Maybe this is just one more in a long line of indications that the end is quickly approaching us. As 2012 rapidly congeals into existence at the end of this month’s merriment, what can we look forward to? In case you still haven’t heard the news, Of Montreal is coming to the valley! Yes, it is confirmed, and yes it will be all kinds of radical.

Ouch, My Ego! has joined forces with Galax Z Bear to give you: Galax Z Fair. And no… there will be nothing moderately mediocre about this affair. If you think Of Montreal is all we have lined up, you are sorely mistaken. Galax Z Fair will feature so many great acts from all over the USA, including the best local acts in the area. Some people might say… never never never would the valley be host to something like this. The valley is no novice when it comes to bringing down mainstream acts like Los Lonely Boys, Metallica, Aerosmith, and many others however, this will be a Valley first for bringing down a band with such alt/indie appeal.

Some of you may wonder who is Of Montreal and why should we even care.

I’ve been a fan of Of Montreal back since the late 90s/early2000′s back when they were part of the Elephant 6 Recording Collective. If i had to say one thing about them, it is that they are prevalent creators that consistently push music into a realm of art. Scope them out, they are a live act, not to be missed!

Pre-early bird special tickets are available now! Tickets will be in short supply and in high demand, so once they go up, get yours before they are gone! Regular pre-sale tickets will be available starting on friday!

Buy your tickets now! <3

Valley based dance-funk band The Young Maths has recently returned from their month long summer tour and completed their follow up studio album ERRORRS. OME recently had the time to ask these gents a few questions.

OME: Hey guys how are you doing, how does it feel to be back?

TYM: It always feels weird to come back. It’s nice to sleep in your own bed and have a place to come home to, but after being in a different city every night around new people and living in this alternate reality, normal life just doesn’t compare.

OME: Any crazy stories to tell?

TYM: Probably the craziest thing to happen to us was meeting these really weird guys who were going to let us crash at their place. They just smoked pot all night, and their dog was constantly trying to hump us. The highlight of the night was listening to one of them try to tune an electric guitar for about 30 minutes. The same string. We ended up leaving and getting a hotel.

OME: What did you all miss the most?

TYM: Whataburger! We finally got to have some once we got into Oklahoma. Please sponsor us, Whataburger. We believe in your company.

OME: Your new album ERRORRS is finished and had its release at McAllen’s Cine El Rey Theatre August 13, you all had an amazing turnout! How satisfied are you all with the final release of ERRORRS? How long did it take to complete?

TYM: It feels amazing to have it out on vinyl, instead of just a CD people are going to lose or via digital download. You can actually hold this physical product of your work that looks like a piece of art itself. Overall, I’m really happy with how the album has been received. The kids and the bloggers seem to like it, even though it’s a departure from the sound people are used to hearing from us. I’m relieved people weren’t like “UGH, this is too different, I wanted Sheets Part 2.” They totally could have responded that way. We wanted to challenge people a bit with this album; as a band you can either repeat yourselves or try to progress. We finished it pretty fast, about 6 days in the studio, spread out over the beginning of May.

OME: What studio did you all record at? Who else has recorded there?

TYM: We recorded it at our friend Charlie Vela’s studio. It’s more like, who hasn’t recorded there? Charlie’s recorded almost every band down here in the local scene at one point or another.

OME: What are some of your favorite highlights on the album? What are you favorite tracks? Did you all try and take a different approach to this album?

TYM: I loved having the guests on this album. Lindsay, who used to play drums with me in my old band (Yoink!) essentially recorded her parts at home in Austin, emailed them to us, and we added them in. She sent us a lot of takes and layers of harmonies. Having Jonathan and Ryan play the horns on the title track was also really awesome, just being there while they layered all those chaotic horns. Our approach on this album was to try and make it sound as raw and live as possible, with minimal overdubs. We didn’t want it to sound as polished as “Thank You, Good Night, We Are…” As for a favorite, I couldn’t say. I never thought we’d be writing songs like “ERRORRS” and “Practicing Invisibility,” so maybe those two.

