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j.j. kotarski

@gearfab.bsky.social
337 followers 906 following 138 posts

WWW at St. Edward's in Austin -- former developer at The University of Texas at Austin and Southwestern University + a competent, freelance mobile audio engineer.

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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
It's nice of the Times to give Donald Fagen an honorable mention. I mean, he's no Lana Del Ray, but ... www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/a...
nytimes.com
11 Great American Songwriters Who Didn’t Make Our List
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
A warm memory of a time, a place, and a band that pushed Texas music in new directions. www.texasmonthly.com/culture/spoo...
texasmonthly.com
Thirty Years Ago, Spoon’s First Album Changed My Life
The Austin band’s debut album emerged from a late-nineties scene that called me home to Texas.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
With so much invested in a product, it is natural to want to protect it, even at the risk of sounding insane. consequence.net/2026/04/gees...
consequence.net
No, Geese Is Not a "Psy-Op"
I am calling for a ban on the terms "psy-op," "industry plant," and while we're at it, "Geese," until we can figure out what is wrong with music fans.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
The Zappa Estate just keeps knocking 'em out of the park. The Bongo Fury box is a treasure chest full of dusty, frantic, high-octane, desert blues. Wow!
A high-angle photo of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart sitting at a diner table against a white wall. To the left, Zappa has long dark hair and a mustache, wearing a floral shirt and white pants while holding an ice cream cone. To the right, Beefheart wears a large black hat, an orange shirt, and a striped scarf, holding a purple cup. Strong shadows are cast behind them. The floor is reddish-brown with scattered cigarette butts. This is the cover of the album Bongo Fury.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
I’ve been this wrong before, but not today.
A close-up of AJ Dybantsa with a focused, intense expression. Large white text overlays the bottom: "234 WINLESS BRACKETS LEFT AFTER TEXAS BEAT BYU (OUT OF 26.6 MILLION)."
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Waco just hasn’t been the same since they moved Baylor’s campus to Longview.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
This is where much of our state could be headed. www.texastribune.org/2026/03/08/t...
texastribune.org
Corpus Christi careens toward water catastrophe
City officials expect to reach a “water emergency” within months and run out of water next year. That would halt jet fuel deliveries to Texas airports, hike gas prices and trigger a local economic dis...
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
87° on February 19 is normal. I feel privileged to live in normal times.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
There are just no words to describe this. What are we doing? www.kut.org/education/20...
kut.org
UT System votes to limit 'controversial topics' in class, raising concerns about academic freedom
This is the latest move by the state to have more control over what is taught at public universities.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
This is welcome news. Now where's the Banana Blender Surprise reunion we also require?
houstonpress.com
The Return of Moses Guest - Houston Press
Moses Guest, still together years later, will be performing at Heights Theater this coming weekend.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Exceptional words over at @texasmonthly.bsky.social today. Worth a read, maybe especially for those of us who are not Aggies.
texasmonthly.com
What’s the Matter With Texas A&M?
Five presidents in five years. Firings of “woke” professors. Crackdowns on Plato. Inside state leaders’ efforts to remake a great university.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
LOL
nme.com
Spotify and the three main major record labels sue Anna's Archive for $13trillion for "brazen theft of millions of files containing nearly all of the world’s commercial sound recordings"
Spotify and three major record labels have sued Anna's Archive for $13trillion, alleging that the platform scraped 86million music files.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Daniel Johnston would've been sixty-five today.
youtube.com
Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You In The End (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Joyful Noise Recordings
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Man, that Bee Gees cover is so bad. But I’ll give them a pass because their “everybody’s got something to hide except me and my monkey“ was so good.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Fare thee well, Bobby. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l3G...
youtube.com
217. Has Success Spoiled The Grateful Dead
YouTube video by David Stollak
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Dude. Extra dry cider. Why do we even have this when we could liquefy cardboard and drink that instead?
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Sounds like 2026 to me.

A screenshot of a music streaming interface for the self-titled album "Purple Mountains" by Purple Mountains. On the left is the album cover, featuring a 3x3 grid of lo-fi photos including dogs, a sunset, a fireplace, and a cemetery. To the right, the album title and artist name are displayed in bold text, followed by genre, release year (2019), and a brief editorial description mentioning David Berman.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Could they make Dick Clark’s name smaller on this mic flag?
