So to get the straight story I asked the artists themselves to record their thoughts and send them back to me in Chicago to post on Songs:Illinois and Swedesplease. I'm thrilled with all the bands that said they'd participate, even accounting for some flakeage, it's a great lineup. Check back several times a day all week long for the best SXSW coverage. I'll try to post everything I get to Songs:Illinois, as well as putting all the Swedish performer's thoughts up on Swedesplease (where today we have the first ever guest post).
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The first one to submit something is Austinite Danny Schmidt with his eloquent pre-festival thoughts and advice for all the bands converging on his hometown. Danny's the consumate traveling troubodour. I wrote about his 2005 album, Parables and Primes, here. These two songs still reverberate around my head giving me pause. Danny's SXSW info is as follows:
3/16 Fri Austin, TX SXSW Official Showcase - 11pm Creekside EMC at Hilton Garden Inn
3/17 Sat Austin, TX Afternoon Concert Extravaganza! Details email - houseconcert@dannyschmidt.com. Confirmed performers: Me, David Olney, AJ Roach, Nels Andrews, Noelle Hampton.
Beggars and Mules
This Too Shall Pass
---------------------------------
"Maybe it's too early to start posting SXSW impressions since, after all, the music conference hasn't even started yet. But unofficially, it started for me last night.
The film & media conference precedes the music conference, and started last week. And last night, when I was driving to Polvo's for dinner with my buddy, and we had to screech to a stop, mid-traffic, to let four hipsters cross the road against the light -- and my buddy hollered out the window to get their fucking badges out of the road. That moment, to me, is the unofficial beginning of the SXSW music conference every year . . . when a local yells, in frustration, at an out-of-town guest for the first time.
And it brought back a flood of previous SXSW impressions for me. And I thought I'd share a few of them, cause once things get in full swing, I won't have much time to sit at my computer.
And I have a different perspective, perhaps, than a lot of conference-goers, cause I'm actually from Austin. Born and raised, and fairly rare.
When you're from Austin, SXSW is less a yearly pilgrimage to Mecca than it is a yearly invasion of the body snatchers. It started for me, as a teenager, as this wonderful celebration of an embarrassingly rich local music scene that lacked national industry infrastructure, and so every year we invited the infrastructure to come to town and see what we've been raving about. It really did feel like a celebration for a couple years, before falling victim to its own success, and everyone from every corner of the world wanted a piece of the action.
That's when SXSW began to feel like a betrayal. It wasn't about Austin music anymore. Local artists were no longer featured, really. And Austin music lovers -- like me -- couldn't even get into our favorite clubs to see our favorite bands kick all the New Yorker's asses. Even when we shelled out for a wristband.
A couple years of that -- and a couple years of bitter sentiments -- and then I came to terms with the fact that this, indeed, had become an industry conference, and no longer a celebration of my favorite music and local pride. And then I never attended again for about ten years. Not pissed anymore -- just not interested. I think that's a pretty common sentiment among Austinites here.
Two years ago, I started attending the conference again, as a musician and a participant, now, instead of as a fan. And my impressions are obviously different, as someone involved in the industry, now.
Tomorrow, I'll be picking up my first out-of-town friend at the airport, and begin the process of turning my house into a campground for wayward folksingers.
The airport itself can give you a pretty poignant and heartbreaking first impression of the conference. Just in the span of idling through in your car at 5mph, looking for your friend outside of baggage . . . starting the Monday or Tuesday before the conference . . . as you enter the covered drive, you'll pass four guys from Lincoln, NE -- two will be sitting on their flight crates, one will be opening the guitar cases and making sure nothing got destroyed by Delta Airlines, and one will be pacing at the curb, antsily, looking up the drive for a glimpse of their friend's van.
They'll all be smoking. They'll all be impeccably tattered with ironic truckstop tshirts. And they'll all be touting the free-est looking expensive porcupine haircuts that money can buy. They'll be presenting to the world the most ridiculously rockstarringest rockstars in Lincoln, NE. Which they are. Good for them.
The heartbreaking part is this. . .
In the span of my first drive-through at baggage, I'll see ten more little piles of the rockstarringest rockstars you've ever seen in your life -- from Little Rock and Fort Collins and St Cloud and Savannah and other small ponds. And you really can honestly see the glitz drain from their faces, as they look around at all the other groups, just like them -- each dressed to separate themselves from their non-rockstar community back at home.
And it reminds me of my freshman year of college, when I took astronomy, and had my first few moments of realization that the Earth is one planet in a solar system around one star, in a galaxy of a billion stars, among billions of galaxies of billions of stars -- and not only was the universe unfathomably huge, but that I was unimaginably inconsequential.
And wait til these guys get down to Sixth St. They'll be thousands more of themselves walking around demoralized, like the whole town was one big funnyhouse of mirrors.
And from this, I have maybe my only single piece of advice and insight for first time conference attendees . . .
You will not differentiate yourself from all the other artists or bands. You will not get noticed or discovered. Your stardom will not ignite here. But what can happen is this . . .
