On Friday, March 12th an epic journey of mammoth metal proportions began. The plan:

1. Fly to Columbus, Ohio for Scion Rock Fest the following day.
2. Take a 3-day road-trip in a converted tour bus down to Austin, TX, stopping along the way to visit select food locales and see the sites.
3. Four days of SXSW.
4. Fly home.

Friday was an innocent enough start to our 9-day journey. Kip picked me up in a cab to the airport and the flight — which we shared with Iraqi metal band Accrassicauda — went off without a hitch save for a short delay. After checking into our hotel we hit the N. High St. strip in Columbus by Ohio State University, tantamount to treason for this Wolverine. Looking for good eats in a college town (not always an easy task) we were quickly distracted by the allure of whiskeys in a hole-in-the-wall bar.  $3 for a Makers on the rocks?? Oh yeah… this wasn’t NYC where everything is outrageously expensive.

After a brief diversion from a shrooming but strangely attractive 40-something named Wendy and a toothless bum named John we finally settled on Barrel 44 for quick, declicious and surprisingly cheap eats before deciding to pack it in and save our fun juice for the insane 8 nights that would follow.

Day 2, coming tomorrow: Scion Rock Fest, The SlayRV, calling the paramedics, and photos to tell the tale!

-VN