OME: What is your most personal song on ERRORRS? Who does most of the song writing?

TYM: Probably “Practicing Invisibility,” but it’s not personal in any obvious way the listener can immediately grasp. I usually come up with ideas at home and email them to the guys, then at practice we mess around with them and figure out what works and what doesn’t. What’s cool on this album is that Patrick came up with the music for “The Cannon Choir” and I just added the vocal lines, and bam, new song.

OME: What inspired the album art? Looks dark! Is there any message you’re trying to convey or symbolism in the picture?

TYM: All I can say is look at the smoke, it’s not just any smoke. It’s from a well-known image. It’s timely.

OME: Of all the venues you’ve visited which would you say was the best, sound and audience-wise? Worst?

TYM: The best sound might have been at Glasslands Gallery in New York City. There were others on this tour, but Glasslands immediately stands out. The best audiences are always here in the Valley, the sweaty ones at Ambrosia or Galeria 409. Worst sound and audience might have been in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sound guy told us to turn our amps down, I had no vocal monitor, and we played to a bunch of disinterested coffee shop patrons.

OME: Where do The Young Maths draw inspiration from musically? Where are their roots?

TYM: We draw inspiration from a lot of stuff. Talking Heads, The Hives, Weezer, James Brown, Motown, everything. We try not to wear our influences on our sleeves too much, because that gets really boring. “They sound like [insert indie band here].” You can’t say that about us anymore. Our roots were definitely in dance-rock, and we STILL get compared to The Rapture sometimes, but we aren’t really there anymore. The Rapture comparisons are just lazy. What about Liars, !!!, Moving Units, Bloc Party? That just shows how little those people know about dance-rock.

OME: I have to ask, what exactly is a young math? How did you all end up with your name? What were other name options?

TYM: A Young Math is an equation, whereby:

(My age – X) = 18, and (My girlfriend’s age – X) = Y.

Now imagine me at 18 making out with a Y-year old.

If I was 24 and dating a 19 year old, then:

(24 – X) = 18 [X =6]

(19 – 6) = Y [Y is 13]

So you have an 18-year old making out with a 13-year old. There were never any other name options. It was perfect from the beginning. Please nobody ask this question ever again.

OME: What does the diet of a Young Math consist of? What do you all do/enjoy/work at when the band is taking time off?

TYM: On the road, the diet of a Young Math is a hierarchy of:

The Young Maths LOVE Muscle Milk Bars

1) Whatever’s free

2) Whatever’s cheap

3) Muscle Milk bars

When the band is taking time off, we all work at various jobs and hang out at scene parties and die a little inside each day.

OME: How do you think the Valley scene is turning out? What do you think we can improve on? What do you wish to see more of or less of?

TYM: The Valley scene feels dead to me, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Those of us who want to do more are doing more, and those who are content within the Valley scene are still doing their thing. There will always be bands from the Rio Grande Valley, but they don’t need to think of themselves as being any better or worse for it. Look at us, at Dignan, at Sick/Sea. I don’t like to think in terms of the Valley anymore, it’s pointless. It’s the cultural and intellectual equivalent of being stuck in your high school days. You can cling to them or try to do something better.

OME: What are some of your personal favorite Valley bands?

TYM: Dignan, Sick/Sea, The Ex-Boyfriends, Night Dudes, Seafoam Green, Japanese To English, Darm Darm Dudes, White Zebra

OME: What does your show schedule look like and when can we anticipate seeing you guys again?

TYM: We have absolutely no idea when we’re playing again down here. We plan to tour in November, and probably play some shows around Texas until then. Gotta sell those records.

OME: Fill in the blanks.

TYM: We sure as hell aren’t BROS but we’re definitely NICE DUDES !!! There can never be too many PEOPLE AT OUR SHOWS .

