Posts Tagged ‘sxsw’

SXSW Music 2010

Posted: Apr 06, '10
Category: travel
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Many things have been going on in the personal life, causing a delay in my annual listing of the 10 best shows from SXSW Music, along with the complete list of all the bands seen.

In the months before SXSW I sampled the music of about 600 bands and got to a short list of things I really wanted to see. Among the ones I missed and will be on the lookout for shows in SF are The 88, Break of Reality, The Movits and Fergus & Jeronimo.

1. The Spring Standards at Clive Bar/ The Spring Standards at BD Riley’s

The first show was a mellow melodic morning show at Clive Bar, and the second a rocking rolling show at BD Rileys. Without a doubt, the fantastic harmonies and ability to blend the alt-country, folk, with a slight bluesy sound thrilled me to no end. I’ve already pre-ordered their new album. You should too.

3. Jeremy Messersmith at Maggie Mae’s Rooftop/ Jeremy Messersmith at Central Presbyterian Church

Melodies, harmonies and straightforward classic rock-n-roll were hallmarks of this fine gentleman (and crew) from Minneapolis. He impressed me when the power went out at Maggie Mae’s and he and the band went “coffee shop” style — a most excellent performance ensuing. A few nights later he managed to rock a porch. Jeremy also maintains a great Twitter profile.

5. Holy Fuck at Galaxy Outdoors

After lots of twee and melodic time, I needed the palate cleanser that was Holy Fuck. Canadian and prone to having to give fake band names at the border, this electronica outfit had me tapping my toes and shaking my booty.

6. Two Star Symphony at The Hideout

The first show of the whole week had me nervous it would be the best thing I’d see and it would all be downhill from there. Houston based classical musicians put together a fantastic 45 minute set and handed out CDs to attendees.

7. Local Natives – Emo’s Main

From my show going notes: “One of the best shows we saw, energetic and polished with cracks in the veneer.”

8. Jukebox the Ghost – Clive Bar

As a child of the 80s there is never enough synth. Upbeat and poppy, this band stole my heart.

9. Rogue Wave – Emo’s Main

Great, tight show– almost verging on too polished. Look forward to seeing them again soon – they are well put together.

10. Fanfarlo – Galaxy Backyard

Delightful and mellow music in a wonderful outdoor space.

All Shows

Wednesday, March 17

  1. Neilyo at Shangri-La
  2. Tiger City at Shangri-La
  3. Nneka – ACC Day Stage – Only caught two songs, but her voice amazed me.
  4. Two Star Symphony – The Hideout
  5. Mantler – Beauty Bar
  6. L’Orchidee D’Hawaii – Beauty Bar Patio – This amazing combo of crazy sounds sounded amazing and interesting.
  7. Ben + Vesper – Beauty Bar
  8. Fanfarlo – Galaxy Courtyard
  9. We Were Promised Jetpacks – The Parish
  10. Frightened Rabbit – The Parish
  11. The Black and White Years – Dirty Dog Saloon

Thursday, March 18

  1. Invade Rome – Habana Calle 6
  2. Jeremy Messersmith – Maggie Mae’s Upstairs
  3. The Hush Now – The Side Bar
  4. Phantogram – The Side Bar Parking Lot
  5. Hot Panda – The Side Bar Parking Lot
  6. Dengue Fever – The Side Bar Parking Lot
  7. The Seedy Seeds – BD Riley’s
  8. Peter Wolf Crier – Emo’s Main Room
  9. The Lovely Feathers – Paradise
  10. Rogue Wave – Emo’s Main
  11. Local Natives – Emo’s Main
  12. The Chapin Sisters – Hilton Garden Inn, 18th Floor
  13. Uncle Lucius – Valhalla
  14. Ezra Furman & The Harpoons – Valhalla

Friday, March 19

  1. The Spring Standards – Clive Bar
  2. The Watson Twins – Antone’s
  3. Citizen Cope – Antone’s
  4. Minus the Bear – Antone’s
  5. Jukebox the Ghost – Clive Bar
  6. The Spring Standards – BD Riley’s
  7. Twin Tigers – Emo’s Annex
  8. Solid Gold – Club DeVille
  9. Uffie – Mohawk Patio
  10. Summer Cats – Mohawk
  11. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Emo’s Annex – Way better live than recorded, can’t wait to see them again.
  12. Fool’s Gold – Emo’s Main – Yet another band I wished I’d seen more than half a set for!
  13. We Are Scientists – Emo’s Main
  14. Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger! – Soho Lounge – This group deserves a special shout out for playing the single worst venue in Austin – a “club” is not the right place for a punk band. They also get love for stopping me in the street and giving me their CD.

