What's not to love about Eugene Mirman? This is the third time he's done Pick Three for me and every year he's one of my faves. Funnily, it's been a reciprocal sort of relationship as last year we helped him sort out a hotel dispute because of a story he told for his post.

Mirman recently took a 35-hour train ride with his girlfriend from Los Angeles to Seattle. On the train they attended a $5 wine tasting. Ahh! He has a girlfriend... I have some ladypals who are going to be muy sad.

Eugene won honorable mention in a Massachusetts video contest in 1991 for a music video he made for The Who song "The Seeker."

To make some point about comedy and surprise his first year of college, he jumped on a teacher's desk during the presentation of his final project in the school of Humanities and Arts (there were only three people in the room). He doesn't think it helped, but he did pass.

Currently he's working on a cartoon with his friend Larry Murphy called The Whoopsie Daisy Time Travel Boys.

I highly recommend you catch him at Esther's Follies on Friday, the 19th at 10.10 pm. I'm totally going to try to sneak in. But you, ah, should not try that method. Look for me getting thrown out on the street.

Here's Mr. Mirman's...

Pick Three
Big Star: I've never seen them before and am very excited to see them. I forget what else I'm supposed to say about the bands I pick, but I'll add that this band was influenced by both the Beatles and Todd Rundgren (assuming they are telling the truth on their MySpace page).

Bear in Heaven: This band sure can cook. What do they put in their electro-psychedelic soup-pot? Synth, guitars, weird sounds, beards, kick-ass drums, and sea bass. I'm very excited to see them. Also, Jon Philpot is the best.

Pete Holmes: Pete Holmes is very funny. You might know him from VH1, but forget about that. He's fantastic and he makes me laugh every time I see him. Did you know he's done several cartoons for the New Yorker? It's true. I'm looking forward to his set at SXSW.

I know I am supposed to only pick three, but would it be okay if I added that I'm looking forward to seeing the Duchess and the Duke, Chelsea Peretti and Kyle Kinane, as well? If not, I hope you don't read it.

Thanks for stopping by. I've finally made my way down to ACC and it's not so bad. Everyone seems very well behaved and polite. Wonder how long that will last. Ten days, I hope. If you want to read more Pick Threes, you certainly may, they're all collected at this handy place.

We are on the Twitter, of course. Please follow along @sxsw and @mspark. You can also email star fruit surf riders to musicblog@sxsw.com.

I want to go for a ride on a tauntaun... or hide inside one... not sure which, lp

Photo by Brian Tamborello