A week on the scene - Hairball8 Records and Spring Salsa Festival
   andnight clubs  bands furyshows musicians   sa current online sa current online |
Hairball player
When Ryan Davis and his wife Paige relocated from San Diego, California to her hometown of San Antonio two years ago, he felt more enthusiasm about the move than she did. Davis, the founder of Hairball8 Records, a label specializing in psychobilly and ska, had tired of the San Diego scene. "I liked the music there, but the scene itself was more fickle than what I found in Texas," the 31-year-old Davis says. "To me, Southern California was flooded with indie labels, bands, promoters, and venues, and I looked at Texas as a good place to take my experience and start over."
Davis' experience in the music business began during a student-exchange semester in Essex, England, where helped a friend put together a punk compilation record and realized that he could do something similar for the music coming out of his native SoCal. His first release, Keep The Beat, featured Lagwagon, Swingin' Utters and a very young Blink-182. During this period, he also became a true aficionado of the psychobilly form. "In England, I realized psychobilly was a real subculture. I realized it was quite removed from rockabilly, that it was more punk." With his subsequent Hotter Than Hell disc, which Davis calls the first psychobilly comp released in America, he also realized that there was a market for his obsession.
On Friday, May 6, Davis celebrates the 10th anniversary of Hairball8 with a blowout at Sam's Burger Joint (330 E. Grayson). The show includes Flametrick Subs, with Satan's Cheerleaders (Austin), the Rocketz (Los Angeles), I Voted 4 Kodos (Madison, Wisconsin), and San Antonio's own Uptown Creepers, who are affiliated with Hairball's ska-oriented Skarnival Music imprint. The Rocketz - a psychobilly band that Davis praises for being "true songwriters" - will be making their first Texas appearance. Their debut CD, Rise of the Undead, hits stores on June 7.
Hairball8's anniversary festival will be an all-ages show. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., and the cover is $5 before 9 p.m., $7 afterward.
Salsa fest
Just in case accordions aren't your thing but you're still looking for a family friendly outdoor festival this weekend, take mom to the Spring Salsa Festival on Sunday May 8, from noon to 9 p.m. downtown at La Villita. The day-long dance party features Cano Espremera, from Puerto Rico, as well as local favorites such as Group Chokolate, Tropicante Orchestra, and DJ Papote `see Kinky Reggaeton, San Antonio Current, February 17-24, 2005`.
Compiled by Gilbert Garcia and Alejandro Pérez