You can make some good friends, develop some meaningful relationships, and build some valuable allies here in Austin at SXSW . . . because the whole town will be filled with people just like you -- artists who are so committed to their art that they're willing to shuffle around, demoralized, begging to be heard. And everyone of them, like you, is truly a genuine rock star back in the corner of the world that has had the time to listen to them more thoroughly and lovingly. Just like you. And from your time together, sipping margaritas over sunken hearts, you will make a friend, who will become a comrade, who will become a collaborator and a contact, and eventually a shared gig for you in Lincoln, NE -- and a shared gig in your home town for them. And their fans will love you, and your fans will love them. And Geffen can kiss all our asses.
And, honestly, that's not a fuck you to SXSW. That's SXSW doing it's job beautifully. It's just not the job most first-timers come in expecting. So do yourself a favor, and expect very little from the industry, but enjoy yourself and your company and the beautiful laid back town of Austin, TX with it's bazillion clubs and restaurants, and parks and walking trails, and the immersion amongst thousands of your real peers."
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(Editor's note: I just wrote about Matt The Electrician's upcoming album here. He's agreed to give us a little more of the local perspective from someone who's called Austin home for the past 11 years. Matt's got a slew of shows in Austin over the next couple of days including one that features Butch Hancock, Jimmy LaFave and Troy Campbell at Opal Divines). Here's "Happy Ending" from the new record One Thing Right. Oh and that's a picture of Matt's family right before the start of SXSW.)
Happy Ending
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Monday March 12th, Day One, or Something Ethically Ambiguous This Way Comes.
Although a storm of mythical proportions blew and thundered through Sunday night, Monday arrived with an almost eerie calm…..a calm before the storm?...after the storm?...where exactly does the storm reside?.....might it exist within us?...and if so, might it also just be some sort of heartburn?......all I know, is that I’m terrified, and I’m not entirely sure why.
This is how every SXSW begins for me, and every year I swear that I will learn to master my emotions, but to no avail…..it’s as though I’m back in junior high school…..is it realistic to think that some low level a&r rep from some indie label is going to beat me up on the way to my locker?....and if so, will I be able to remember my combination in time?
Every Monday night I play at The Saxon Pub in Austin, my adopted home town of 11 years, and last night was no exception….the show was sold out, as it is every Monday, not as much due to our presence, but rather the fact that we open for the Elvis of Austin, Bob Schneider…..we had one of the best shows that I think we’ve ever had, and I left the club feeling high and unstoppable….and yet, this unsettling feeling stays with me, as though something is coming….something that is bigger than you or i…..something
that may save us, if it does not destroy us first….i hope that I have
enough coffee in the house…
I love you all,
matt
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Dana Falconberry has been somewhat of a revalation to the jaded members of the press establishment. Bloggers (me included) have been gushing about her debut ep, Paper Sailboat. Luckily one of the bloggers that has befriended Dana is Chris from Gorilla Vs. Bear, as a result she'll be playing the Hot Freaks! blowout that he is co-sponsering. Here's "Sadie" from Paper Sailboat as well as Dana's upcoming schedule. She's also got a midwest tour scheduled, find those dates on her Myspace. Buy Paper Sailboat here.
Sadie
wednesday afternoon - live set on Morning Becomes Eclectic (www.kcrw.com)
wednesday - 3pm - Epoch Coffee (221 W. North Loop)
thursday - 3pm - Gorilla vs. Bear dayshow @ The Peacock (515 Pedernales)
friday - 8pm - official sxsw show @ The Hilton
Here's her first entry in my Postcards From SXSW series:
"hey all-
just got back from the austin convention center, which for the next few days is home to sxsw registration. it's a zoo already, and it's early. as a musician at sxsw, you stand in multiple lines, you are adorned with a badge with your name on it, you are cuffed with a bright orange wristband, and then you are handed an overflowing oversized bag of "goodies". i don't think this bag ever gets enough attention, so i thought i'd point out some of its highlights. among the plethora of music magazines (performing songwriter, paste, blender, etc...) and sxsw special newspaper issues, there is:
- Nicogel (Cigarette Alternative) - "Cigarette Satisfaction in a Hand Gel, when you can't smoke, rub Nicogel on your hands."
- an Ani Difranco cd
- the infamous "sxsw hangover survival kit", including one bandaid, one packet of "java juice" (coffee extract in a little pouch), one packet of mouthwash, and some aspirin
- two blank pieces of white cardstock
- an "i heart ascap" sticker
- two condoms (last year we only got one)
and, last but not least,
- a voodoo doll stuck with a rubber band to a sxsw cd sampler. classy.
now that's a goody bag.
the madness begins tomorrow, i'll keep you all posted"
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When I asked my favorite bands to correspond from SXSW I hadn't expected an audio entry, but that's just what I got from The Theater Fire (wrote about them here) The band has sent their initial impressions along with a cover of Magnetic Fields "Yeah Oh Yeah" recorded live last night on KVRX.
