A non-student who was seated on Guadalupe with his dog was reported by a business owner as trying to feed his best friend the coins that he had accumulated in his ball cap. The dog was apparently not interested in the chump’s change, but was being encouraged to try it by the subject. Officers questioned the subject and asked why he would offer his dog coins to eat. The subject said he “was full already.” He was given a warning against feeding his pet any more non-food.
But problems like that aren’t in the hands of our Fun Fun Fun Fest overlords. The masters are here to give us good music and amusing novelties that distinguish their fest from other fests. That’s their job and they do it really well. Where else can you watch a performance from Peaches (whose set should be taught as a sex ed course in high schools across the country) one moment,
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and a reunited Babes In Toyland the next? Or watch GG Allin’s comedic counterpart Eric Andre talk about dropping acid while masturbating to Sailor Moon, and then jumping onstage to receive twerking lessons from Big Freedia? In fact, a crucial part of Fun Fun Fun Fest that doesn’t get talked about enough is its absurdity. The minds behind the festival make a point of packaging performers and spectacles together in a way that no one else has or wants to, and these juxtapositions are a large part of why FFFfest continues to grow. Of course, all music festivals have to follow some degree of protocol and Fun Fun Fun Fest is no exception, but when they break rules—and they do break rules— you never really know who or what’s going to happen. For one, the body politic that’s tasked with curating the roster seems ten years ahead of everyone else, and not just because their underground selection. When I told a friend that Afrika Bambaataa was performing, he absolutely lost his shit. “Who else is putting Bambaataa on at their music festival,” he asked incredulously.
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Exactly. Idiosyncrasy like this has always given the fest subtle notes of underdog, and this year—FFFfest’s 10-year anniversary of all years—provided a blunt reminder of what can happen to underdogs. In June, because of recent renovations at Vic Mathias Shores, it looked for a moment like the festival either wasn’t going to happen or was going to have to happen elsewhere. The area had recently been split into three distinct sections: the main event lawn, the middle lawn and a designated off-leash dog area. Transmission Events wanted to use the off-leash dog area, even though it’s supposed to remain out of the mix when it comes to concerts and events. Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department and Transmission Events couldn’t come to an agreement, so the City Council intervened and unanimously passed a resolution that gave organizers the necessary acre. The use of the off-leash acre was a temporary fix though, meaning that relocation is still a possibility in coming years. But for now the battle was won.