sort of tongue in cheek. (Jack, sarcastic? No.) After all, Jack has put out three albums since Icky Thump in 2006, but on two of those albums (the Dead Weather), he was the drummer. He wasn't doing many guitar solos at all.

"Freedom at 21" was the third song released ahead of the album. On April 1st, TMR released a limited edition Flexi Disc of this vinyl single by attaching them to helium balloons and letting them fall from the sky into lucky fans hands. While I had hoped for some strong winds to blow a balloon from Nashville to Fort Worth, it seems a bunch got tangled together and one very lucky family ended up with several copies. Of course, they ultimately landed on E-bay, and it sold for over $4000. Lucky bastards. Note to self: Work on convincing hubby to move to Nashville. Oh yeah, the song, I almost forgot. Love it. Seriously. I think my favorite of what I have heard so far. I am growing more excited.

Now it was time to just sit back and wait (not so) patiently for the April 24th release date. Then I heard over the week-end that the album leaked. I struggled with whether to download the torrent. I have already pre-ordered the vinyl (so therefore already a paying customer) and I have a strong aversion to paying for the same album twice (i.e. vinyl & iTunes), I even wrote a blog about that once. Downloading the torrent didn’t present a moral issue. It was more about waiting and letting the excitement build and hearing it as (and when) it was intended. Almost as soon as I decided that I would wait for the official release, Jack went ahead and made it available to stream on iTunes for free a week before the album officially came out. Free, Legal, Now.

So what is a girl to do? My very favorite ways to listen to a album for the first time is to put it on the record player or put on my headphones and go for a long run. Both of these methods allow me to focus on the music with no distractions.

I caved. I am listening to the album for the first time via on the iTunes stream as I type this blog. Well, I thought I caved. iTunes kept buffering every time it would start to play a song I haven't heard yet. How does iTunes know how to annoy me so effectively? I don't usually have buffering issues on my computer so I can only assume it the universe telling me to wait for the vinyl. Or as a friend posted on my blog Facebook page, when I complained about my iTunes issues, "Careful...your computer may not be able to handle such awesomeness!"

So, here it is, My pre-review of an album that I haven't actually heard in its entirety:

I love it y'all. Of course I do.

This might be the first time I ever typed the (not really a) word y'all in the 14 years that I have lived in Texas. It seems appropriate this time.

Felt Jack & Meg

Before I jump into this story I need to warn you that I am completely craft deficient. I mean, completely. I have this desire to craft, but not the ability. I love PINTERST and am completely obsessed with these DIY projects that I come across, most of which I will never complete due to my complete lack of DIY skills. My theory is that God can't give you everything, or else one would just get a big head. So, He allows us to be lacking in some areas, to keep us humble. Crafting (and singing) are my weaknesses.

With that being said, I started to get some ideas. I saw this on Pinterest and to the naked eye it looks like a simple Santa and Mrs. Claus felt craft project, but all that I could see was Jack and Meg. It's probably all the red, white and black. You may remember my previous post about my desire for a Jack & Meg action figure. The wheels started turning...

Source: marthastewart.com via Lea on Pinterest

Then, because I am obsessed, I was searching Etsy for Jack and Meg and I came across this:


source
I thought, "$26! really? for some felt?" I can do this for much less. I can do this.

Then, I came across (due to endless internet searches) this web site which offered templates for felt dolls and my mission began.

Source: sewing.craftgossip.com via Lea on Pinterest

I made a trip to Hobby Lobby and bought red, white and black felt. I got home and remembered that I was so craft deficient that I didn't even own a thread or needle. I needed to borrow some crafting supplies from my awesome neighbor, Amber. She lent me her sewing kit (which I incidentally depleted by the end of the project. I owe her).

I printed out the body templates and start on my "Jack"

Source: nuno-runo.blogspot.com via Lea on Pinterest

One of the main reasons that I am so craft deficient is that I have ZERO patience. I just want things to be done and fast. It took FOREVER to cut out the body parts, stuff and sew them, then cut and sew the clothing and put them on. After a long period of time (especially for my impatience) I had a Jack Doll that was dressed. I was disappointed when I realized my so-called Jack looked just like Santa Claus. I certainly didn't just spend hours of my time making a Santa. My husband found this hilarious.