Audio Postcard
Yeah Oh Yeah
Fiddleback Weaver (can't resist posting this song again!) from Everybody Has A Dark Side available on Undeniable Records
SXSW dates:
Mar 14 2007 11:00P Room 710 Austin, Texas
Mar 15 2007 4:00P Waterloo Ice House Austin, Texas
Mar 16 2007 8:00P Cafe Mundi Austin, Texas
Mar 17 2007 1:00P Bella Blue Austin, Texas
Mar 17 2007 3:00P Asthmatic Kitty Party @ Okay Mountain Gallery Austin, Texas
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(photo of AnaEgge playing Guero's Taco Bar)
Tuesday, I hid in the bushes and counted cars…..i do not get paid for it, but I hope someday to impress someone in the car-counting industry with my initiative, and perhaps sign some sort of deal, or arrangement…..it is my impression that people from all over the world started showing up in Austin today….i couldn’t swear to it, as I was at my house most of the day, but it was more of a feeling…..i sensed it….and as it felt like many people, I experienced a removed sense of claustrophobia, and decided that it was best to stay inside under the covers all day.
Wednesday I started the day at Guero’s Taco Bar, where my booking agent Laura Thomas was having her annual booking roster party/benefit for the local soup kitchen…..Laura is awesome….half booking agent-half social worker, she is what is right about this town and the music industry….the show was fun and well-attended, if a little damp out, and there were many Europeans about…also, I feel certain that I saw Rick Rubin, although the gigantic beard is all the rage this year, so maybe not……
I ended the night at yet another of my weekly Austin residencies, Café Mundi with my 5 year friend Southpaw Jones…..the show was completely packed, with many locals, and a healthy infusion of out-of-towners to boot (please do not misunderstand, I would not kick out-of-towners, it is merely a local saying)…..and once again, it left me feeling elated, but then also strangely sad, as I made my way home, certain that I was missing out on something….this seems to be the general feeling that I always get from SXSW, that even as I’m doing something productive and/or fun, I still feel as though I’m out of the loop somehow.
Grandma - Southpaw Jones
My family and I have started a new dinnertime tradition to fill the gaping lack of organized religion in our lives, called high point/low point….we go around the table and discuss the positives and negatives of our day, and although I missed dinner with my family yesterday, I would have to say that my high point was my 2 year old son coming up to me after my afternoon show, hugging me and saying,”thanks for playing songs, dad”, followed by my 6 year old daughter showing me the new space in her mouth where her second loose tooth used to be….after that, the low points just don’t seem so low.
So, I’m off now to play a set at the soup kitchen as part of South By Soup Fest, something my booking agent puts together every year….in years past I have played alongside Billy Bragg, Michelle Shocked, and today Brett Dennen is playing after me....i’ll let you know how it all goes……I think things are looking up….
Darlin' Do Not Fear - Brett Dennen
Tentatively yours,
matt
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More great work from the band The Theater Fire. Here's their first-hand account of SXSW sets by Donovan, Peter and the Wolf, The Castanets, and Tiny Vipers.
Our first full day at the festival and we saw some great shows. The highlight of the day was Donovan's solo acoustic set at the Central Presbyterian Church. Still spry and ever the showman, he had the crowd clapping and singing along to such classics as "Season of The Witch", "Hurdy Gurdy Man", "Yellow is The Color", and during "Mellow Yellow" he would shout out "What's My Name!" to cue the whole church to sing along with the chorus and the trumpet solo.
Peter and the Wolf and The Castanets put on good sets during the afternoon at the Austin Convention Center. The Castanets had one member who made mouth noises through a set of headphones and somehow mixed them with 2 cassette decks to create some very spacey, but still organic textures. Red Hunter of Peter and the Wolf played what he called a "stripped down set" with 7 band members, but promised a full 12 person lineup at his showcase later in the week.
All That I Know - Castanets
I caught a new act called Tiny Vipers at Emo's IV. It was a two person acoustic set that battled with the loud and obnoxious crowd, but they kept their composure and spun put some dark and beautiful songs. Their sound was slightly reminiscient of Bosque Brown, Cat Power, Smog, or Julee Cruise. I believe they've got a CD due out on Sub Pop sometime soon.
Shipwreck - Tiny Vipers
Music from The Theater Fire:
These Tears Could Rust A Train
Upcoming Theater Fire shows in Austin
Mar 16 2007 8:00P Cafe Mundi Austin, Texas
Mar 17 2007 1:00P Bella Blue Austin, Texas
Mar 17 2007 3:00P Asthmatic Kitty Party @ Okay Mountain Gallery Austin, Texas
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Here's a great summary (with photos, yeah!) by Dana Falconberry of some of the best music at SXSW yesterday. Dana's official showcase is tonight (Friday) at the Hilton Garden Inn around 8pm.
