From The Mind of Adi Presents First Friday Frolic | Club De Ville | September 3rd, and every First Friday following| 6 to 8pm
It’s safe to say that Adi Anand has a lot on his mind. He her a full-time office job, spends hours at work in the technology field and divides his time between a love of soccer and music. He’s about to get married and has a pretty active social life, to say the least. Anand can be seen all over the Austin entertainment scene as he serves as a member of Transmission Entertainment’s creative events and media relations team as an integral part of events such as Fun Fun Fun Fest. While writing a blog titled From The Mind of Adi on the Transmission site, he also conducts music reviews for Austinist and he’s starting his booking career with Austinist events Local Music is Sexy and Indieroke. A love for local music found him hosting an hour-long podcast featuring Austin musicians River Run Red on web station Break Thru Radio. Anand’s writing career began as a contributor to Austin-based national indie rock publication Soundcheck Magazine and various other now defunct music zines, providing a packed portfolio of band interviews and stacks of ticket stubs showcasing his past 15 years in Austin seeing memorable shows, and telling anyone willing to listen about new bands to watch.
He’s the namesake and founder of event series, From The Mind of Adi, which started as a blog in 2008, and became a Happy Hour fixture this past Spring, bringing together all things Austin in a bi-weekly residency at Mohawk and combining the sounds of three local bands, free food from various eateries, and art exhibits featuring local talent. The popularity of these events led to Anand continuing the series into the Fall with a change of venue to Club De Ville, and teaming up with various organizations, bloggers, businesses, restaurants, and musicians to create a once-a-month blend of all things interesting in Austin available to everyone from Red River regulars to those who find themselves spending more time dropping their kids off at daycare than going downtown.
Anand’s First Friday Frolic continues in the same vain of his Mohawk series in the sense that the event is a mash-up of local bands and food in a Happy Hour setting. Anand sought accessibility with this events series, and designed the concerts around the intention of allowing those with time consuming jobs or families to have the ability to enjoy live music without a hangover from a late night out. “First Friday Frolic is catered towards people who work till five, so that they can come straight downtown after work. They can get some snacks from a different eatery every month for free, and listen to up and coming bands. The event is always scheduled to end at 8 meaning you’ll be free after for a late dinner, or to go to a later show or go home. You’ll be able to be up early on Saturday, if you have a family, while still enjoying live music.”
“I know several people who have families that don’t always get to stay out late to enjoy a band – same goes for those with jobs in the service industry – but with First Friday Frolic, you can come before a shift starts, and still be at work by 9pm.” The first event had guests enjoying Austin Daily Press, and future evenings include delicious items from Frank, Maria Maria, and other Austin favorites.
Anand states, “I see going out Friday right after work as a Happy Hour tradition, and this event is just once a month — it creates community between local bands, bloggers, and music lovers. I want this event to serve as a networking mixer as well — although I hate to use that phrase — and each month will be a local entity’s night. For example, First Friday for September will be sponsored by music blog Double Stereo along with The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau. I want to use this event to give companies a change to use the show as a way for their employees to socialize.” Anand plans to team up with any interested companies allowing them to book the bands and have an active role in deciding the show in order to unite different types of businesses. The series enables companies to have a positive corporate culture by throwing a show and inviting all of their employees, friends, and customers.
“I’m always open to involving different blogs, or restaurants. There’s really no limit, I’m always open to ideas to work with more people of various backgrounds, and reaching out to businesses.” Anand seeks to give back to the creative community after having received so many opportunities for creative expression for the past 15 years. The meld of corporate and creative with First Friday Frolic represents Anand’s own path with finding methods of being creative while working a day job. “The eight to five job pays the bills, and by having a creative outlet involving music, I am able to focus on doing my job well during the day. I’ve been lucky in Austin to have many different means to fulfill a creative side, and having Transmission Entertainment behind me, certainly helped a lot and empowered me to start booking and planning events.” Anand is an unlikely promoter in a town full of people seeking entrance to the music business. For him, booking events is a break from the norm allowing him to meet other music lovers.
As for acts, each Friday will be completely different from the previous. “Miguel Angel (ulovei, who also documents the evenings with video and photography) will be the DJ for the first three, but we plan to invite other DJs as we want as much inclusion as possible. I want the people attending to gain something new. My hope is that eventually people will throw events who have never done events downtown before, that corporations can see this as an opportunity to build some culture within their own company, and that having work in the morning doesn’t mean skipping enjoying an evening out meeting new people.”
From The Mind of Adi presents First Friday Frolic: Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau and Double Stereo Night happens on September 3rd from 6 to 8pm featuring The Bus Stop Stallions and Hard Proof Afrobeat. RVSP here.
(Photo by Chad Wadsworth)