Saturday, March 20

  1. The Trews – Paradise
  2. The Middle East – ACC Day Stage
  3. Duchess Says – Galaxy
  4. Holy Fuck – Galaxy Backyard
  5. Reed Arnos & Valerie Kuster – Rainforest Partnership
  6. This Will Destroy You – Lustre Pearl
  7. Oh No Ono – Lustre Pearl
  8. Jeremy Messersmith – Central Presbyterian
  9. Fictionist – Iron Gate

Note: That Saturday was about 38 degrees, so we skipped evening shows and instead saw American: The Bill Hicks Story instead. Highly recommended.

For previous years, see: 2007, 2008, 2009.


The Community is Dead, Long Live the Community

Posted: Aug 19, '09
Category: speaking
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The panel picker for SXSW2010 is now up!

Please vote for my panel and let me know if you have any additional thoughts, feedback, or suggestions in the comments there or on this blog post. I’ve already been following up with folks already who have commented on the panel page itself.

The Community is Dead, Long Live the Community.

My previous post describes more about this panel.

SXSW Music: 2009

Posted: Mar 24, '09
Category: friends, travel
Tags: , ,

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There’s more musing to be done on SXSWi, so be on the lookout for this.

As in years past (2007, 2008), here’s a complete list of all the shows I saw last week, and the top 10 shows of the week. I had the pleasure of spending the week seeing bands I’ve wanted to see for a long time (hello, The Hold Steady and The Thermals) while also checking out new-to-me bands and artists. Some of which were fantastic, and some of which were just okay. With the exception of one weird show, everything was pretty darned good.

Note: I did lose some of the notes from Wed, so I’m missing a band or two.

Star means I’d suggest checking ‘em out if you’ve got the chance.

Top 10 2009 SXSW Shows

  1. The Hold Steady
  2. The Thermals
  3. The Little Ones
  4. Drink Up Buttercup
  5. School of Seven Bells
  6. We Were Promised Jetpacks
  7. The Peekers
  8. The Emeralds
  9. +/- {Plus/Minus}
  10. Alessi’s Ark

WEDNESDAY

Sad to say! I can’t remember the first band we saw :(

Drink Up Buttercup* at Beauty Bar

This band rocked it hard – playing garbage can lids, an energetic show on a Wednesday afternoon. Would highly recommend seeing them live if possible.

Maus Haus at Emo’s Annex (IODA Day Party)

OK.

Blind Pilot* at Emo’s Annex (IODA Day Party)

Nice band I had no knowledge of beforehand — enjoyed their mellow tunes and the combo of male & female vocals. Can’t stop listening to them now.

We Were Promised Jetpacks*  at Emo’s Annex (IODA Day Party)

These guys kicked ass and evidently blew the socks off quite a few people during the week.

Future Clouds and Radar at The Dog & Duck

Unfortunately, this set turned into a bit of background music as we were near the back. Enjoyable none-the-less.

Arms & Legs at Pangea

Arms & Legs had the distinction of being the only band we saw all week to play compressed air into a microphone. Not sure it added much, but was interesting. Mellow, but a bit disappointing to see two drummers playing click tracks and not creating the potential dynamic.

Other Lives at Buffalo Billiards

Super mellow, but disappointeing in the end. Left the show to go check out other stuff.

Vetiver* at Emo’s Jr.

Something I want to check out later, but wasn’t a rocking show.

The Black Jacks at Paradise Lounge

Angus & Julius Stone* at Buffalo Billiards

Walked into this show after the Black Jacks and was stoked by the loveliness of the music. Definitely want to check out this band some more.