"well, sxsw is officially in full swing, which means i've had about zero time in front of my computer until now. here's what i've been doing:
(Photo of Dana at Tequila Mockingbird studios)
yesterday i started out the day at Tequila Mockingbird studios with KCRW (from LA), doing a live 30 minute slot for Morning Becomes Eclectic. it was great. they are super nice, and that studio is awesome.
headed from there to a dayshow at Epoch cofee, where i caught the tail end of Gina Dvorak's set. she's awesome. she's been singing some back-up with me lately, but her solo stuff really showcases her beautiful voice perfectly. she's got some new stuff coming out soon, i think, so keep an eye out.
i, too, was one of the church-goers and caught Donovan's set. wow, that vibrato could kill you, i think. the Central Presbyterian Church has to be my favorite venue, and it was great to see Donovan in such an intimate space.
later i headed to the Peacock to sing with Peter and the Wolf. Tenlons Fort played, and his voice captured me. he's from Austin, and he should have a new cd coming out very soon. watch out for the song "Come Back To Me"...those oooo's at the end will hook you.
Strange Machines - Whiskey and Apples
(photo of Ola Podrida by Dana)
i spent all of today at Gorilla vs. Booze, since i was involved in putting it together. it was amazing. Black Fiction from San Francisco was great, they opened the show with complex arrangements and a huge amount of energy. Ola Podrida was next...these guys are incredible. i could have watched them play for hours. their harmonies are subtle and perfect, and their dynamic range is so refreshing. they're like a pillow at times and a trampoline at others. they have a new cd coming out in april, i think. check out the song, "Jordanna".
I Spread The Disease - Black Fiction
Instead - Ola Podrida
(Photo of Alela Diane by Dana)
next up was Alela Diane, who brought up her father to play mandolin. her set was beautiful. her voice is amazing and i was immediately struck by how very important and pure her songs are. i know her sxsw schedule is packed this year, and that makes me hopeful that we'll hear a lot more from her in the future. i played next and had a great time, the audience at the Peacock was so attentive and nice!
The Rifle - Alela Diane
Sadie - Dana Falconberry
(Editor's note: Dana's just being shy above, I'm sure she had them weeping in their hats. Buy her ep Paper Sailboats here)
i have to admit that i hadn't heard much from the next band, Dirty Projectors, before i saw them today. they blew me away. their songs are so carefully constructed and i got the idea that they must rehearse constantly, because they pull it off effortlessly. the two female vocalists were dead-on, using their voices more as instruments than anything. they sounded like a whole horn section at times. the whole band put on a great live show with plenty of twists and turns and suprises. i felt like i had been run over by a truck after watching their set...i highly recommend it.
Fucked For Life - Dirty Projectors
Peter and the Wolf was next, and i sang with them. we had the whole choir this time; it was a lot of fun. the next band, The Dodos (Dodo Bird), has been one of my new favorite bands since i played a show with them in San Francisco this winter. they are wonderful. the band is Meric Long on guitar and vocals and Logan Kroeber on drums. i don't know if i've ever seen a band perform live that puts that much energy into their set. i have their album, Beware of the Maniac, and the energy comes through in the studio, as well. check them out.
The Ball - The Dodos (Dodo Bird)
WS Burn was next, an Austin duo comprised of vocals, electric guitar, and windchimes. their music is nothing but beautiful. somewhat atonal at times, it's like the whole thing takes place in a different universe and you're lucky enough to look through a window at it.
Peek A Boo - WS Burn
alright, back into the jungle i go...more soon..."
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The Theater Fire checked out Hylozoists and Lambchop (with strings).
"Howdy Craig,
Thursday we got a late start and we played at Waterloo Ice House at 4PM so I didn't catch any day shows. After we got the equipment squared away we hooked it on over to the Habana Calle 6 Annex to catch Lampchop. We got there an hour before their set thinking that their would already be a line and, to our surprise, we waltzed right into a whopping crowd of about 10 people (counting ourselves). I had to ask to make sure we we're at the right place. The stage was loaded with what I thought was Lambchop's equipment; Piano, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, 2 drum sets, bass, guitar, a 3 piece string section and a trumpet. Shortly after we arrived, all ten of them took the stage and began to play a very very lush, James Bond-esque instrumental piece. It sounded like it could be Lambchop without the pedal steel and the twang.
They then anounced themselves as the Hylozoists from Canada and played through a terrific set of instrumentals that were somewhat progressive in style, but always kept an indie-pop rhythm and composition. Like if Stereolab played Bacharach. Absolutley every instrument was audible which is as much a tribute to the band's arrangements as well as to the venue's sound guy.
Smiley Smiley - Hylozoists
Lambchop took the stage afterwards. It was just Kurt Wagner and an electric gutarist accompanied by the Tosca string quartet from Austin. Our bass player, Mark Castaneda, talked to Kurt before the show to give him a copy of our new 4 song promo (did we send those to you?). (NO!)
Kurt told him that this was his first show in Texas, because they spent alot of time in Europe, and he wasn't sure how well he would do here. They played an amazing set. Honestly, I was a little disappointed, that it wasn't the entire band, but as soon as he broke into the first song, I realized that this was almost like hearing a new Lamchop CD for the first time. He did incedible versions of 5 of his songs (unfortunately I don't know any of the titles, cause I always listen to the entire record) accompanied by some very textural guitar and strings that waxed and waned between beautiful tearjerker melodies and cacophonous (the good kind) experimentation.