Stay buzzed in to OME, when these guys start playing again you’ll be the first to know! We thank The Young Maths for their time and you can check out the new album ERRORRS streaming on the their bandcamp page at :

theyoungmaths.bandcamp.com

or follow them on twitter for the new updates on their tour at

http://twitter.com/theyoungmaths

Recommended tracks: Truth Tables and Treble Reducer

Without further ado enjoy Ouch, My Ego’s first of many monthly Live Session series: (special thanks to Charlie Vela, Gabriel Elizondo, George Dean, and Sal Torres)

The Young Maths – Body Bags

The Young Maths – Truth Tables

We’ve seen a lot of “retrogressive advancements” in the area of photography brought about by our pop cultures ever-increasing fascination with analogue/nostalgic aesthetics. It was the Poloroid movements and Lomography revivals that brought about the insanely popular Hipstamatic iphone app. Trends like this are making headway absolutely everywhere and now there is The Box, transforming your old fashioned black&white strip photo booth into a brand new, fully interactive experience.

Marco Valdez - Photographer

The Box is a state-of-the-art photo booth encompassing new technology like the Apple Ipad’s touch screen/software. Inspired by a similar photobooth seen at an event in LA, photographer Marco Valdez has come together with graphic designer Oz Arriaga to bring this innovative revival to the Valley. With a completely automated, user-friendly interface The Box guides the user through the system while playing relevant music for patrons to take pictures to. It simultaneously streams a live feed of what is going on inside the booth to a screen just outside of it so outsiders can watch with amusement.

Initially created for Wedding & Quinceañera rentals, Marco’s Box project has taken a surprisingly corporate turn. Expect to see The Box at local events including this years Cine Sol Film Festival.
Also, be sure to join in on the action at The Box Launch Party at this Friday’s ArtWalk in McAllen, September 2 at 6pm.

The photo booth is available for all type of events; for more information, please contact Marco Valdez.

The Box
610 N main St Suite B
McAllen, Tx 78501

I first stumbled upon free hugs at a UIL meet in Round Rock circa 2004. She was a lovely, albeit chubby, young woman riddled with the high school acne that plagued us all. She wore a smile that could light up the darkest poem I heard that day—if I remember rightly, “Daddy” by Plath. I seized the opportunity for a free hug and strove to learn about where such an idea originated. I meant to ask but my desire was quelled by the cushion of her upper arms around my neck and her face pressed intimately against my chest. It occurred to me later that perhaps the hug was not for me, but for her.

“Free hugs” has turned into a bit of a craze, if not a philosophy, or a cult. I have seen dozens of people on street corners holding signs brandishing the “Free Hugs” logo, all wearing the same disturbingly empty smile; I have met and known only three. I’ll refrain from divulging names or attributing the following observations to any individual but the similarities between the three are striking. For example, they tend to suffer from lack of a solid relationship with their parents while carrying on unfulfilling relationships with those deemed to be close friends and employing a maddening self-indulgence which makes carrying on a mutual conversation damn near impossible. Most noticeably, there tends to exist in each some major physical feature, one self-perceived as a flaw that is so deeply engrained within their subconscious that it alone drives them. They live day to day in an emotional whirlpool, turning every conversation into a self-deprecatory satire, speaking in throngs of recycled television humor and facetious self-aggrandizement. The person fitting this profile begs for company and when they are not getting it, seeks it in various mediums; maybe the relatively innocuous world of internet dating, but they could instead opt to satisfy one of many more dangerous vices.