I added the hair. I figured this would make him look less like Santa. But when I added the hair, I thought he looked more like Santa Bob Marley than Jack White. But I pressed on.



I hoped that once I added the guitar things would start looking up. I found this guitar template online and reduce the size to meet my needs.

Source: google.com via Lea on Pinterest

Once I added the guitar, somehow Bob Marley Santa started to resemble Jack White. I knew at this point that once I added Meg, the whole picture would come together.



When I made Jack I made the body first, then cut out the clothes to fit him. I realized it would be faster to just make the clothes and stuff them with cotton (I used cotton balls because that is all I had) and then just add the limbs. This is how I made Meg and it WAS faster and worked out just fine.

I started to make Meg, but got held up on her hair. It was a little harder than Jack's hair. The yarn just wasn't working. Then, Hubby who pretty much has no interest in my weird crafting project decided to pitch in and design Meg's hair. Yeah, he would probably rather that you not all know that. But I must give credit where credit is due. I used Hubbies template to cut out Meg's hair.


Then, of course, you cant have Meg without the Peppermint swirl base drum. I used this template (resized) to make Meg's famous drum head. I made the drum out of felt too and stuffed cotton balls inside. I was running out of thread (and patience) at this point so instead of sewing on the back of the drum (that no one would see), I just used hubbies spray adhesive to adhere a circle on the back to hold the cotton balls in. Hubby was turning out to be quite helpful!

Source: flickr.com via Lea on Pinterest

I cut down some skewers to make Meg's drum sticks and this was the final result! I ultimately stitched Meg's drum to her hip, added hooks to their heads and hung them on the tree. These will be ornaments I will enjoy putting on the tree year after year.



While I urge you to not look too closely at the sewing quality, I am pretty darn proud of the outcome. They look so cute! Even if it did take me all day. There were so many things I did not get done (like cleaning the house or running) because this project took over my day. Now that I am finished, I understand the $26 price tag attached to the Etsy felt Jack and Meg. Even though the supplies for my project cost about $3 for felt, borrowed sewing kit and already owned cotton balls, spray adhesive and wooden skewers, I dont think I would sell mine for any price!

A White Stripes Christmas!

It's going to be a White Stripes Christmas! But isn't it always, you ask? I love this time of year, peppermint swirls are everywhere! Have you been inside a Pier 1 or Hobby Lobby lately?

peppermint swirl dreams inside of Hobby Lobby



My husband likes to remind me that Jack White doesn't hold a patent on all peppermint swirls. But in my mind, he does. Every year when I buy peppermint swirl designed products, I am really buying White Stripes wrapping paper, gift bags, tree ornaments and more! I even bake White Stripes sugar cookies! What would Christmas be without the White Stripes?

my "White Stripes" cookies in 2010. You can check out my 2011 versions here






















When Third Man Records announced their holiday releases 'Winter Bounty', I wasn't sure whether to curse Jack White or to thank him. He continues to put out more must-have vinyl than a reasonable responsible adult should spend during a season that is generally slated for giving, not buying crap for yourself. But who here is a reasonable responsible adult?

Without further ado, here are the offerings from Third Man Records. The White Stripes, most which have been previously out of print:

The Big Three Killed My Baby/Red Bowling Ball Ruth (TMR117) look what BABIES Jack & Meg were!


Lord, Send Me an Angel / You’re Pretty Good Looking (Trendy American Remix) (TMR118)

Candy Cane Children/Reading of the Story of the Mag / Silent Night (TMR071)

Hello Operator / Jolene (TMR067)

Now, just in case you were thinking that you were getting off easy with just a hand full of 7"s (not too expensive), Jack had to go ahead and offer more crap to add to your holiday wish list. And by crap of course, I mean awesome goodies!