The One - Tosca String Quartet + Lambchop
Kurt himself was much more emotive and animated that I would have thought. His face showed every bit of what he was singing. There was definitely somewhat of a preacher in his delivery, but his manner when talking to the crowd was modest and thankful. Standing at the front and completely mesmerized by the show, I hadn't even noticed the venue had filled to capacity behind me. At one point during a short silence btween songs Kurt said to the audience "I'm just gonna soak this in for a minute because it's been along time coming". So I hope Kurt now knows that Texas loves him and we want him to come back often.
That was pretty much it for the evening. What else could follow that?
Until tomorrow,
Don
Theater Fire video for Razor's Gone"
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Eilen Jewell's joined in on the fun with this report from SXSW. For a very short time Eilen Jewell (here) was one of the best unsigned acts in the country. Then the great New England folk label Signature Sounds decided to pick up distribuion of her self released disc, then they wised up and signed her to a full fledged contract. Her new record, Letters From Sinners and Strangers, is due out in June.
Here's a great video of the band. And here's her song "Back To Dallas":
Back To Dallas
"We played last night to a nicely packed and air-conditioned room. It was a nice alternative for folks to have a place with cushioned seats and a relaxed scene...
Yesterday we played John Conquest's 3rd Coast Music party at Opal Divine's Penn Field South Austin. There were a lot of nice DJs and fans of John's FAR (Freeform Americana Report) chart. We caught some of Jessie Lee Miller's set (her band was wonderful and she looked and sounded great) before heading back downtown to get lost in the sights and sounds of 6th.
We were fortunate enough to share our showcase with Kris Delmhorst and Chris Smither, fellow Signature Sounds label mates. Their sets were superb.
Light Of The Light - Kris Delmhorst
Origin Of The Species - Chris Smither
Oh by the way , our new record, Letters from Sinners and Strangers, will be out on Signature in late June...
Last night we caught the amazing sounds of Los Straightjackets at the Continental Club. Big Sandy got up and sang bunch of classics in Spanish of course. Nice show...
All Day And All Night - Los Straightjackets
State Of Misery - Big Sandy and his fly-rite Boys
You can catch us today at the Signature Sounds / Red House party @ Mother Egan's here in Austin at 1:35.
Gotta say that so far, Austin sound guys really have their shit together. Its been sounding great on and off stage...
See you out there!"
Jason
Drummer for Eilen Jewell
www.eilenjewell.com
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The Theater Fire's back with a recap of yesterday's shows. What I'm struck with on this post and most of the correspondence from the bands from SXSW is their tremendous enthusiasm for the music and for their fellow musicians. Catch the last two performances by Theater Fire today at 1pm and 3pm at Bella Blue and Okay Mountain Gallery respectively. Here's a little clip of what to expect from The Theater Fire:
"Howdy Craig,
We've got to load-in at 12PM on Saturday so I figured I should send this out tonight.
I only caught one show on Friday. It was Beirut at the ACL Studio on the UT campus. This is, acoustically, the best place to see anybody, especially this band. The sound was impeccable and there wasn't a bad seat in the house. It captured all the nuances of the many eclectic and
acoutic instruments that were swapped around by the 8 members. The lead singer, in a new classic folk-punk gesture, emptied the spit valve of his horn on the people crowded near stage front. They loved every drop. Beirut played "Elephant Gun", "Carousels" and included a
western/klezmer/folk version of the classic "Brazil". The crowd response was great. Even the bat flying around the studio rafters seemed to have a good time.
Elephant Gun - Beirut
We played in east Austin at 9PM at Cafe Mundi. Immediately after the show we threw the equipment in the van and rushed to the west end of Downtown to a chic restarant/bar called Lamberts. Chad VanGaalen was scheduled to play at 11PM, but a friendly stranger informed me that he had been detained while crossing from Canada to the US, so he went back home in
frustration. Rumor is that he doesn't like travelling to the States, so this was especially disappointing. I guess we'll just have to get up to Calgary to see him.
Mimi TV's - Chad VanGaalen
One more day left. We've got 2 shows to play: 1PM at Bella Blue, next door to End of An Ear (the best indie record shop in Austin) and then we rush over to the Okay Mountain Gallery to play The Asthmatic Kitty and friends day party at 3PM with The Weird Weeds, Peter And The Wolf, The Castanets, and others. After that, my main objective is to get to Antone's early enough to get in and see Charles Wright and The Watts 103rd Street Band. This may be the only chance in my life that I'll ever get to see them and it would certainly be the best way to wrap up SXSW 07.
One-Eyed Cloud - The Weird Weeds
(Except maybe seeing The Stooges later that night, but I suspect there's
little chance of getting anywhere near Stubb's for that show.)"
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Matt The Electrician continues to see each and every band I would have searched out. Bastard! Matt's new record, One Thing Right, is out now. You can buy it here.
Thursday March 15th, Day Something!