Understand, “offering” free hugs is a feeble attempt at filling an emptiness that is really as ubiquitous as high school acne. Begging for love from any ol’ stranger because one feels as though he is not getting it from the people in his life is the same as depressed eating, or a night on Twitter, or Facebook scheming for ways to be noticed, again, by strangers, or, at the very least, vague acquaintances. If you see these people, do not indulge them; they are seeking love in all the wrong places. It is a product of not knowing oneself, not being comfortable in one’s own skin. Know that with each hug you are likely fueling a terrible habit, akin to giving spare change to an ostensibly healthy man. If there is an aspect of yourself about which you are unhappy, accept it and, if possible, work to improve; refrain from fueling your insecurities by leeching off those of others. We all fight the same battles; the difference stems from a lack of effort. Simple friends, simple music, simple films, fast food, hours of mindless television—these are all linked and result in a lack of self-awareness which results in a lack of self-esteem, self-worth. Believe me when I say it is not my aim to put down any single person; I believe they mean well. Try to understand in the light of, say, writing a book review based on cliff notes alone. Many people, not just those delineated by the above peroration, act within themselves based only on how they have noticed others perceive them and act outwardly based on the way they have seen others act in similar situations. Before you seek to make such a profound impact on the world, learn the world. And the only way to learn the world is to learn yourself, because the world exists within you.

PHOTO VIA FLICKR

Hello, friends. You’ve probably noticed that Lime Cucumber Gatorade is conspicuously absent from convenience store refrigerators in the Rio Grande Valley. This wonderful beverage tastes like the real thing and offers thirst-quenching refreshment like none of its like-branded predecessors. I called the Stripes Convenience Store McAllen office this morning to request that the general manager place an order for the flavor and begin to stock it in McAllen-area stores. I doubt one request will do the trick so I’d really appreciate if everyone would help by calling the Stripes office at 956-585-9994 and requesting that Stripes begin to carry Lime Cucumber Gatorade. Your taste buds (and mine) will thank you for your help. Let’s do our part to help the Valley join the ranks of bigger Texas cities like Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, who are already enjoying this delicious Gatorade flavor. Thank you.

UPDATE: 

Lime Cucumber Gatorade is EVERYWHERE, babies! I don’t know whether it was our humble efforts at Ouch My Ego or a matter or sheer coincidence. But, since we posted our longing for this delicious beverage on the website about two weeks ago, stores across the Rio Grande Valley have begun stocking Lime Cucumber Gatorade. If you put in a call, thanks. If you didn’t, who cares; it’s here anyway!

Pick up a bottle and make your day a lil bit better. Have a goodun.

Coming on the heels of a nationwide tour, The Young Maths clearly want to claim their place as the most important indie-rock band in the RGV and gain a wider audience with the release of their first full-length album, Errorrs.  No other local band has cultivated the same following (through sheer force of showmanship) that the Maths have right now. Errorrs works best when the Maths sticks to what made them the unofficial Ambrosia(R.I.P.) house-band: bass lines that make people have to dance, high-energy emotive vocalizations, fast beats and tempo changes, excellence in drumming, experimentation and genre-mashing, and the moments that make me think the Maths would do best to add a permanent brass section to the band.   The weakest track comes in the form of “The Cannon Choir,” with its gratuitous guitar solos and silly lyrics (the words “brought to you commercial-free” and “do you remember mixtapes from the war?” are sang in all earnestness).  Unfortunately, the Maths fall victim to what my friend calls “whiny vocals with interesting tempo and chord changes” in the middle of the album.  I thought I remembered hearing “Treble Reducer” during several generic well-known indie-rock bands’ ACL sets last year and the year before that.  Influences on Errorrs are all over the place- from jazz to Jesus Lizard to Interpol and early-Radiohead; I even heard the penumbras of dubstep and Chris Cornell (seriously- listen to the first and last minutes of “Practicing Invisibility”).  That said, “Errorrs,” “Latin Roots,” and “7 is 11” get it right- they exemplify what is so enjoyable about The Young Maths.

One last thing: the talent and musicianship of the band is worth noting.  I think that the technical difficulty at which the band plays had been lost on me until I put on headphones to listen to Errorrs (probably because the Maths are such great performers).  They are also seriously talented, hard-working, and ambitious musicians.  With or without Errorrs the Young Maths are the most exciting band in South Texas right now.