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Farewell, Joe Ely. What a legacy. www.statesman.com/entertainmen...
statesman.com
Texas music icon Joe Ely, who had a deep impact on Austin scene, dead at 78
Texas country music legend Joe Ely has passed away at 78. The singer announced his Parkinson's disease and Lewy Body Dementia diagnosis in September.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Darn. Those bass lines were the thing that made this band special. RIP.
manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Gary 'Mani' Mounfield of Stone Roses dead at 63 - latest tributes
The musician rose to fame with the Stone Roses in the 1980s
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
You can listen to Royal Trux on Apple Music, but not JFA. What gives? music.apple.com/us/song/map-... Music licensing is weird.
music.apple.com
Map of the City by Royal Trux on Apple Music
Song · 1995 · Duration 3:58
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Reposted by j.j. kotarski
Ray Padgett @raypadgett.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Surprise! The first Bob Dylan soundboards in 16 years. The Outlaw Tour has never sounded better. www.flaggingdown.com/p/the-outlaw...
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
Are you kidding me?
Houston Astros player Zach Cole is shown at bat wearing a navy helmet and gray jersey. The broadcast graphic notes he is the 5th player in MLB history to record 3 hits, 1 home run, and 4 RBIs in his debut. The scoreboard shows the Astros leading the Braves 11–1 in the 7th inning.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
Red, white, and FIRE
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Overscrolling is the dumbest default Photoshop setting. Who wants this?
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Just around the corner from my house. What fresh hell is this?
A semi-truck trailer displays the slogan “Nuclear You Can Trust™” in large, colorful text. To the left, the trailer bears the old Enron logo—infamously associated with corporate fraud. The juxtaposition creates a stark, ironic message, likely intended as satire.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Beautiful clip of Brian Wilson and George Martin discussing ‘God Only Knows’. I love Brian’s enthusiasm when he thinks George is making the song better. ‘I can’t believe this is happening!’ (via @doule_tom on the bird site)
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Don't ever let 'em tell you the 80s sucked. Lazy Saturday afternoon vibes from a hometown show, close to forty years ago. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwK-...
youtube.com
Grateful Dead - "Estimated Prophet/Eyes Of The World" (Frost Amphitheatre, 5/10/86)
YouTube video by John Philbin
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Revisiting this one on the release of its expanded edition. It's still shocking how out of his league Chris Robinson sounds while interpreting the Zeppelin catalogue. The band sounds great, as usual, but CR doesn't have the range or timbre to do these songs justice. A huge waste of time.
The image is the album cover for Live at the Greek by Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes. It features a black and white design with two black crows facing opposite directions, a star above them, and the word “Zoso” below. The ornate border surrounds the text and artwork, creating a vintage aesthetic.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
From ABB: If you can't make tonight's concert in memory of Dickey Betts in Macon, you can watch a free livestream on nugs.net!
nugs.net
Watch Livestream of In Memory of Dickey Betts on 02-28-2025
In Memory of Dickey Betts streaming on 02-28-2025 at Macon City Auditorium, Macon GA. Listen to live concerts at nugs.net or download our mobile music app nugs.net
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
techspot.com
Over 1,000 musicians release silent album to protest AI copyright changes
The album, called Is This What We Want?, features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces. Organizers say this represents the potential impact on artists' livelihoods, and...
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
In rural Texas, public schools are more than places of learning—they’re community hubs. They host football games, scout meetings, fitness classes, public forums. They unite small towns far beyond the classroom. Vouchers threaten this role, weakening the institutions that keep communities connected.
texasfootball.com
Tepper: School vouchers could do real harm to TXHSFB
How Texas’ proposed school voucher program could affect the Friday night lights that bring our communities together.
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Reposted by j.j. kotarski
Stereogum @stereogum.com · 09/02/2025
Jack White has a message for ticket buyers who feel entitled to extra long sets
stereogum.com
Jack White Has A Message For Ticket Buyers Who Feel Entitled To Extra Long Sets
Last year, after releasing his latest album No Name, Jack White told fans that he’d be announcing shows only days in advance. Then he went ahead and announced a proper tour with plenty of advance noti...
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Peter Brown probably doesn't get enough credit for brushing aside his close relationship with the Beatles to write a crude memoir that focused on sex, tension and conflict instead of carefully exploring every note of Strawberry Fields Take 26.