School of Seven Bells* at Buffalo Billiards

Amazing.

Mother Mother at Habana Calle 6 Patio

Meh. Couldn’t get into the vocals, which were so distinctive they drove the music.

THURSDAY

The Bones Royal at Peckerheads

Energetic, basic rock.

Great Lakes Myth Society at Red 7

Another show, like Other Lives, where I was disappointed. Evidently it picked up after we left, but didn’t inspire me to listen to them again.

The Hard Lessons* at Red 7 Patio

We walked outside after Great Lakes Myth Society and found ourselves totally rocking out to these guys.  Just what we needed. Plus, they did a Neil Young cover.

Trail of Dead at the Mohawk

Black and White Years* at Elysium

The Arkells* at Cedar Street Courtyard

Really want to listen to them some more.

Sam Roberts* at Cedar Street Courtyard

This Canadian brought his own crowd, but we really liked him too.

Two singer-songwriters whose names I didn’t catch at Dirty Bill’s (Yes, I wrote down EVERYTHING we heard.)

Sybris* at Prague

Caught the tail end of the set and wish we’d seen more.

+/-{Plus/Minus}* at Prague

A great way to end the second night of music. I’d been listening to their stuff non-stop before I hit Austin and it was great to see them live.

FRIDAY

Friday we agreed to take it easy, and still managed to see 12 bands!

Obits* at Club de Ville for Insound’s 10th Anniversary SXSW Birthday Party Presented by Saucony Originals and Hot Freaks!

These guys were a great way to start the day.

Horse Feathers* at Club de Ville for Insound’s 10th Anniversary SXSW Birthday Party Presented by Saucony Originals and Hot Freaks!

Also, really enjoyable.

American Analog Set* at Club de Ville for Insound’s 10th Anniversary SXSW Birthday Party Presented by Saucony Originals and Hot Freaks!

I love this group. They are super chill and perhaps not best fit for an outdoor show offering $2 all you can drink beer. Still, I adore them and would love to see them again.

The Thermals* at Club de Ville for Insound’s 10th Anniversary SXSW Birthday Party Presented by Saucony Originals and Hot Freaks!

OMS! OMS! I have been DYING to see this group and they did not disappoint. I love them. Really, better live than recorded. The best type of show. Professional, polished in terms of performance, but still rock’n'roll.

The Hold Steady* at Club de Ville for Insound’s 10th Anniversary SXSW Birthday Party Presented by Saucony Originals and Hot Freaks!

You know, I don’t know why I haven’t been in love with this band forever. Being the end of a day show, they played almost 90 minutes, like seeing a full show. Blew away everything we’d seen (including the Thermals!), by executing tightly, and just fueling the end of the day. If you’re not a fan now, you need to go buy everything and go see a show!

Pete & the Pirates* at Cedar Street Courtyard for Blackberry Party

Radio friendly pop, these guys have the potential to be huge.

Beach House* at Cedar Street Courtyard for Blackberry Party

I love the sweet sound of Beach House, but after the rousing set by Pete & the Pirates, this was a little too mellow for my mood.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down* at MoMo’s

We walked in near the end and were immediately wanting to tap our toes and get grooving.

The Rosebuds* at MoMo’s

Love this band, but their live show, after all the preceeding ones in the day paled slightly. Still, worth checking out.

The Japanese Motors* at Emo’s

Enjoyed their sound but wasn’t willing to brave the crowd right away. Would have loved to have seen more of their live show.

Black Lips (featuring GZA) at Emo’s

I don’t even know where to begin with this. Basically, it seems that some members of the Black Lips ran into GZA of Wu-Tang Clan fame, smoked out, and decided to do a show together last minute. Not a good idea. I can’t dignify this with further commentary, but I will tell the story complete with hand signs, confusion and crowd responses if I see you in person.

King Khan & The Shrines* at Emo’s

They have a pom pom player. ‘Nuff said.

SATURDAY

Diego’s Umbrella* at Yard Dog

How can a band that does a highly stylized violin version of the Final Countdown be bad?