Verdict: Like a 10 p.m. Ambrosia show- fun, a little too short, sober, crowded, and without a Weezer cover.  On the whole the material isn’t strong enough to be the breakout LP the band was hoping for.  The ambitious Maths would have been better off editing Errors into a tighter EP.  And why are there four r’s in the album’s title?

The song: “Errorrs”

The Young Maths – ERRORRS

The other song: “Latin Roots”

Welcome the Maths back to the Valley at the Errorrs release party tonight at Cine el Rey.  I was going to stay home and avoid another hangover, but after a few listens of Errorrs I think I’m going to have to go downtown tonight.  I heard drinks are on George Dean.

This past July 29th, OME had its 1st Craft Fest in collaboration with The Tulle Room and HopSonic Radio. Not only was the event a blast, but it went above and beyond what we were expecting in terms of turnout, success, and level of radical-ness. Yes, that is a word.

Check out the photogallery on flickr, and youtube!

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ouchmyego/sets/72157627422885968/

ICONS – Vol. 1” was a boogie buffet of funk, soul, disco, and modern groove. Join us on Thursday August 18, 2011 at Molina’s Restaurant & Bar for ‘Vol. 2 – The Superbad Sequel’ to our wildly funky dance party series. DRINK SPECIALS WILL BE RUNNING ALL NIGHT!

If you’ve got funky threads and groovy kicks we wanna see em!
From Sock-Hop to Disco, Afros to Jheri Curls – Anything goes!
Please bring safe footwear for bumpin’, slumpin’, spankin’, and swankin’.

Your disc jockeys for the evening:
Meylo, FunkRiot, Kid Citrus & Special Guests

See ya there!
HS / OME Crews

RSVP ADMISSION [Opens Aug. 12 @ Midnight - www.hopsonic.com/rsvp]
21+ Free w/ID or 18+ $3 Cover at the door
$2 DRAFTS / $2 House Margaritas / $2 Shots
DRINK SPECIALS WILL BE RUNNING ALL NIGHT!

Venue:
Molina’s Resturant & Bar
102 S. 23rd St.
McAllen, TX 78501

http://tinyurl.com/map-mol​inas

Are you a Nintento DS fan but you’re a little cautious about the hefty price tag for Nintendo’s newest iteration of their popular handheld the new 3DS? Worry not, Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto (of zelda and mario fame) and others directors at Nintendo are taking a pay cut ranging from 20% of their salary, all the way up to a 50% cut for Iwata (CEO) to answer for slow initial sales of the device, and to help fund the new lowered price of $170 down from $250.

The new price won’t go into effect for another few days. Of course that totally sucks if you were an early adopter right? Having to pay full price only to have the price lowered mere months later… or does it? As compensation Nintendo is offering 20 free virtual console  downloads for those that paid full price and adopted early. Cool right? It gets better… as of Aug 9… essentially yesterday Walmart is offering the 3DS at the new lower price… right NOW!? Yes! Fly… you fools!

So… what does that mean? It means you can buy it now at the lower price of $170, and still get the 20 free downloadable games Nintendo is offering to early adopters. All you need to do is launch the e-shop app before midnight on thursday, August 11! I’ve always been a fan of Gameboy in general; I adored the DS! I knew DSi would be a flop… but I couldnt pass this up. So … the 3ds? Is it a flop? Is the 3d feature a gimick? I have to say, although i’ve only had the device for less than a day, I’m very impressed by it and am genuinely optimistic this could be a worthy follow up to the popular DS.

So… if you know you’re going to get the new 3DS handheld, now… like right now… before Friday, is the best time to get it. You get the best of both worlds. The lower price tag, with all the gratitude of Nintendo in the form of 20 free downloadable virtual console games.

Games I love for the 3DS: Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (duh!), Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (triple duh!)

Happy gaming!

I ha’ seen them changing over seasons,
Donning darker colors with broken ornaments adorned.
Blackened women acting without reason
Against youthful dreams,
Sharing beds with red-eyed liaisons.
Still, they pine for misguided reveries…
With legs spread atop sterilized tables,
They cry behind heavy eyes,
Singing praise for the furies.

