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The show at Lazy Hummingbird Coffee and Tea House was so much fun! It was my first time in San Diego, and it is such a nice place. I met so many nice people, ate some great food, drank some great coffee at Lazy Hummingbird, and enjoyed a break from the Las Vegas summer heat.

Run-On Sunshine and Sunday Clothes were amazing; I feel so lucky to know such great people who make fantastic music.

Having practiced a grand total of two times together quietly outside Lazy Hummingbird, Sunday Clothes and I played the Jenny Lewis and Elvis Costello duet “Carpetbaggers,” forming a mini-supergroup that you will hopefully see again.

Something was funny. Or happy.

Marielle (Sunday Clothes) asked that everyone gather for a photo. Some of us listened. Photo courtesy of James Wu.

Even though I’ve been thinking about it, I realized I never updated you on Bröötal Sun Fest. So, here you go.

Back in 2010 when I went on tour, I played a super fun house show in Tucson, AZ and made some great friends. It was nice to get together again, this time at Skrappy’s, for a staggering number of bands on a schedule that, well, stayed on schedule better than any three act bar show I’ve played. There was also a photo booth, face-painting, basketball, and frozen fruit treats. The amazing planning and organizing skills of Logan, Mullarkey, and the rest of the BSF team as well as the performers cannot be ignored. (The previous sentence, if it is ever read out loud, should be read in a booming and powerful voice.) Seriously, these people are amazing.

I made it into Tucson on Saturday afternoon, with enough time to watch the last act of the afternoon show and the evening show, including Great Job, who performs once a year, though you’d never know it; a young, promising, and talented Beanpod Race; and the Seattle punk goodness of TacocaT.

Playing in between Pretty Faces (garage punk) and Rise Like Lions (hardcore) added a dynamic I can really appreciate. The Tucson crowd is a nice crowd (not to mention all of those who traveled from all over to perform or attend), and we all had a good time; my set was pretty mellow, and everyone was attentive, respectful and, impressively, present at a 12:30PM performance on a Sunday afternoon. Even though Arizona does not participate in Daylight Savings Time, I took the opportunity to play “Your Hurt Knees,” written on and about that day. I did a very low quality recording of the show, and I am trying to clean it up a bit so I can share it with you.

I’ve been hearing about The Kris Special for a long time (mostly from the awesomely friendly people of The Busta Crack Shack), and not only are they on the nicest bands ever list (along with all the bands in this post), but their performance was honest, fun, and energetic. The new line-up of Rumble Rumble (check out their bandcamp too!) rocked my face off, although I am excited to see what Niall’s next musical project will be. Experiencing Hug of War is very much like a hug, and, like a hug, should be experienced first-hand; the split cassette/digital album with Run-On Sunshine does the job, though. Run-On Sunshine is also like a hug, maybe like a big, cuddly hug from a cat.

So wherever you are, plan on going next year.

Run-On Sunshine at Brootal Sun Fest

Hug of War at Brootal Sun Fest

Photo courtesy of Jake Cunningham

Some of the nice folks at the show

Some more of the nice folks at the show

Don’t ask