For the uninitiated, I live in Austin, Texas' capitol city. The largest public univeristy in the United States, the University of Texas at Austin, and it's 50,000+ students call it home. It has a lively music scene and is often referred to as "The Live Music Capitol of the World," a claim which is probably more arrogant than true, but is fitting nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I keep to myself and this kind of atmosphere is often lost on me. There are times when I'll "go out" but they are usually spent being the guy drinking quietly watching the crowd do their thing. I don't mind doing that. People are fun to watch. Doubly so when both the watched and the watcher are drunk.

A friend of mine convinced me to go to a party referenced in the title of this post. I don't usually go to parties. I'm not much of a party guy. This is especially the case when I know less than four people at the party. But last Saturday night I made an exception. Even though I was the designated driver.

It was fun. 21st St parties are always wild, and this wasn't an exception. The cops came in a few hours after things got going and managed to scare off the bulk of the partygoers, but the police came in too early. The naked fireball-blowers hadn't even started their acts yet. Neither had the in-house marching drum corps. I'd estimate there was at least three hundred people on the grounds of the apartment complex at the height of the party, with maybe an additional seventy-five to one hundred just off the property.

Beyond the visual treats provided by the attendant females (and one of the ladies accompanying the group I was with), the true joy of the evening was the music provided by Unified Feel Theory. It's been a long time since I've been to a live musician gig and even longer since I've been to one that rocked as much as theirs. Excellent combination of instrumental rock, jazz, Latin, and other styles which managed to have the magic of great-sounding improv while maintaining a consistent style and music flow. They'd build up a set and then give each musician a chance to solo for a while. I'll be checking the local music stores for any CDs.

So, to hundreds of crazy drunk people, to attractive women, and to wicked music!