Ponderosa Stomp featuring Roy Head & Barbara Lynn at Perdenales Lofts Pavilion for the Shiny Objects & Butler Bros BYOC Vol. 4

Fun all around.

The Emeralds* at Perdenales Lofts Pavilion for the Shiny Objects & Butler Bros BYOC Vol. 4

They were definitely on my list to be seen, if possible, having found them on a Japan Nite Sampler last year. Performing in leather on a warm Texas day, they wanted to get the crowd riled.

The Peekers* at Perdenales Lofts Pavilion for the Shiny Objects & Butler Bros BYOC Vol. 4

This band had a sound I’d been seeking all week – sweet female vocals, and a lovely pop sound.

Asteroid Galaxy Tour at Maggie Mae’s

The Little Ones* at Maggie Mae’s

I’d been dying to see this band, so got right up in front and watched them rock out. Fun fun fun.

Immaculate Machine* at Habana Calle 6

A good follow-up to the Little Ones. Not as frenetic.

Alessi’s Ark* at Stephen F

What a lovely and gorgeous end to the week. Turned on to her by one of my oldest friends, Sandy, and just loved her melodious voice and sweet stage presence.

Thanks also to the awesome folks I got to share my musical adventures with:  Cloudwrangler, Kmeelyon, Weegee, Chim Chim, Tornado Magnet, Sandy, and the RVIP Lounge!

Personal Transitions and Social Media

Posted: Nov 23, '08
Category: friends, stuff_i_use
Tags: , ,

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I jokingly twittered earlier today that Joe Bob Briggs is penning my life script. This is mainly because of a series of deaths for various friends parents, grandparents & friends – Joe Bob would simply tally the body count, give it 3 1/2 stars and move on. However, in real life as experienced online, some have chosen to twitter or update their Facebook status as a way of letting large groups of people know about the passing of this family member or loved one. However, what’s odd for me is how people respond to these public announcements in such a public way.

Is it really appropriate to merely @ someone on Twitter, or to post on someone’s wall on Facebook? I’m not certain. I had breakfast today with Dr. Keely Kolmes, who will be covering relationships and social media in a core conversation at SXSW2009. This may be yet another area for her to cover at that time. For me, the most important thing is a direct communication to the person without expecting a response. A hand-written letter expressing condolences is always appreciated. A call offering assistance with specifics is good if you live nearby. Simply typing “I’m sorry” and doing so publicly, is probably okay, but it seems to lack the element of meditation that should come with offering condolences to someone.

Are we escaping the discomfort of confronting the mortality of those close to our own lives by using a few simple words to comfort others?

sxsw2008: Music Reviews

Posted: Mar 19, '08
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,

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This years SXSW was so overwhelming, even moreso than the first year.  I didn't see as much music this year, choosing instead to spend quality time with various friends and just go with the flow. Still, did see some great stuff, learned about some new bands, and just hung out with friends.

I wish I could say I did a good job keeping up with my sched.org, but mainly, each day I'd pick a bunch of stuff and see if I could make it all.

Here's some of the things that I noticed this year. A lot of the bands were genuinely grateful that audience was there. Often times you get the "thanks for coming out, woo [insert name of city]" but the tonality of the thanks just felt warmer and more real. Perhaps the competition and time slots made artists just feel happy that folks showed up to their show rather than someone else.

The other things that seemed in the ether to me were bands that didn't look like the genre they played in. This is me using every stereotype in the book and subscribing to it. But still, when I saw Grand Archives, I would have *sworn* they should have been a metal band. Cut Copy were just guys in jeans in t-shirts, no matchy matchy club clothes. This happened at least five-six times. Either I'm aging, or bands have finally decided they don't need to look a certain way to fit into parameters.

And it seems that long hair is making a resurgence. Not just any long hair. It's got to be an above the shoulder bob-type hair cut. With curly/wavy hair. Like the guys in Longwave.

