Serendipity at South by Southwest
At a festival overflowing with music - night and day - the best finds can be the accidental ones.
Inquirer music critic Dan DeLuca is blogging this week from the South by Southwest music festival in
Austin, Texas. This appeared on his blog, "In the Mix," at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inthemix.
AUSTIN, Texas - Landed in big-sky Texas on Tuesday afternoon, and headed down past the St. Patty's revelers on Sixth Street to get credentialed at the Austin Convention Center. There, the winding-down SXSW Interactive festival, which is in a growth spurt this year, had many a dude intensely staring into the screen of his MacBook Pro as people tossed around promotional Frisbees handed out by Microsoft to hype its Expression software.
Right away I ran into various music-business muckety-mucks, including My Morning Jacket/Flight of the Conchords manager and former Philadelphian Mike Martinovich (here with his band Elvis Perkins in Dearland), and publicity honcho Howard Wuelfing, who's on a panel and working on behalf of Philadelphia's Hoots & Hellmouth, the rambunctious roots-music band playing at midnight Wednesday at the Ale House on Sixth Street. . . .
Times Are Tough
Wednesday, March 18
"Last year when I played here," Sarah Borges was saying at the Continental Club on Tuesday night, "somebody grabbed my bottom over at the merch table, and I made him pay me $20. But this year, you know, the economy is tough. I'm charging $25." Rim shot, please, followed by a quip from Borges' bass player, Binky, who said such a transaction would be "a deal at any price."
With that, Borges and her band, the Broken Singles, ripped into a version of Bob Dylan's "Outlaw Blues" that was impressively reshaped, and had Borges standing on top of a bar stool in her St. Patrick's Day party dress as she and the BS made it plain they aren't a comedy act, but a working rock-and-roll band intent on putting their all into the first of eight shows in Austin this week. The Boston quartet's new album, The Stars Are Out, is out next Tuesday, and they'll be back East at World Cafe Live on May 2.
Drink Up
Wednesday, March 18
Haven't done much of that down here, except for caffeinated beverages. I'm the guy at the open bar who orders a Coke. I did get to hang out with Bucks County-born Drink Up Buttercup at the Beauty Bar this afternoon, however. They're an energetic bunch who know how to marry a racket to a catchy tune, and put a trash can to good use. Not to mention a mannequin's head. More on them later.
Sixth Street Stroll
Wednesday, March 18
After interviewing Sarah Borges, I found myself on Sixth Street without a day-party schedule to consult. A mortal sin. Or maybe a stroke of good luck. The mythic SXSW moments are the accidental discoveries, when you let your ears lead you into a club to hear a band you've never heard of, and the randomness pays off for you and a fortunate few. Had my first one of those moments with the Coathangers, the punky female foursome from Atlanta who announced, "This is the most fun show we've ever had. Until tonight." Switching off on instruments, they shook their collective tambourine and got down to jagged basics, making a joyful noise with tunes that made their messages perfectly clear, like "Don't Touch My S-." Great band.
No Ida Maria
Thursday, March 19
I must be psychic or something because I decided to pass on seeing Ida Maria at 1 a.m., figuring that even though the electric Norwegian rocker is on top of my list, I could catch her at one of her other SXSW showcases. Instead, I went to MoMo's for a little bit of old Austin with Joe Ely and Joel Guzman, who were superb. Turns out I made the right call, not only because Ely remains a terrific performer and Guzman is a simpatico sideman, but because Ida Maria canceled and, rumor has it, hasn't been able to get a visa. Which presumably would put the kibosh not only on her remaining SXSW shows, but also her March 27 date at The Note in West Chester. Bummer. Will get to the bottom of that later. . . .