(Brett Dennen at Soup Kitchen)
"When I last left you, I was running out the door to play at the soup kitchen, and indeed I did play there as planned…..i split my 4 song set with AJ Roach, one of my booking roster mates from Oakland, CA….AJ was going on a couple of hours sleep, but managed to belt out his brand of Virginia mountain music beautifully….. Jo Mango from Scotland played next….her set was very pretty, and she even did a song on the kalimba….score on for Jo Mango……then Brett Dennen got up with his trio, and he tore that place down…he had much of the lunchtime audience clapping and singing along, which you don’t see too much at the soup kitchen, and
after his set I was waiting outside for a friend, and a man that had been eating lunch inside came walking down the street, singing one of Brett’s songs at the top of his lungs…..i told Brett that I thought that meant he had really made it, and he agreed…….
Hazel Blue - AJ Roach
My Lung - Jo Mango
Darlin Do Not Fear - Brett Dennen
I then ventured into the belly of the beast, 6th St., to try and check out some day parties….i tried to check out some day parties, tried being the operative word….seems my information about who was playing where and when, was in fact erroneous….and after three failed attempts, I headed home for some recharging……
As night fell on the city of Austin, I made my way to Momo’s, one of my favorite clubs for live music…..i saw Anais Mitchell……she was intense and amazing….only the second time I had seen her, and she gets better each time…..then former Austinite, and friend Ana Egge played with her trio, Tony Sherrer on guitar and Jason Mercer on bass…..Ana has never sounded better, and I’ve seen her hundreds of times….then, I smoked outside and talked to friends for awhile, one of my favorite parts of SXSW…seeing folks that you only get to see once a year….and smoking with them….it was spiritual to say the least….so, back to the music…..The Winterpills played next, and they were super awesome….i bought their new CD, and it too, is awesome…..then, to close out the night for me, Sean Hayes from San Francisco put on one of the most intensely life-altering sets of music I have ever been witness to….the bass drum and bass guitar were heavy, thick, and worked their way into my gut…. his guitar jangled somewhere in the middle like a 75 Dodge Dart trying to go uphill…..and floating above
it all, like some creepy undead angel, his voice and his bass player’s harmony intertwined to form the shape of twin blonde 7 year olds from the village of the damned……I liked Sean Hayes a lot….and, I bought his CD too, and it is awesome…..
Your Fonder Heart - Anais Mitchell
Straight To My Head - Ana Egge
Broken Arm - Winterpills
Same God - Sean Hayes
Many musicians come from all over the world to this festival every year, and for the most part, they play for free while they’re here…..no one makes them do it, although it is understood that SXSW is a good thing, or at least can be a good thing for your career……and so you suck it up, spend a lot of money, in the hopes that you will someday make some of it back through the connections you will forge during this one week in March…..and i find it kind of funny, but also refreshing that bands seem pretty excited when you buy their CD during SXSW….i mean, you should be excited every time you sell a CD….but the norm at a festival like this, is that
you expect you will give away many of the CDs that you part with while here…..and while I understand the reasons for that, damnit, if I like a band, I’m going to buy their CD.
That last paragraph didn’t exactly fall together the way I had hoped, and I’m tired now, so I hope you get what I’m trying to say……more soon"
Slightly refreshed,
matt
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(Photo of Freedy Johnston)
Matt The Electrician's update on the goings on at SXSW on Friday.
"Friday, I Think, March 16th or I Am Awake!
It was cooler this morning, and windy, as though someone from up on high was saying, “Whoah, slow down you unruly heathens, put on a sweater and have a cup of coffee”….so, never one to ignore voices from on high, I did both post haste…..
I picked up my back-up singer, Seela, and we headed down to Opal Divine’s to play our first show of the day, a party In Honor Of The Chicago House….the Chicago House was a venue that was the singer/songwriter stronghold in Austin for many years, and actually closed it’s doors the month I moved here 11 years ago….so although I never played there, I was asked to play the party, the reasoning being that I would have played there if I could have…..we did a 30 minute set, and Seela did a math solo during one of the songs that was one of the most inspired math solos I’ve ever seen (I’m sorry, but I can’t accurately describe a math solo with words alone, there would have to be diagrams, and I can’t provide them here)…..Troy Campbell played after us, and he sounded great as per usual……
Killing Tim In Texas - Troy Campbell
Famous - Troy Campbell
we then headed downtown, with a stop at the battery store on the way (all of my equipment, pedals, chords and such, has been breaking down this week….is it a metaphor?...i don’t know)…..we saw a bit of Michelle Shocked, actually just one long note at the end of her last song, but it was powerful indeed….
Hardcore Hornography - Michelle Shocked
then Freedy Johnston got up, and though he forgot some of the words to his songs, his voice alone just kills me, so it didn’t really matter….i plan on seeing him again on Saturday…….it’s always cool at SXSW, being able to see people like Freedy play a small bar during the afternoon, maybe 30 people there…..that’s not something you can do everyday……
Our next show was at Waterloo Ice House, which is right next door to Waterloo Records, where they have in-store performances all week long, and many big name acts….so, it turns out that our show started at the same time as Iggy and the Stooges were playing their in-store…..there were at least 1000 people waiting to get into the record store, so it was a bit insane to say the least…we played our set, nice crowd, no big whoop, and I didn’t even need to take off my shirt to entice people in……that seems like a small victory, but a victory nonetheless…..