1.)    Always think you’re too good to do certain jobs even though the economy is bad and you live on your mama’s couch.

2.)    Stay in school for as long as possible to avoid all manner of trying.

3.)    Tell everyone you’ve been looking for work but that no one is hiring; don’t actually look for work.

4.)    Complain about not having any money when your friends ask you to hang out but always seem to pull money out of thin air.

5.)    Hide your truck in your neighbor’s garage so the bank won’t find it.

6.)    Never leave bed before 1 p.m.

7.)    Act like you’re too busy to do anything during the day even though everyone knows you don’t work.

8.)    Become an artist or a musician and pretend that’s your job.

9.)    Be in your 20s and ask your parents for going out money.

10.)  Avoid assessing your worth and position in society.

Everyone likes to get naked, right? Apparently not. Not even with hot body champ Casey Anthony.

In the wake of the Casey Anthony trial media freakshow, America is angry. Get fucking angry America.

The fact that Casey Anthony will soon get out of prison on July 17 with a trial that was shorter than the actual search for her daughter Caylee Anthony should piss anyone off. She lied, she manipulated. She is not a good person, that nasty Casey Anthony.

The fact that there may be profit from her daughter’s death, whether it’s her or one of her lawyers, is wrong.

But what is constantly being ignored in this case, and just about everywhere else, is the naked truth.

The very naked truth of the world is that life isn’t fair.

You won’t hear very many people say that because a) that doesn’t occur to them or b) it’s seems to undermine the perception of credibility.

It would get old to hear that in the news everyday anyway.

But nonetheless, let’s take a look at some of the other truths from the Casey Anthony case.

The truth is prosecutors may have done well to pursue charges based on the evidence.

Not charges based on the gut wrenching implications of a shitty “bella vita” tattoo, a hot body contest and a heart shaped sticker stuck to duct tape found on the decayed remains of the innocent toddler.

The truth is evidence in the case presented by the State of Florida did not prove murder.
It’s called forensic evidence. People are NOT “gutless” for choosing to obey the law and hold the state to the burden of proof it must meet. That’s what protects your freedom in a court of law, dumbass.

The truth is much of the media has chosen to masquerade opinion as fact.
In this case, in politics – everywhere, really – the line between opinion and fact has become heavily, and damagingly blurred. In fact, the media can’t ignore a case like this; dissecting it and repacking it over and over and inflaming idiots who have no business becoming enraged to the point of death threats against the Anthony family.

I don’t see anything wrong with leaving your porch light on though. Not something I’d do because it’s a waste of electricity, but more power to you if it makes you feel better.

Don’t forget to leave it on for the other thousands of kids who die each year as a result of abuse or neglect.

The truth is the Caylee Anthony case got so much national attention because it was long and painfully drawn out and it involved her mother and other disgusting accusations like family incest.

Does anyone remember Brownsville’s own John Allen Rubio. Decapitated three kids, one whose head he actually RIPPED OFF, in 2003. Did that case get this much national media attention? No. He was a man and the case was much more open and shut, even if there was a re-trial.

The truth is that the Casey Anthony trial showed how men and women are still treated so vastly different by society.

Casey Anthony was such a ‘slutty’ woman it became criminal, especially worse because she was a mother to a cute kid. Now be honest with yourself and ask how different this would’ve been if Casey Anthony was a man and a father.

Now consider race too.

The truth is, whether young Caylee drowned, or she was murdered, either one is the result of the terrible negligence of a parent.

Perhaps it’s not a terrible idea to have “Caylee’s Law,” which would make it a felony if a parent or guardian fails to report a child’s disappearance to law enforcement.

Here in the Rio Grande Valley, we’ve had a rash of children dying recently because of parent negligence. The kids were left in hot cars, drank gasoline or fell and drowned. They were all found too late just like Caylee.

