Hold on, freaks. You didn’t think Hotel Vegas would let Hunter S. Thompson‘s birthday slip by without an outrageous party, did you? Of course not! It’s an annual soiree that returns each year to remind you that life is too damn short. Live it to the fullest, “…with the music at top volume and at least a pint of ether.” (But the Austin Music Minute does not recommend the “ether” part of that conversation, thank you very much.)
Tonight’s the night for Fear and Loathing In Hotel Vegas, featuring three stages of entertainment to soak in, including an Elvis Presley tribute that promises an over-the-top good time, as it should be, because…well, Elvis. The music kicks off at 7 p.m. with the psychedelic-electronic wizardry of San Francisco-based producer Al Lover. The line-up includes sets by The Sister Rays, The Cuckoos, The Nymphs (featured on today’s AMM), Drag Me Over the Rainbox, and Semihelix. Party-goers can bounce between Hotel Vegas and The Volstead, 1500 E. 6th St., for all the cool music.
Over the top, baby. This one comes recommended, with a few words to live by from the man himself:
“Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.”
-Photo of Hunter S. Thompson, 1977, at the Gramercy Hotel courtesy of Burn TV.