After the insanity at the twin Waterloo establishments, I decided that an early night was in my immediate future…..i had some dinner with Seela, her husband Jon Greene (my drummer) and Ari Hest….
So Slow - Ari Heist
Seela made swordfish shishkabob, and prawn salad….it was delicious, and we relaxed by the fire and related horrific touring experiences for awhile after that…..then I went home and watched the Sarah Silverman movie, Jesus is Magic with my wife….it was very funny, and I think I’m gonna ask Sarah to get me a record deal……"
Call me,
matt
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Alela Diane tries to keep us informed of all the craziness at SXSW.
The Rifle - Alela Diane
"Tated Lace" video on KPSU
"Crazy times here at SXSW. Here are some tidbits of my journey thus far:
Been performing all over. Thursday I recorded a little podcast bit for the friendly dudes at Day Trotter, then straight to the Peacock Lounge for a Gorrilla vs. Bear day party with free Newcastle. During my afternoon wanders, I came across my home town friends in Hella, and we got some free ice cream.
The Ungrateful Dead - Hella
It is the time of serious free everything.... In the evening, my dad, and good friend Mariee Sioux backed me up at The Leafy Green Showcase. The night was finished off when Mariee and I went over to The Presbeterian Chuch and cried our little eye balls out while Vashti Bunyan sang songs and told stories about writing them in such years as 1967.
On Friday, I started off at the beautiful historic grounds of the French Legation Museum for the Arthur day party. We pulled a band together out of thin air: Dad (Tom Menig) on mandolin, Matt Bauer on banjo, Mariee sang, and dads good friend Rich played stand up bass. We had never played together before - but pulled it off because all my friends are "pros." Mariee, Matt and I hung around, and then wandered off and came across more free ice cream, which we gladly accepted.
We stumbled upon this crazy funk dude "Chromio" and then the crowd surfing "Panthers" where people were throwing full beers into the air and mouthing all the words... Dinner happened with dad, and I drove by a place called "Allens Boots" which I will most certainly go back to, as my boots have holes in them.
The night finished off with a Hella show at Maggie Maes, where Mariee and I danced like crazy people, and everyone else stood completely still. It was the first time we saw them performing with Aaron Ross as lead singer, who is a folk artist from Nevada City. We'd go watch him perform when we were in high school, and he is probably one of the reasons that we started writing songs in thefirst place. It is really nuts around here."
MP3, Music
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Anais Mitchell (here) gives us her poetic impressions of her time in Austin. Her new record, The Brightness, is out now on Righteous Babe, buy it here.
Cosmic American
Here's her wondefull summary of the week:
"sunday morning comin down
impressions from sxsw.
thursday
my official set at momo's and i was so excited about the rest of the bands on the bill that i spent the night there, a luxury really not to have to elbow around on sixth or anything. ana egge played after me with tony and jason-- so rockin-- i have got this real thing about ana's voice like i'm always thirsty for it, for it and her songs, thirstythirstythirsty.
Straight To My Head - Ana Egge
also on the bill, stars of track and field and the winterpills, they both sounded so good, the room was full of sound. then sean hayes, i had never heard him but he came highly recommended and in fact he blew my fucking mind. we all sat on the dirty floor of the club looking up at his little haunted face under his little hat. his acoustic guitar sounded, i could not think of another word, GLAZED. his voice too was glazed but with a different sweeter rougher glaze. i can't remember a word he sang or what any one song was about but his poetry made perfect abstract sense and a couple of times i think i even pumped my fist for a killer line. it was like a trance, what he created. me i was charmed, my snake was charmed. finally i met matt the electrician.
Centuries - Stars Of Track And Field
Broken Arm - Winterpills
Same God - Sean Hayes
friday
the caritas soup kitchen. props to laura thomas and that great organization. flatstock convention, some really beautiful stark work, i was very taken by small stakes among other companies, i got to say though there is an emotional coldness to a lot of rock poster art, i dunno if it's always been that way or if it's a trend, but i don't like it. saw bill kirchen at the continental club with ana and tony. i really came round to it and felt like dancing and did dance. i noticed tony is an exquisite human being. smell of meat out the back. dinner with southpaw jones and his lady friend, also exquisite. later my comrade danny schmidt at the hotel. i tried to nap on the floor before his set but the guard waked me and got me on my feet. danny is brilliant i hate for him to play in a hotel. then we rushed over to sixth for ron sexmith. i could watch and listen to him all night. he had a three-piece band behind him including jason mercer on bass. he sweated in a suit jacket. outside on sixth the people flowed like spawning fish. we went up on a balcony for a drink looking down on it all. a south austin party. ambitious to go to a party at that hour and soon i was cold and tired.