The Revolution portable record player

Heavy-duty custom 45 box for carrying all of your favorite 7-inch records.

Third Man-branded custom vinyl cleaning kit

Third Man Records iPhone case with component parts made from real vinyl records!

6' Flat auxiliary audio cable by Griffin with custom Third Man Records print

You can check out all the goodies, details and release dates on the Third Man Records website.

..and its not all about the White Stripes. No Sir. TMR is also releasing this holiday season:

Edgar Oliver's "In The Park" "Hunger and Light" (TMR121).

John C. Reilly will release not one but TWO Third Man singles in November

John & Tom: "Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar" / "Lonesome Yodel Blues #2" (TMR112)

Becky & John's "I'll Be There If You Ever Want" / "I'm Making Plans" (TMR113)

Dear Santa...

Yes. Thank you.

Lea

Record Store Day broke my heart

I am a grown woman. I know it sounds absurd to have a broken heart over records, but it happened. I realize people have REAL problems and REAL heartbreak, but that doesn't change the way I feel.

Record Store Day. April 16 2011. I anxiously wait for its arrival for several weeks. If you read my blog (and you should), you already know all about it. Third Man Records has limited edition releases including colored White Stripes reissues (also The Rome project featuring Jack White and a Karen Elson release. You know, Jack's wife). It is a pretty rare occasion that you can get these types of limited edition releases outside of Third Man Record shop in Nashville. I am excited for the opportunity. I call my favorite Dallas record store, Good Records, and they tell me they will have them.

I plan ahead. We plan to get up at 6am on Saturday morning, leave the house by 6:30 and arrive at Good at 7, one hour before opening. It didn't happen that way. The alarm goes off a six. My first mistake of the day was when I offer to my hubby (who isn't exactly thrilled to wake up early on Saturday morning to stand in line for something Jack White related), "How about we get up at 6:30, leave at 7?" He, of course, agrees and we happily snooze away for 30 more minutes. I'll file this one under, "Things I know now, that I wish I would have known yesterday".

Decked out in my Rolling Record Store shirt, we roll into Good Records at a few minutes before 7:30am and there are about 50 people in front of us. The line doesn't look too bad, as long as all those people in front of me aren't pining for the same thing that I am. I mean, there are A LOT of limited edition releases today, from all kinds of bands. It is VERY possible, most of those people don't even care about the White Stripes. I see some of my Jack-Vault friends in line in front of us. They have much better positioning, but they arrived at 7am (You know, like I planned to). The line builds QUICKLY behind us and before I know it, it is wrapped all the way around the block, probably a good 100 people, before the store even opens.

It is 8am and they open the doors. They decide to avoid a mad house and to let people enter the store 15 at a time. One limited edition release per person. This seems fair and I (not-so) patiently wait. After about 15 or 20 minutes, I see my Jack friends get in the door and I can see them pass by the window from outside with the red and white goodies in their hands. I am happy for them, and hoping still, I will be as lucky.

As my friends exit with their smiles and bags of vinyl, I look through their bags touching what I hope will be mine in a few short minutes. They reassure me that I should be fine, that there seemed to be plenty of White Stripes left.

At 8:45 or so, we finally get our turn in the store. I rush over to the 7" table, only to go from the happiest high of finally getting in, to the lowest low of lows realizing the empty slots behind the cardboard White Stripes placeholders. They are all gone. My heart sinks. I try to find reassurance in the other releases. Rome is also sold out. I pick up a Karen Elson, which honestly at this time feels like a consolation prize. I look at the mile long line for the register and the $15.99 price tag on the back of a 7" record and I am crushed. I honestly felt like I could cry, but I had to remind myself "You are 36 years old! You can't cry over records!" But honestly, I felt that physical sensation of a broken heart that I haven't felt since my dog died in 2006. Ridiculous? Right? Trust me, I know! I have no idea how I have formed such an emotional attachment.