Last year I was able to come up with a ranked order of shows, which proved impossible this year. Mainly due to Liam Finn. He was so incredible that everyone else paled in comparison. Shows were frenetic, with him playing both guitar and drums, within a single song. His partner for the shows had at her disposal a tambourine, cowbell and cymbal, not to mention a rocking voice. Both used a variety of looping devices, but the energy was unbelievable. Blew everything else away.

Other great shows

The A-Sides
British Sea Power
Cut Copy
Helio Sequence
Grand Archives
Longwave
Matt & Kim
Rufus Cappadocia
The Weakerthans
Tigercity
What Laura Says Thinks & Feels

Full Schedule with my in-the-moment notes

Wednesday

Aleigh/ poet like an acrobat @ the hideout
Full rich vocals, needs more originals though loved the johnny cash covers
+ A fellow consumator!

The Wedding Present @ emo's annex
Old faves in a two piece set up miss the drums

[went do dinner & a movie, so missed some tunes...]

Simian Mobile Disco at La Zona Rosa – so that's where all the lasers
from the 70s went. Good! Not chemically prepared.

Thursday

British Sea Power @ the Mohawk my new favorite – 3guitars drums
keyboard & violin. Buy

No Age @ the Mohawk – loud for a guitarist and drummer with a
bedazzled audience. Short songs punny banter.

Cut Copy @ the Mohawk – bring back the 80s vocals & sensibilities
filtered through the indie rock lens. Made me want to dance. Buy love
watching a band enjoy their own set as much as you do

Martha Wainwright @ Austin conventpn center – daniel lanois jumped on stage too! Just okay – she can sing but not familiar enough to fit in with all the fans who were there

Rufus Cappadocia – the 18th floor of the Hilton Garden inn – plays the cello as a guitar. Not the most dynamic performer but music is more interesting than that. Buy. Went "far out" – almost like metal violin

Noah & the Whale at Friends- great investigate further – A day for strings

The Whigs – Austin music hall – just a few songs not my thing

Yo La Tengo – austin music hall – warmed up to falsetto harmonies & multi-instrumentalism, great catalog miners but drawn out instrumentals get boring

The Weakerthans at Cedar Street Courtyard love them! Just solid indie rock

Devotchka – one song, which seemed to be my relationship with them all week – just one song. but not enough to compel me to stay or to listen.

The Octopus Project – emo's – excellent showmanship

Friday

Liam Finn @ dirty dog – in love with the next gen of the Finn family.
Amazing set. Buy

Los Campesinos – cedar street courtyard – great sound, perhaps biased
by beers in the sun. Energetic. Check it out

Cut Copy @ SESAC day stage at ACC – excellent repeat

Random foray to I <3 comix party

Superchunk @ Parish – mac solo

Crystal Castles @ emo's – I'm a poor judge of electronica, indiscriminate at best. This was a quick, crazy show but definitely enjoyable.

Aloha @ Habenero Annex Patio – arrived and the show just felt dry and uncompelling. Made me wonder if this would be better recorded than live, having liked the few songs I had heard before this.

Grand Archives @ Bourbon Rocks – I heard one song and wished I'd been here instead of at Aloha – so much so I took efforts to see them the following day. My notes from this say "CHECK OUT LATER"

Helio Sequence @ Bourbon Rocks Patio – front row standing for this show brought me up close so I could see how psyched the drummer was to play. Every time he smiled, I did too. These guys were great.

Saturday

Longwave @ Cedar Street Courtyard: Excellent. And when did big hair come so back into vogue?

Liam Finn @ ACC: Yes, AGAIN!!! I must own everything he has done.

Tokyo Police Club (Acoustic) @ YR Day Stage: just ok

Grand Archives @ Cedar Street Courtyard: Love the harmonies, their aesthetic/looks don't match the sound, buy

What Laura Says Thinks & Feels @ EMC Hilton Garden Inn: Despite the shittiest band name ever, we totally unexpectedly caught this band and they were great! Can't say no to a band with keyboards attuned to organ-intensity. Mellow, cool & great harmonies. Brushes on drum – a sucker for that. Fucking awesome keyboards, lots of "ooh aahhs" – feels like the prom music I never had.

