Tuesday, March 6, 2014

[JonPorobil]

Here in Austin, it's South By Southwest season. I never "do" SXSW (the wristbands are prohibitively expensive), but make an annual except to see MC Frontalot. I went to see him last night, with Dr. Awkward and Mega Ran opening up. After the show, I had a nice chat with him. Every time I see him live and talk with him, it reminds me why he's the most famous (former?) Song Fighter. He's got amazing stage presence and confidence, and he's amazingly nice to everyone he meets.

Even though I suspect most of the community will have the same answer as me, I can't think of anything else for the Question of the Day: Who's the most famous person you actually know?

[glennny]

That's an easy question these days: Elon Musk
If small talk over espresso and at company parties for the last 6 years counts as knowing.

[JonPorobil]

That's an easy question these days: Elon Musk
If small talk over espresso and at company parties for the last 6 years counts as knowing.

That counts in my book. You're working for one of his companies now?

[glennny]

I've been at Tesla since April of 2007, (before Elon was CEO)

[fluffy]

QOTD:

MC Frontalot for me too. And yeah, he's incredibly nice and welcoming and way more awesome than any single person needs to be.

I'm also vaguely acquainted with Ryan North (of Dinosaur Comics, several Adventure Time properties, and "To Be or Not To Be: That Is The Adventure" fame), insofar as we're friendly on the Internet and if I see him at a comic con he doesn't mind chatting with me. He's also a really cool dude who is way more welcoming and awesome than any single person needs to be.

DRC:

I'm rearranging my studio and bedroom and finally getting the last pieces of furniture that I really need to make my home feel awesome instead of being an assemblage of random crap I've been hauling around for a decade. (Although some of the decade-old furniture is legitimately awesome so I'm keeping it, but things like my cheap dining table and Ikea computer desk were intended as a temporary stopgap and have long outlived their welcome.) Now that I'm in a home that I expect to live in for a long, long time I feel like it's time to actually do this for myself.

[Caravan Ray]

My nephew is Wags the Dog in The Wiggles

[RangerDenni]

I thought it was nice that he (MCFrontalot) put that SongFight sticker up in NYC after the live event VERY VERY high up on the light pole thing the last evening. I had to take a photo of that because I thought "wow. this event is permanent in New York now "

[fluffy]

I had been thinking of starting a rumor that MC Frontalot would be at SFLive NYC just to get more attendance, and I'm glad I didn't because I would have felt bad if throngs of adoring fans had showed up and mobbed him as a result (and detracted from the show). Of course, given the sound situation I don't think it'd have made much of a difference either way.

My favorite Frontalot memory is how once I attended one of his shows in Brooklyn, and afterwards he invited everyone in the audience to his place to hang out. And meant it. (Very few people in the audience took him up on the offer.) Oh, and he still had his fridge-magnet bling from the first SFL Seattle. That was cool.

Oh, and there's the time that CHack was visiting NYC from Boston to see Front and we were hanging out and then we met up with Front and all grabbed dinner together. Then when Front took the stage, CHack said "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WE WERE HAVING DINNER WITH MC FRONTALOT?!?!?!?!" Apparently he had no idea and just thought the dude we were talking to was just "with the band" somehow. (I dunno how, though, I mean it's not like Damian's voice isn't totally distinctive or anything...)

[Lunkhead]

When I saw Front at SXSW two years ago, I told him that my employer's venue was open till 4am, which was a couple hours later than most of the other venues. He and a few of the nerdcore elite came by after their showcase night and hung out. They were all very nice folks. It was after hours, so nobody could actually serve booze. Front was carrying around a cardboard box full of liquor bottles, though, so no one had to go without. Good times. It's nice when people are not only talented and successful, but also just decent. Hooray for that.

Oh yeah, it was also funny that the singer from Wheatus came along with Front to night 1 of SFL NYC. I can only imagine what that guy thought about the whole thing. Ha!

[JonPorobil]

Oh yeah, it was also funny that the singer from Wheatus came along with Front to night 1 of SFL NYC. I can only imagine what that guy thought about the whole thing. Ha!

Oh, that's who that was? I didn't even realize.

[Billy's Little Trip]

That's an easy question these days: Elon Musk
If small talk over espresso and at company parties for the last 6 years counts as knowing.

I told you this before when I found out you worked at Tesla, and I'll say it again. That.is.awesome! I personally love everything about Tesla. Not just the line of cars, but the whole business platform. I can't believe the hurtles Tesla have to jump to deal in states controlled by crony capitalism and paid off politicians.

Then when I heard Tesla is looking for a state to open their new gigafactory battey plant that will employ 6500 people and Texas was one of their choices, I couldn't believe it. Texas has been one of their biggest pains in their asses of all the states. They pretty much banned Tesla if they didn't sell through a car dealership. For someone to buy a Tesla in Texas, it has to be delivered to the customer in an unmarked truck, and can't be unwrapped or touched by any Tesla employee. Now Texas is begging them to open the gigafactory there. I hope Tesla tells them to fuck off.
http://jalopnik.com/pols-in-anti-tesla- ... 1546318730

edit: I should mention that every Texan I've even met have been good people. Heck, Dee is from Austin and she's the bees knees....the cat's pajamas....the mutt's nuts, for goodness sake! I just don't like their right wing crony bigot politics.

[RangerDenni]

well, I shall never forget how the g'uv'ment kept trying to take our tampons away at the capitol. But being called the mutt's nuts helps make up for it