I walk out of the store empty handed. My friends are waiting for me outside. I feel bad now, because at the time I was disappointed and sad and I just wanted to leave. Now that I am calmed down, I wish I could have stayed and caught up with them for a few minutes. (Sorry Leslie!)

The ride home is when I realize the fact that, if we would have got up at 6am like we planned, I would have walked away with everything I wanted. My sweet husband tries to cheer me up with a hug and with some humor. He was nice for letting me work through my disappointment and not calling me out for acting like a 12 year old who doesn't get their way.

Russ pulls into a gas station and says, "Since you are so lucky today, let's buy a couple scratch off lottery tickets". He probably figured the only thing that would cheer me up right then would be to win a million dollars and he would take his chances. I scratched three tickets and won $3. Russ scratched two and won $0. Sure, NOW, I am lucky. Just think of all the money that is still sitting in my bank account right now that would have been long gone had I bought all those records. I tried to reassure myself with these thoughts.

I call another record store in town, Forever Young Records in Grand Prairie, and I found out that they didn't open until 10. However, they tell me by now they have a line wrapped around the store and the guy on the phone doesn't think the White Stripes releases will last long enough for me to get there. Again, if I knew yesterday what I know today, I just would have went there in the first place. It is a less popular record store that opened later. But, I guess you can't live in the past.

So, we decide to celebrate Record Store Day for what it was intended. It is not just about getting our grubby hands on collectible vinyl, it is about supporting and celebrating the local record store. Sheesh, Have we all forgot about the true meaning of the holiday already? Seriously though, Its not all about the getting, its about giving back. We decide to visit a newly established record store called Mad World Records in Denton, TX. We called and the owner let us know that they were not able to get any of the Record Store Day releases. He said the releases are all distributed through the Record Store Day people and they told him flat out the records are distributed first to the record stores that they like best. So, BIG independent record stores like Amobea and Good Records get the releases, but the small new guy couldn't get anything this time. zip.

We decide this is the record store that needs supporting today. So, we make the trek to good 'ole Denton, Texas. This was a nice store with a friendly owner and decent vinyl section. I was still pouting from my loss and couldn't find the joy in anything else, but Russ picked up a record and we met a friend for lunch. I still couldn't quite make eye contact with with the White Stripes poster on the record store wall.

We hit an antique mall in town and this record made me smile for the first time since my disappointment. I know I'll be fine. Life goes on, even without colored vinyl.


To read the some-what happy ending to my story, read my blog titled "Record Store Day Redeemed (sort of)".

Are you following my blog? Simply click the blue 'Join this site' button to the left (you may have to scroll down from the top). Thanks, as always, for your support. Lea-Bean

More Black Gadgets than Faces

Today, Jack White stood in front of his newest innovation, the Third Man Rolling Record Store, during its debut appearance at South by Southwest. Surrounded by 300 fans with his famous yellow and black decor as a backdrop, Jack surprises his fans with a 2 song solo performance. 45 minutes before my phone starts to go crazy with Twitter posts from the Third Man sites. "Jack White debuts the Rolling Record store at noon, maybe something awesome will happen". Then, 40 minutes before the show, "4th and Colorado at Frank...Get here now, or forever regret it...".

I am in Fort Worth wishing I could transport myself instantly from my cubicle in Corporate America to the corner of 4th and Colorado in Austin on this Wednesday afternoon, as Jack is taking the stage (or more accurately, the parking lot).

"There's more black gadgets than faces", says Jack before he begins his first song. Typical Jack-style commentary referring to the number of people recording the show from their cell phones or cameras. I agree that people sometimes miss out on the experience, although physically present, in their desperate attempt to share the experience. However, I am forever grateful for those people who took video for You-Tube and posted pictures to Facebook. Even though I am handcuffed to my desk 200 miles away, I was able to *almost* experience it as though I was there. Almost.

The NPR footage is the best I have seen online. Here it is. Jack performing a Buddy Holly cover he simply calls "A Texas Song" followed by the White Stripes Song "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground". Jack's six minute mini set was followed by new Third Man Records recording artist SeaSick Steve who overcame some technical difficulties. I just hope Jacky boy is saving some surprises for Friday when I get there... Enjoy!