The A-Sides @ EMC Hilton Garden Inn: another act that had us leaping out of our front row seats to dance along. There's a coolness to a concert in a conference in a hotel, but this group got everyone on their feet and rocking out. Straight ahead rock-n-roll. Buy!

Tigercity @ Lambert's Patio: how fun were thes guys? How can you not love a band that looks nothing ike what they sound? How can you not love a band where one guitarist is wearing a pink shirt with a moose and the star a multi-colored boa. Passionate fans and fun.

The Autumns @ Maggie Mae's: a little rough – where indie bands

Matt & Kim @ Mohawk – started with a cover of Europe's the Final Countdown – a perfect end to the week. Great tunes while we sat on the patio, drinking and talk.

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music from sxsw

Posted: Apr 10, '07
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,

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I *finally* had the pleasure to attend SXSW — an event I've been dying to attend since my years working at Ink19 and WPRK. (Although to be truthful, PRK was all about the CMJ).

I know I'm a wee bit behind writing this up for all of you who have asked for show reports, and apologies this isn't in the long form, well-written voice of my reviews of yore. Despite my love of indie rock, I did manage to break out of the mold a wee bit, in fact, some of my fave shows of the week falling outside of that genre.

I have a chronological listing of shows I saw, but realized this would be less useful than some sort of rating of the top shows, so I've got both, with 1 line reviews, captured in real time. (photo from sanfranannie)

Treo
Treo

TOP SHOWS I SAW

#1

Artists: Rachel Fuller with Special Guests, including Pete Townshend featuring Mika, Martha Wainwright, Willie Mason, Joe Purdy, and Alexi Murdoch

Venue: La Zona Rosa

Notes Captured in the Moment:
am going to buy willie mason album show was mellow, yet fantastic; mika – epic yet needs more stage presence ; rebecca fuller did an inspired & playful set ending w/joni mitchell torch song 'blue' ; joe purdy totally played piano & then pete t. Joined to play let my love; martha was strong & charismatic performer who touched me; alexi murdoch ; INTIMATE ; final set by pete w/rebecca on piano & him singing dulcet tones

Memory:
One of the top 10 concerts I've probably seen (and yes, I keep a list). Just one of those rare moments when you realize you're seeing a legend you've watched through the years and who helped you grow as a person, surrounded by other bright young lights.

I called my brother that night to tell him what I'd seen. I can't imagine any better tribute to our childhood than to think about sharing this show with him. Xan, I wish you'd been there with me.

#2

Artist: The Budos Band

Venue: Emo's Annex

Notes Captured in the Moment:
awesome, will see them again – top 5

Memory:
I actually twitted about how they got the crowd up and dancing. I loved the fact that they shifted sets around and I just happened to catch them. *I* actually danced, which means it must have been hip-quakin' good. And it was. I went out and bought the album so I can dance at home too.

Kudos to DJ Tiki Tim for introducing me to this band a year ago, which is the main reason I wanted to see them.

#3

Artist: The Annuals

Venue: The Beauty Bar Patio

rocked the house live with humor (full set)

Notes Captured in the Moment:
Shows in Chronological Order

Memory:
This was the last show of the night at about 1am. These guys managed to have an insane amount of energy and all these funny moments, including one wherein the bassist threw his mike on the ground, realized he needed it, and then crawled over to get it. Lots of musical multi-tasking. And a show I never would have expected from their album.

#4

Artist: Sharon jones & the Dap-Kings

Venue: Emo's Annex

Notes Captured in the Moment:
this land as soul/funk, guys on stage & amazing show

Memory:
Sharon Jones knows how to put on a show  – whether drawing up audience members to sing along. Her voice is amazing and robust and the Dap-Kings make it feel like a party. I was hard pressed to leave the show, since it seemed like with Sharon, the party was gonna go all night long.

#5

Artist: The50kaitenz

Venue: Elysium

Notes Captured in the Moment:
fuck yeah! Japanese punk/pop – fun, energetic & fast – one of my fave shows this week

Memory:
You've got three guys in black suits, white ruffled fancy shirts playing punk rock. What could be more perfect? It was the sort of live experience I'd been craving all week.