Certainly, there are different levels of negligence, but when you think of Casey Anthony it’s easy to think of all the negligent parents you ever read about or seen on TV.

The saddest, simplest truth of all this is that Caylee Anthony shouldn’t be dead.

But she is and her mother was found not guilty of her murder.

After the trial State Attorney Lawson Lamar said to the Orlando Sentinel: “Criminal justice has worked. We did our job. The jury did their job. This is justice in America.”

If you have a better idea about justice in America email me. I will be sure to pass it on to President Obama.

Ouch, My Ego! & The Tulle Room Present to you OME’s 1st Summer Craft Festival!

Ouch, My Ego!’s 1st Craft Festival is about to happen on July 31st. Only one week away!

We welcome artists, clothing designers, hand crafters, food vendors, and independent local businesses to participate. There are still a few booths available, so if you are interested in having a table for the event be sure to register on the website below in order to secure your spot.

Some details: The event starts at 4pm and will last until 10pm on Sunday July 31st at Cine El Rey in downtown Mcallen. During the event, HopSonic radio will be djing and providing music. A movie will be playing on the second level, and there will be an open mic session. There will be entertainment and give-aways for guests throughout the event, and the vendor tables (which will be provided) will be on the floor level.

The fb event is right here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131843990232465

If you have any questions about this event, or about Ouch, My Ego! feel free to email me at collaborate@ouchmyego.com

Thanks!

Tables are $40

Face it folks, it’s summertime and nostalgia is slowly setting in. When you see cars being washed, BBQ pits being prepped, and sprinklers being chased, you can faintly hear the echoes of summers past. They’re the sounds of Otis Redding, Patti Jo, Sam Cooke, James Brown, BT Express, and Sly Stone – icons of the funk and soul generation. When sizzling day turns to breezy night, the cicadas beckon you to the nearest dance parlor for drinks, friends, fun, and (of course) boogie.

On that tip, HopSonic Radio and Ouch My Ego! proudly present “ICONS Vol.1 – A Funk and Soul Party”. Join us on Friday July 15, 2011 at Molina’s Restaurant & Bar as we spin the grooves which defined an age of vinyl innovation (1950-Present).

If you’ve got funky threads and groovy kicks, we wanna see em! From Sock-Hop to Disco, Afros to Jheri Curls – Anything goes! Admission is free (21+), but you must RSVP using the link below. By doing so, you’ll also be registered to win one of six free buckets of cerveza. See ya there.

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The Second Concert of Three to Feature World Renowned Artist Mark Farina
By JAMES SULLIVAN | Ouch My Ego

On July 8, sandwiched between two rock shows, the McAllen Convention Center Oval Park will give home to a three-stage electronic extravaganza. Headlining will be “Mushroom Jazz” pioneer Mark Farina, finding the time to fit McAllen in the middle of his seventh world tour, during which time he has visited England, Holland, and New York.

“We just asked,” said Luke Salas of the South Texas Community Arts Foundation (STCAF). “He really liked the fact that it was in a park and that it’s going to be free.”

Farina was initially allotted no more than an hour. But upon his request, the Summer Concert Series was more than happy to grant him an extra hour or two to perform what Salas promises to be “a special set.”

For those hoping to come out and enjoy the familial atmosphere seen in prior events, there is nothing to fear from words like “mushroom jazz,” and “electronica.” If electronic music really isn’t your thing, there is a stage dedicated just for you. On two of the three stages, there will be an exclusively electronic rotation, but on the third stage there will be alternating sets of DJs and acoustic music.

“We’re hoping people stick around to see how skilled Mark Farina really is,” Salas said.

Keeping people fed and hydrated will be upwards of twenty vendors lined along either side of the lake, sure to be reflecting the unique South Texas sunset. This, combined with the eclectic art on display, is sure to create a most striking ambience that will not soon be forgotten.

For information, visit http://www.mcallensummer.com