Hell on Wheels?

From my perspective, more like heaven. Jack White just might be rolling into your town. Literally.

Yesterday, Third Man Records unveiled the Third Man Rolling Record Store. According to the video posted by TMR on You-Tube, 97% of high school aged kids today have NEVER been to an independent record store. "Perhaps they couldn’t find one", they mused.

Say what you will about Jack White (I can only think of good things, but that’s just me), but one thing that can’t be denied is that he is innovative. Remember the Triple Decker Record from the Dead Weather?

How about scented vinyl from Karen Elson? Or the Greeting Card Fold packaging from Wanda Jackson? (You know, it plays music when you open the fold, just like a greeting card). Fans all over the world are chomping at the bit to get their hands on these limited edition vinyl releases, whether it be a split-color of a White Stripes re-issue or a hair record of the live performance of Reggie Watts at Third Man Record’s own venue. Yes, you read right. The Hair Record.

If you can’t make it to Nashville to stand in line at the Third Man Record Store for these types of releases, then you probably aren’t going to get one, unless you pay exorbitant prices on eBay. But, that is another blog topic all together.

Solution? Jack and team created the Third Man Rolling Record store. Can’t get to Nashville? Maybe the Third Man Record Nashville shop will come to you.

The Third Man Rolling Record Store, painted in the famous yellow and black, "is designed to reflect the look, feel and panache of the Third Man Records Nashville location", boasts a post on the TMR subscription service called The Vault. The retail store on wheels brags of two turntables and a microphone to play vinyl while you shop (Does Beck get a royalty check every time someone uses that phrase?). It has a high quality amplification system so bands can plug into the van from outside and play wherever the truck is parked. TMR is promising to keep it on the road regularly, from concerts to festivals to any other strange location you can think of...or so they threaten.

As your brain is trying to think of what strange locations they may be talking about, think of it like this: If the bookmobile is the nerdy kid in school, the Third Man Rolling Record Store is that cool musician guy that all the girls swoon over.

The Third Man Rolling Record Store is making its debut at the SXSW festival in Austin March 16-20th and is promising exclusive merchandise. I had no previous intentions to going to Austin this year for SXSW, but since the announcement, we are planning a road trip and an overnight stay to check it out. Luckily, I have a very patient husband who indulges me in this sort of thing. We won’t actually have wristbands for SXSW, we’ll likely just check out the TMR stuff and maybe some local events outside the festival. There are plenty of things to do and see around Austin next week-end that don't cost $200 a wrist.

Here it is, another innovation coming out of Third Man Records. I am excited to see where it will show up next, maybe at my house?

I wonder if it is available for Birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs.

You can watch the video here:


Updated: SXSW TMR artist shows and RRS events:

Open daily from 12-5pm and 7-10pm. Here's a list of our scheduled locations:

March 16th - 4th and Colorado (next to Frank)

March 17th - Waterloo Records

March 18th - 4th and Colorado (next to Frank)

March 19th - Rainy St. and Driscoll



Here's where you can catch Third Man artists at SXSW:



* WANDA JACKSON

Saturday, March 20

Rachael Ray's Feedback Day Party at Stubbs



* THE GREENHORNES

Thursday, March 17

1:00pm - Waterloo Performance

1:15am - Domino/Emo's Jr. Performance



Saturday, March 19

7:00pm - Headlining the Consequence of Sound day party at Larimer Lounge



* JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD

Wednesday, March 16

2:00 PM - eMusic Party @ Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St, Austin, TX 78701



Thursday, March 17

3:10 PM - PreFixMag.com Party @ 501 Studios, 501 Brushy St, Austin, TX 78702

4:30 PM – Thrasher/Impose Magazine Party @ Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St,

Austin, TX 78702



Friday, March 18

3:30 PM - Volcom Party @ Jackalope, 404 E. 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