#6

Artists: Octopus Project and Black Moth Super Rainbow

Venue: Elysium  

Notes Captured in the Moment:
psychedelic indie rocktronica that made me feel amazingly musically stoned

Memory:
I really enjoyed this show. I went by myself since I didn't want to miss it. It felt more like watching art – we had video projections and a theremin, two bands playing together. It was enjoyable music, but way too short.

#7

Artist: Snowden

Venue: Emo's Annex

Notes Captured in the Moment:
the indie rock band that makes me dance, a live show that expands upon recorded music (full set)

Memory:
Bassist Corinne Lee is hot. I was so excited to hear them live, since I love Anti Anti, and they didn't disappoint. I think a different venue would have done them better than an outdoor stage with poor sound quality.

#8

Artist: Beirut

Venue: Emo's Main

Notes Captured in the Moment:
amazing neo-gyspy slow tunes w/accordian, horns, guitars, ukes, clarinet, strings, mouth organ, and megaphone (full set)

Memory:
Beirut's lead singer is really young, but seems to have the vision driving everything. Someone to watch and see how they evolve.

#9

Artist: Menomena

Venue: Emo's Main

Notes Captured in the Moment:
tight & talented

Memory:
I can't expand much beyond my notes, they struck me as being very tight, with incredible musical agility.Bummed to have missed them in previous visits to San Francisco.

#10

Artist: Girl Talk

Venue: Emo's Main

Notes Captured in the Moment:
booty shakin' & body quaking

Memory:
I'm still trying to figure out how a guy with a laptop makes for a compelling shows. But it was. I think I was the oldest person there. Or maybe not. I know that a young boy, probably six, raced through the crowd to get a photo and the nice guys in front of me held him up so he could get a great shot. Adorable. But as to the music, Girl Talk is a mash up artist extraordinaire and he managed to make for a good show, which is quite surprising in some sense.

Honorable Mentions

Apostle of Hustle
Dub is the Weapon
The Pipettes

SHOWS IN ORDER

Wednesday

urban_mermaid & lilbear @ austinist
urban_mermaid & lilbear @ austinist

Photo by Tantek

  • Apes & Androids @ austinist party @ the mohawk – look like kiss, sound like queen (4 songs)
  • Apostle of Hustle @ ioda party @ emo's annex – songs about mescaline in spanish (full set)
  • The Black Angels @ ioda party @ emo's annex – loud & rawking (most of set)
  • The Pipettes @ la zona rosa – girl group excellent (full set)
  • Emma Pollock @ emo's main – blah (most of set)
  • Beirut @ emo's main – amazing neo-gyspy slow tunes w/accordian, horns, guitars, ukes, clarinet, strings, mouth organ, and megaphone (full set)
  • The Mountain Goats @ emo's – mellow with a rousing closer of thin lizzy's the boys are back in town (full set)
  • Illinois @beauty bar patio (2 songs) worth further investigation
  • The Annuals@beauty bar patio – rocked the house live with humor (full set)

Thursday

Day 2 of Music
Day 2 of Music

  • Peter Buck & Robyn Hitchcock @ rhapsody party @ the mohawk – poor sound mix dampened what had the potential to be an amazingly mellow show
  • Mika, Martha Wainwright, Pete Townshend, willie mason, Rebecca Fuller, joe purdy, alexi murdoch @la zona rosa – am going to buy willie mason album show was mellow, yet fantastic; mika – epic yet needs more stage presence ; rebecca fuller did an inspired & playful set ending w/joni mitchell torch song 'blue' ; joe purdy totally played piano & then pete t. Joined to play let my love; martha was strong & charismatic performer who touched me; alexi murdoch ; INTIMATE ; final set by pete w/rebecca on piano & him singing dulcet tones
  • rhett bennen @ the parish – packed show w/jazzy overtonesp
  • starsailor @ the parish – strong acoustic set & a powerful voice
  • badly drawn boy @ the parish – attitude, not all that fab in person
  • the pipette's@emo's – one trick pony? Can't decide – better sound here than friday (partial set)
  • dave smallen @ emo's annex – (2 songs) powerful voice for an acoustic set

