MATT DRISCOLL: HANGING WITH THE SUPERSUCKERS >>>

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

This has been the sound inside my head since sometime yesterday.  The delirium caused by throwing a pale skinned Tacoma kid into 90 degree weather at SXSW, mixed with enough booze to inspire a grizzly bear to take its top off, makes it hard for me to remember exactly when the ringing in my head began.  Suffice to say a day later it persists.

While I don't know when exactly the ringing began, I have my guesses. Something tells me an evening spent at Emo's Annex â€" an outside tent stage across the street from Emo's Main Room â€" is where my eardrums were traumatized. The Supersuckers concluded the evening with a set that began at 1 a.m., but before The Supersuckers could do their thing, old school punkers the Meatmen and Blue Cheer took the drunks in attendance on a loud and thundering trip down memory lane, not to mention a less geriatric set from Austin's Lions that may have been the evening's high point.

The high point, that is, until The Supersuckers took the stage. While it must be mentioned that I'm about as punk rock as Rod Stewart, and many of the real mohawks at Emo's Annex seemed uber-pleased with the debauchery of the Meatmen and the burnout glare of Blue Cheer, personally I was happy to see a band not closing in on hip replacement surgery finally plug in and play. A set heavy on favorites and seasoned with four or so new songs from the forthcoming Get it Together record, The Supersuckers proved they've still got plenty in the tank, and the maturity that guitarist Ron Heathman talked of in an interview with the Weekly Volcano prior to SXSW hasn't taken any steam away from Eddie Spaghetti and Co.

Before traveling to Emo's Annex I dropped into Bourbon Rocks â€" one of the countless bars and music venues along Austin's 6th Street â€" for the Sub Pop showcase.  Love as Laughter started off the event at 8 p.m., and thought they're not much in the looks department, their low key indie rock is even more appreciated in retrospect, considering the bludgeoning my ears would later take.  The Sub Pop showcase was cool, as I stayed to see Seattle's Sera Cahoone, and Pissed Jeans, the drinks at Bourbon Rocks were suspiciously weak.  After more cranberry juice than vodka, I hit the road for Emo's.

It's closing in on 4 p.m. here in Texas's capital, and tonight looks like it'll be just as hectic.  Monotonix play at 8 p.m., then I'm headed over to Emo's Main Room for Joe Jean and the Jing Jang Jong, the Raveonettes, the Donnas and X, then I'll sprint down 6th Street to finish the evening with Tokyo Police Club.

Wish me luck and pray for my liver.  It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.