10:00 PM - Vice/Noisey.com Party @ Kiss N Fly, 404 Colorado St (@ 5th St),

Austin, TX 78701



Saturday, March 19

11:00 PM - Panache Booking Party @ The Mohawk, 912 Red River St, Austin, TX

78701



* WE ARE HEX

Tuesday, March 15

12:00am - Frank



Wednesday, March 16

The Badlands (time TBA) | Elysium (SXSW Offical 12AM)



Thursday, March 17

Gueros (time 12PM) | Hole in the Wall (time 8PM)



Friday, March 18th

Habana Bar (SXSW Offical 1AM) | Peckerhead's (time TBA) | Red Eyed Fly (time

TBA)



* PUJOL

Tuesday, March 15

11:00pm - Panache Pre-SXSW Party At Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th Street (Inside

Stage)



Wednesday, March 16th

4:45pm - AnSo SXSW Party At Spider House, 2908 Fruth Street



Thursday, March 19th

1:00pm - Brooklyn Vegan Day Party At Barbarella, 615 Red River Street

3:00pm - Strange Boys Party At Trailer Space, 401 Rosewood Avenue

12:00am - Pinpoint Music Unofficial Show At Lanai Rooftop Lounge, 422

Congress Avenue



Friday, March 18th

2:25pm - Stay Gold Show At The Eastern, 1511 E. 6th Street

4:30pm - My Old Kentucky Blog Party At Peckerheads, 402 E. 6th Street

7:45pm - Austin Psych Fest Show At Spider House, 2906 Fruth Street



Saturday, March 19th

3:30pm - Psychic Lunch At Spider House, 2906 Fruth Street

9:40pm - Panache Booking SXSW Showcase At Mohawk, 912 Red River Street

(Inside Stage)



Sunday, March 20th

3:30pm Panache Hangover Party At Beerland, 711 Red River Street

Can Jack White put back on the Red Pants?

When I first was introduced to Jack White it was the year 2001. He was a boy with red pants with his "sister" Meg singing their candy cane blues. It was love at first listen. Album after album the infatuation grew; White Blood Cells, Elephant, Get Behind me Satan, Icky Thump. Jack could do no wrong. It was the year 2007. White Stripes were on tour promoting Icky Thump and they were playing in Austin, TX, a mere 200 miles away. Tickets went on sale and sold out online in like 5 minutes for a venue that holds an intimate 1800 people. I wasn't one of the lucky ones, or was I? The White Stripes canceled the tour long before they reached Austin TX, citing Meg's anxiety. And it was over. Or so we thought.


By then we had Jack's first so-called side project, The Raconteurs. This was kind of like the White Stripes, but with other musicians (no disrespect intended to the lovely and talented Meg). It was a similar blues-inspired rock, but this time with a full band. This time Jack was sharing the spot light and lead vocals with his Detroit old friend Brendan Benson. To me, this was Jack growing up a bit. No more red pants, no more red white and black. This was a maturing Jack, and I was loving every minute of it. Broken Boy Soldiers followed immediately by Consolers of the Lonely. I caught them on tour in Dallas, TX in 2008. As much I was loving the new project, I couldn't help but wonder, Will we ever see Jack and Meg together again?

Then we were hit with the bombshell (literally) of the Dead Weather. Jack has yet another "side project" super group. This time with fellow Raconteur "Little Jack" Lawrence on bass and Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age. But what is this about? Jack White, our guitar hero, is now on drums and "Baby Ruthless" Alison Mosshart (of the Kills) on lead vocals? I was blown away. This was still a very bluesy influenced music, but much darker; nothing like I had ever heard before. Jack morphed again, this time into a Darker-Grown-Up-Jack wearing nothing but black. The red and white jack from ten years ago was slipping further and further away. I caught the Dead Weather on tour in Dallas in 2009 for the Horehound tour in and in Memphis, TN in 2010 for the Sea of Cowards tour.