The image is a black-and-white photograph showing John Lennon lying on the floor in a recording studio with a microphone positioned near his mouth. He appears relaxed, with one arm resting on his chest. Around him, there are cables, teacups, and recording equipment. The caption humorously suggests that Lennon was “so stoned” that he recorded Abbey Road while lying down. The image has a vintage feel, likely taken during The Beatles’ Abbey Road sessions.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Feels like dark times are coming. Keep your loved ones close. And if the lights do go out, just remember that we don't need electricity to have hope and to share love.
youtube.com
Forever Young (Demo Version)
YouTube video by Bob Dylan - Topic
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Saturday morning soundtrack
The image shows a vinyl record album cover for Quah by Jorma Kaukonen. The cover features a black-and-white close-up portrait of Kaukonen, with his face centered and slightly shadowed. The album is part of the “Best Buy Series,” as indicated by a logo in the upper right corner. The RCA logo and catalog number “YL 13747 STEREO” are in the upper left corner. The artist’s name, “Jorma Kaukonen,” and album title, “Quah,” are printed in bold white letters in the lower right corner. The album is displayed among a collection of other records on a shelf.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Name a show with a more intense opener than this one. Don't bother. You can't. Funny how a band a little more than two years old—and with a couple of decades of its best performances in front of them—can pull this off. And then go on to play another ninety minutes after it.
youtube.com
Viola Lee Blues (Live at Shrine Exhibition Hall, Los Angeles, CA 11/10/67)
YouTube video by Grateful Dead - Topic
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Hey, Central Texas shoppers. How do you think I can tell there’s a 40% chance of less than 1 inch of snow three days from now?
The image shows a grocery store shelf partially stocked with toilet paper. The left side features packages of Charmin Ultra Strong and Ultra Soft, while the right side displays a variety of generic-brand toilet paper packages. Some shelves appear empty, suggesting limited stock in certain areas.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Another longtime Austin eatery is no more. Employees just informed this morning that the last remaining location of Trudy's is closing. It hasn't been good for years. But Mexican Martinis at their already-closed, near-campus location were a staple of my college diet.
trudys.com
Home - Trudy's
An Austin institution since 1977, Trudy’s has been serving authentic, scratch-made Tex-Mex recipes and inventive cocktails from day one.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
Tough bye week for Justin Herbert.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
Public voting in the 2024/2025 Austin Music Poll is open through January 20. Celebrate the movers and shakers who made 2024 another great year for the Live Music Capital of the World!
vote.austinchronicle.com
The 2024-2025 Austin Music Awards
The 2024-2025 Austin Music Awards
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Antone's turns 50, this year. From its 5th Street home to Lincoln Center, what's come before and what's in store in 2025 for the legendary Austin brand.
texasstandard.org
Legendary Austin blues venue Antone’s has big plans to mark 50th birthday
Shows, festivals, a boxset and more will showcase the music that made up the club's storied history.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Gold Rush Vinyl's founder and president, Caren Kelleher, and her business partner, Trey Watson, CEO of Armadillo Records, will assume control of Waterloo Records, this Spring. Owner John Kunz is passing the torch after more than four decades at the helm.
chron.com
Iconic Texas record store is moving, changing ownership
Waterloo Records & Video, a fixture of Austin's music scene, announced it will have a new home in 2025.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Just located my old “flinger” in a box of assorted junk. This is the type of strange and disturbing object that helped #ToyJoy keep Austin weird, once upon a time.
The image shows a sculptural object resembling a cluster of realistic human fingers extending outward from a central point. The surface texture appears rough and slightly uneven, mimicking the natural details of skin. The fingers have defined nails and creases, giving them a lifelike appearance. The object is set on a light-colored countertop with a hexagonal tiled backsplash in the background, and part of a painted canvas is visible to the side.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
“Austin is famous for this exact situation. All these condos and hotels build directly in front of existing venues, and then start calling in noise complaints and trying to shut them down"
rollingstone.com
For Independent Venues, Noise Complaints Can Be a Killer. Can Cities Help?
As noise complaints threaten venues' survival, a group of artists turned policy nerds are fighting for their right to get loud
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
The City of Austin is reworking a grant program that provides millions of dollars in public assistance to struggling musicians after a chorus of concern from artists earlier this year. The city aims to raise the overall funding to $4.8 million.
kut.org
Austin establishes separate fund for emerging musicians in response to criticisms
More than a thousand people applied to Austin's Live Music Fund grant program in 2024. More than $4.5 million was doled out to nearly 140 recipients. But many longtime artists were denied assistance.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
A four hour CFP selection show? Ugh.
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j.j. kotarski @gearfab.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
My early Christmas wish is that someday we get the Uncle Tupelo reunion and tour that we all deserve. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3W...
youtube.com
Uncle Tupelo Live On Conan "The Long Cut"
YouTube video by csiel
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