I had an absolute BLAST in Texas last weekend.

No, this wasn’t SXSW. Why would I go to Austin when Texas Furry Fiesta wanted to put me on their main stage, treat me like a rock star, and surround me with adorable fluffy things for three days?

As I type, I can still feel the one-two punch of post-con exhaustion and Daylight Saving Time crushing my soul. And yet, I need to share just how much fun this convention really is. Like most conventions, it’s not really about the theme or the location or even the programming (which I was a part of), it’s all about the people.

And the people at TFF are always amazing. Much like SXSW, I always end up surrounded by musicians and DJ’s whose talents reach intimidating levels. One of my favorite events is Bandthro, where seven or more of us from all over the world gather on one stage to play each other’s songs with little or no rehearsal beforehand. That kind of setup should be a total mess, but everyone’s ability to improvise and adapt in real time makes Bandthro one of the best jam sessions I’ve ever been a part of. I don’t dare start naming everyone I got to mash musical minds with ’cause this post would never end, but I hope to see them all again next year.

Oh yeah, I’ll have some audio from that concert to share with you soon.

To see the photos I got from the weekend, check out my Flickr page at https://flic.kr/s/aHskw4Pw9v

As far as conventions go, TFF is the best-run event I’ve been to yet. I’m sure something probably went wrong somewhere (other than Pepper Coyote nearly dying from peanut poisoning), but you’d never know. Our liaison, Chance, and his army of volunteers called the Badger Brigade kept us from losing our sanity. As always, Oddy and Ratchet and the entire A/V crew made us look and sound better than we really were. Even the hotel itself contributed with its convenient layout, putting the main stage and dealer room right in the middle of the action. Granted, the hotel bar/restaurant sucked like a nuclear-powered shop vac, but that’s really my only gripe.

You’d think after all the cons I’ve been to and all the shows I’ve played, I’d be a jaded old bastard just going through the motions by now, but Furry Fiesta really lives up to its name: A three-day party with some of the most imaginative people on planet Earth. I can’t wait for next year!