The fifth annual Paper Tiger hosted Burger Hangover fest is guaranteed to leave us all in its fuzzed-out Lone Star soaked wake. That’s because this time around, the festival’s organizers Nick Ivarra and Osita Anusi Jr. promise in Ivarra’s words a “bigger, badder” experience than in years prior. This is almost impossible to fathom because the success of previous Burger Hangover Fests set the bar incredibly high. Together, the pair has brought acts like Hinds, Shannon and the Clams, Thee Oh Sees, Jeff the Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet, Together Pangea, Audacity, Meatbodies, Bully, Bleached, All Dogs and feels like it’s their raison d’être to inflict citywide whiplash. But for all the warranted skepticism about how exactly it could get any bigger and any badder, the two have really outdone themselves this year, because they’ve managed to book the 1970s legendary proto-punk band Television to top the bill. Most known for the barely disputable genesis of punk album “Marquee Moon,” the band is seminal only playing one Texas date: Burger Hangover fest.
This isn’t to outshine the rest of the unassailable Burger Records stocked lineup of 40+ bands on offer that day. Desert Rock psych-band Temples; wallflower angst band Cherry Glazer; shreddy, howl at the moon band Night Beats; and the melancholy skate pair Surf Curse are all among the talent.
In Ivarra’s mind, this festival is for everybody. Don’t wanna deal with the week-long dog-pile in Austin, but still want fun? Come to Burger Hangover. Wanna witness a bit of rock history in person? Come to Burger Hangover and see Television. Wanna meet local vendors of vinyl and food? Hangover fest. “I want it to be San Antonio’s partial answer to SXSW in Austin,” Ivarra said, “and I want it to be locals. Local venues, local vendors, local breweries, local scene, local people.”
This has been Ivarra’s guiding philosophy since the festival’s more humble, scaled back beginnings at the old 1011 (now Ventura on Ave B) five years ago. The marriage with Burger Records, a California based rock, psych, garage, pop label, was a natural one. Ivarra drums in the local pop-rock band the Rich Hands, and they’ve been in Burger’s close orbit since the labels early days. “I was always playing with these bands when they’d come through individually and up in Austin when the label would throw showcases, and I got the idea to bring it here, they were DIY and up for anything.” The ripple effect of the event has helped burgeon local music, too. Fuzzland Productions, the booking vehicle that Ivarra and Anusi use for all the heavy lifting of coordinating shows behind the scenes came about as a natural offshoot of the labor of booking Hangover Fest.
The pair brings out Burger affiliated bands all year, and Hangover Fest is the crown jewel of this activity. “It’s not always easy, it can be expensive (for Osita and I), but it’s fun and it’s worth it.”
Hangover Fest is one big party. This year, expect four stages indoors and outdoors and music from noon to two a.m. Last year, 1,000 plus people were hanging out. Beer was thrown, taco plates were dropped; memories made and memories totally obliterated.
Ivarra’s instructions are simple: Come out.
Hangover Fest is March 19. General Admission all day tickets are $40, and VIP all day tickets are $69.
You can follow the event page “Fuzzland Presents: Burger Hangover Fest” on Facebook for promotional information and ticket giveaways.