Friday

  • snowden @ emo's annex – the indie rock band that makes me dance, a live show that expands upon recorded music (full set)
  • menomena @ emo's – tight & talented
  • girl talk @ emo's – booty shakin' & body quaking
  • peter, bjorn & john @ emo's – despite their new-to-them equipment a rousing get the house jumping set that will lead to big things
  • the50kaitenz @ elysium – fuck yeah! Japanese punk/pop – fun, energetic & fast – one of my fave shows this week
  • the m's @ red7 – sloppiest set i've seen them play (perhaps due to the alcohol they had ingested) still their harmonies & guitars & drums made me happy
  • you am I @ dirty dog- paid almost no attention so couldn't be that great
  • sloan @ dirty dog – not much to say
  • apples in stereo @ dirty dog – live show loses some of the melodics & harmonies i have come to expect

Saturday

  • budos band @ emo's annex – awesome, will see them again – top 5
  • sharon jones & the dap-kings @ emo's annex – this land as soul/funk, guys on stage & amazing show
  • octopus project PLUS black moth super rainbow @ Elysium – psychedelic indie rocktronica that made me feel amazingly musically stoned
  • robert gomez @ buffalo – 9 piece mellow orchestra rockin' me calmly
  • midlake @ buffalo – mellow harmonies
  • dub is the weapon @ flamingo cantina – got into that stoned from the music space, had to leave before lee "scratch" perry joined the stage, last show of the week
Venue Comments

Elysium – best bathrooms, reminds me of every club I went to as a teenager and college student.
Emo's  – not very good sound, depending on which part of Emo's you're in. Port-a-potty for personal relief is just gross!
La Zona Rosa – one of Austin's bigger venues, decent bathrooms
Red 7 – decent bathrooms, lacking toilet paper
Beauty Bar – only one loo! but a decent enough venue – liked the back patio
Dirty Dog – seeing a band in a sports bar is probably lower on my list of things I want to do, not a great place for live music
Buffalo Billiards – huge upstairs, but awkward to stand and watch bands, didn't visit the bathrooms
Mohawk – great venue when it's not packed to the gills!

The Parish – good small club, easy place to see a show, decent bathrooms

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themes that emerged @ sxsw

Posted: Mar 24, '07
Category: Uncategorized
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In trying to coalesce my thinking about the themes that emerged at SXSW, I ran through my extensive notes (hey, sure, I can listen to podcasts again, but I find my notes reflect my interpretations) and thought about the many conversations I had.

None of these are earth-shattering, but instead continue to be themes that have been percolating in the ether for a while. A lot of what I do for work involves thinking about these pieces and how they fit into the grand scheme of things.

  1. Intellectual Property Issues continue to dominate the conversation. Solving these issues will be a critical step in moving forward on the web, allowing creators their rights, while permitting the improvement upon those ideas.
  2. Building community and relationships are the second phase of the promise of the Internet. Forging new relationships, fostering existing ones, and building impactful and effective community is a mantra all companies need to consider.
  3. Opening the doors to users and respecting their contributions to leverage them. Companies and users are a circular cycle, not a linear process.
  4. Mainstream media still has a place. It serves as a lingua franca, crossing borders (real & virtual), while niche-ification allows different types of people to find others like themselves.
    • Further market fragmentation will happen on all fronts. For example, in search, while Google may dominate, it will erode while specialist search providers with much smaller market shares will chip away.
  5. Short vs. long form content – a lot about continuous partial attention and how much people can tolerate and/or be interested in.
  6. Content quality is still the need. Just because there's a lot out there doesn't mean that it's all good.
  7. Video as the richest (current) interactive experience.
    1. Update: Understanding of course that there was much dialog around metaverses and immersive worlds. Still, adoption of these environments is not as widespread as video.
  8. Authenticity is something we all desire. But authenticity doesn't have to be truthful. Sometimes something untrue or unreal can generate an authentic emotional response and that can be as valid as something that is.

I'll continue to update this post as I ruminate. But you know me, all about just putting it out there and thinking later.

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