Report from SxSw

[KEXPMF]

Have you ever been to SxSw? If not, forget it, you missed it. Don't go now. It's gotten way out of hand and has become Mardi Gras. 1300 bands. You can barely get into shows you want to see.
But I did manage to sqeak into a show or two so here is a partial list of what I saw:

Fatboy Slim (luckily a breeze to get in because everyone and their dog went to Queens of the Stone Age)
NY Dolls
Kasabian
PDHM (for fans of Pantera, Life of Agony, Slayer) (I'm not into this music, I went to support a friend who works with them. SUPER nice guys too and I hope they take over the hardcore metal world! :) )
The Bravery (recommended for fans of Franz!)
Nic Armstrong & the Thieves (recommended for fans of the Black Keys, which I call a cross between Hendrix and Muddy Waters)
The Donnas ( not my thing, very simple rock music but they seem to be adored)
Billy Idol (I have to say puts on a GREAT show)
Vallejo
Young Heart Attack (for fans of ACDC. High energy fun)
M.Ward
Pretty Girls Make Graves
Pedro the Lion
Matt Caws (from Nada Surf)
Robbers on High Street
Mavis Staples


what I missed OR couldn't get in to:
LCD Soundsystem
M.I.A.
The Juliana Theory
Muddy Waters
Robert Plant
Magnapop
Radio 4
VHS or Beta
The Go! Team
Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Bloc Party
Aqualung
West Indian Girl
Tegan & Sarah
Cut Copy
Bumblebeez 81
Idlewild
The Music

SEE? It's too overwhelming.

A highlight of the daytime conference:
Robert Plant being interviewed and telling a funny story about driving near Portland and listening to KBOO during their pledge drive... he was enjoying listening to some old,obscure blues they were playing, when the DJ came on and said, "If you want this station to continue, we need your support, call __ to pledge. And... we promise we will NEVER play 'Stairway to Heaven'."
Robert pulled over immediately and got out his credit card to pledge. When they asked his name, he said, "R. Plant, care of Ahmet Ertegun/Atlantic Records". So Ahmet got letters/progress reports from the station and even in their letters it said "We will never play Stairway to Heaven." He thought that was endlessly funny. He said, "Hey, it's a good song, but you know, I've heard it before".

His whole interview was very interesting. It makes you realize that practically with a shift of wind direction, