| It’s a small town, but Austin, Texas just might be one of the most friendly places on earth. Locals greet you like old friends, the weather is unbeatable and hundreds of blackbirds sing to those who walk after midnight on Congress Avenue. With most of the action occurring within one dense district, Austin is the perfect playground for the South by Southwest (SXSW) music and film festival.
This year, SXSW celebrated its 20th anniversary with resounding success. The music festival kicked off on March 15, and Austin was quickly overrun by 1,400 bands, 1,300 volunteers and more than 10,000 registrants (who were trying not to miss any of the 1,400 bands) for four delightfully hectic days.
The high calibre artists included legendary veterans like The Pretenders, Lyle Lovett, Roseanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Echo & The Bunnymen, Morrissey and the Charlatans. Buzz bands were well-represented by The Subways, We Are Scientists, Arctic Monkeys and Art Brut. Old friends like Superchunk, The Effigies, Robert Pollard, The Plimsouls, World Party, J Mascis (Witch), The Silos and Th’ Faith Healers made stellar returns.
Current sensations like Belle & Sebastian, Goldfrapp, Eagles of Death Metal, The New Pornographers, The Go! Team, Fiery Furnaces, Spoon and Blackalicious all made appearances. The new class was represented by Okkervil River, Oranger, The Magic Numbers, Shout Out Out Out Out, Great Lake Swimmers and Elliott Brood. Neil Young appeared as the festival’s keynote speaker, and outrageous surprises included unannounced sets by The Flaming Lips, the Beastie Boys and My Chemical Romance.
A resurgence of psychedelia and shoegazing at SXSW sweetened the predominantly indie rock experience. The Fourth Annual Roky Erickson Psychedelic Ice Cream Social provided an opportunity to see the legendary Erickson in person. To hear hits from his days in the 13th Floor Elevators (and to watch the distinct jug-playing that spiffed up "You’re Gonna Miss Me") from the front row was unforgettable. The Minus 5, Secret Machines and The Magic Christians (who leapt straight out of a Nuggets box set) warmed up a crowd ranging from toddlers with Mohawks to young girls wearing "Too Young for Ashton" tees to the grey-haired set wearing wide grins.
Rainbow Quartz rightfully showboated their psych talent (The Morning After Girls, The High Dials, The Jessica Fletchers) during their showcase at the Blender Bar at the Ritz. The Shoegaze Hacienda at the Drink on 6th was another highlight as well as a timely reminder to not let any more dust accumulate on old My Bloody Valentine records. Even though Mark Gardener (Ride) was too ill to perform, his backing band, Goldrush, did a fine job of carrying the show without him.
Team Maple Leaf brought the noise, too. An international crowd was eagerly waiting – thanks in part to the Arts & Crafts roster’s, the Pink Mountaintops and The New Pornographers. Nearly 80 Canadian bands performed at this year’s SXSW. Many appeared at the Canadian Bash hosted by MuchMusic VJ Chris Nelson and at the North by Northeast (NXNE) showcase. Among the Canuck artists dazzling audiences all over Austin were Calgary’s Lorrie Matheson, Metric, Jason Collett, Novillero, Carolyn Mark, Magneta Lane, Pilate, Cuff the Duke, Whitey Houston, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Immaculate Machine, Sam Roberts Band, Julie Doiron, Holy Fuck, Shout Out Out Out Out, the Meligrove Band and others.
Many highlights of the festival were purely random moments. A guy disc- jockeyed 45 rpms on toy record players on the same patch of sidewalk that Mary Lou Lord was booted from the night before (according to the gossip, the soft voiced indie rocker was inexplicably in violation of a noise bylaw). While composing an article at a local Kinko’s, the rock band Future eX Wife (Sheffield, U.K.) duplicated demo CDs beside me. Uncannily, we sat beside each other once again at a volatile Rollergirls bruise fest at the end of the week. They appeared to be quite smitten with the Rollergirls.
In one word, the SXSW experience is serendipitous. Each act (selected from 8,000 applicants) performs as if their career depends on their showcase. If bands aren’t looking for a record deal, they’re looking to collect new fans. Additionally, a major selling point of attending SXSW is that smoking is no longer permitted indoors in Austin. Maintaining stamina for gig-hopping during the day and night was a cinch – the air was clean everywhere.
Aside from being the live music capital of the world, Austin offers a wealth of non-musical entertainment as well. The Mexican free-tailed bat population hanging underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge swells to 1.5 million at the peak of summer. It is the largest urban bat colony in the world. Unlike the countless bats, you won’t see more than one familiar fast food chain in downtown Austin. Austin offers a huge variety of mom and pop shops, hipster stores, delicious restaurants, and an endless variety of nooks and crannies waiting to be explored. Like the experience of SXSW, all it takes is a good sense of adventure and a decent pair of shoes.
To read Aubrey's hot tips for attending SXSW (start planning now!), read her full online journal at www.ffwdweekly.com. |
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