All In Good Time - Ron Sexsmith
Dark Eyed Princes - Danny Schmidt
saturday
a long day for me of little engagements. finally the house show at jon and vanessa's-- such a delightful cast of comrades including DANNY SCHMIDT, NELS ANDREWS, AJ ROACH, KRIS DELMHORST, and SAM BAKER. my heart was bursting. i cannot say enough. the workers in song!
This Too Shall Pass - Danny Schmidt
Sears And Roebuck Suit - AJ Roach
Jesse's Mom - Nels Andrews
We Go No More A Roving - Kris Delmhorst
we rode in the back of a pickup with a silver flask. people waved from the side of the highway. to waterloo to see the band of heathens, band of my dear old friend colin brooks, who just won a big award. they are five men all very handsome singing man harmonies. i danced with an italian guy. in my enthusiasm i sang him a part of bella ciao, an italian political folksong. "this is a song against ze fascists" he said. "FUCK THE FASCISTS!" i cried and he echoed me "FUCK ZE FASCISTS." i drank lone star. the night devolved a bit after that. though i will say aj roach and nels andrews are exquisite human beings. and colin too.
Bumblebee - The Band Of Heathens
maybe it's the people i was hanging with, like for example the righteous babe people, and a few others i met and got to know, but i will say overall i found many people who genuinely love music for all the right reasons and are in the industry as a means of getting the music to the people, and this was beautiful. i expected a much higher degree of sleaze and happily didn't find it and i'm grateful for that, also inspired, what a lot of bright lights there are out there.
thanks for reading, xo, anais."
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The Theater Fire wraps up their coverage of SXSW with reviews of Smog, Jandek and Tim and Eric. Thanks guys!
Here's the Saturday report.
We stood in line for over an hour at Antone's to see Charles Wright and The Watts 103rd before the word spread that he had cancelled. It was a great disappointment to miss seeing this soul legend. We headed over to the Central Presbyterian Church to catch some of Jandek. I don't know anything about this Houston legend and after hearing a few songs live, I know even less. I guess I just don't get it. Gothic, droney, and loosely improvised, what I saw was a little creepy (especially in a church), but not very interesting.
We were really there to see Bill Callahan. He was accompanied by Joanna Newsome on piano and Elizabeth(?) Warren on Violin (or maybe Viola) who both made some very creative contibutions to the set. Bill did beautiful versions of "Strayed", "Cold Discovery", "Cold Blooded Old Times", "Rock Bottom Riser", and two new songs from his new CD, due out in April, including one called called "Sycamore" that really showed a new level of maturity and depth to his songwriting. I've been following this guy since "Julius Ceasar" and he just keeps getting better and better. This was definitely the best Smog show that I've ever seen both in sound and performance. I'm not sure why it was billed as Bill Callahan, but I purchased a two song CD called "Diamond Dancer" and it looks like he might start releasing under his own name. Is this the end of "Smog"? Either way, before the first song of his set was over, I had completely forgotten about missing Charles Wright and thankful that I hadn't missed Bill's performance.
The last show we watched before packing up and heading back to Fort Woth, was Adult Swim's Tim and Eric. It was like wathing a double episode of the TV show. Between the handful of live skits, including a special performance by Uncle Muscle Hour, they showed alot of new video for the TV show and included a shameless promotion for the Tom Goes To The Mayor DVD coming out soon. The show was kicked off by DJ Dougg Pound "In The Mix", who made everbody uncomfortable by telling bad jokes and playing bits of the worst DJ music and samples of the last 20 years. It was great.
That's it for SXSW 07. We had a great time, saw some great shows and got to play for people from all over the world. Thanks for letting us be a part of your coverage. We'll pass along any photos or other items as soon as we can.
Thanks again,
Don
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Ox went from playing my living room on Monday night to playing in front of the hordes at SXSW only a few days later. That must have been some contrast. Otis Gibbs also played my most recent house concert and it was another magical night so I thank both bands for coming out.
Ox sent a brief summation of their SXSW experience to me this morning so here it is (it's amazing to me how many of the artists that wrote in went to the Donovan show and were totally wowed by his performance):
747 - Ox
"post mortem... hotels should not have free drinks for guests.
2 days after SxSW and the band is still in Austin- the van decided it wasn't ready to leave town- turns out we drive 100km+ with a broken coil spring tearing into our back tire! ah, so THATS where that burnt rubber smell was coming from... and i thought it was one of our feet.
SxSW is a fantastic blend of real and unreal. so many bands- so many people- everyone trying to look as cool as they possibly can. as a band, its good to drive here- 4 days spent living out of your van- wearing out all your clean clothes is a great was to keep perspective. we're a rock&roll band- and SxSW is another Ox show. we're wrinkled, hungover, sunbeaten, and it helped our show.
but the highlite for me was seeing donovan in a small room hold everyone in the palm of his hand. i was choked up. i've loved donovan since i was a teenager- 'Open Road' helped define what i do... there's nothing like the showmanship of a veteran- nothing reaches that level today- everyone just wants to look cool- where the right clothes- drink the right beer- have a good haircut. fuck that shit. 95% of SxSW, like everywhere else, was crap- but that 5% is worth it."
Mb / Ox
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