I recently read that Jack implied in Vanity Fair that he and Meg may be reuniting. He said "We thought we'd do a lot of things that we'd never done: a full tour of Canada, a documentary, coffee-table book, live album, a boxed set. It was one long project that took almost three years. ~ Now that we've gotten a lot of that out of our system, Meg and I can get back in the studio and start fresh."

Jack is re-married. Meg is re-married. You knew they were not really brother and sister, right? We have all grown up a bit. Now the question begs. Can Jack White put back on the red pants?

We'll just have to wait and see. Is Jack the same boy we've always known? Or has he grown up to a point of no return?

The Dead Weather - an unbiased review.

The Dead Weather - an unbiased review. Ok, as a bonafide Jack White Super fan, I admit I began this a bit biased.

At the great risk of sounding like a 14 year old at a Jonas Brothers concert, I must tell you of my experience at The Dead Weather Show at House of Blues Dallas on Oct 5th. As any rock fan who has not been living under one should know, The Dead Weather is sort of a super group made up of Jack White (of the White Stripes, The Raconteurs), Allison Mosshart (of The Kills), Jack Lawrence - affectionately known as 'Little Jack' (of the Raconteurs) and Dean Fertita (of Queens of the Stone Age).

So, lets back up a bit. The first time I heard of The Dead Weather I was excited. Raconteurs were not on tour anymore and this was a new Jack White outlet. But I heard one song and wasn't immediately hooked. I kind of wrote it off. But then, months later, while doing a Jack White you-tube search I found a live performance of 'Cut Like a Buffalo'. I was blown away. How did I not see this right away? I love drummers (my husband is one, you know) and now my favorite musician guitar-player is now on drums! He was singing and drumming, and even picked up the guitar for a song or two, and it was all I needed. I downloaded their album "Horehound" MP3 from Amazon and by the second time through, it officially became my favorite band of the moment.

As good as the album is, I was floored by the live concert. Don't you love it when the live performance is SO much better than the album (and not the other way around)...when the energy and passion on stage is so intense it could never be captured in a studio? As my friend Cathy said, dont you "love a show when the music makes your insides vibrate and your heart feel like it's part of the drum set"?

Let me first put aside my current obsession with Jack white, without whom I probably would have never heard of The Dead Weather, and tell you about Allison. If I could be a rock star, I would choose to be her (and It is not just for the 'Will There be Enough Water' performance - and if you have seen that live, you know what I mean). Even though my husband, the drummer, tells me he could teach me to play every song Meg White has ever played on drums in about a week, I would still choose to be Allison. First of all, she is gorgeous. Her personality shines through every word, every movement. She makes emotional eye-contact with the audience. She stands on the monitors in the front of the stage and sways to the music so extreme that I worry about her safety (am I too old? am I the only one praying she doesn't fall?). I wondered often as she performed if she was about to have a seizure, a conniption, or an orgasm. And I mean that as the highest form of compliment. The passion was there. She holds her own while sharing a stage with the bigger than life Jack White. Dare I even say she took the spot light? I often found myself fixated on her performance forgetting, albeit temporarily, about JW.

Let's get back to the "Will There Be Enough Water" performance. I was waiting any moment for Jack & Allison to drop their instruments and start making out. The sexual tension on stage... whew.

Then there is Little Jack. Jack Lawrence. "LJ" Also plays with Jack White in The Raconteurs. He is hip-nerdy with his long hair and black-rim glasses. He kills it on the bass and even plays a song on the drums. Amazing! Little Jack holds a special place in my heart.

So, last and certainly not least, we have Jack White. He writes, he sings, he is rapidly working toward legendary status on the guitar(Have you seen "It Might Get Loud"? No? Go now.), he also plays drums, piano and keyboard. All really really well. And he has good hair (sorry, that has nothing to do with the show, I know). Here I go with the gushing. He has a presence on stage. He has that remarkable voice and that talent. It's undeniable.

With all that being said, in closing, the show was amazing. The band was on-point. They were passionate, cohesive and they rocked. This is just not a Jack White band. They are so much bigger than one person.

DEAD WEATHER PICTURES @ HOUSE OF BLUES DALLAS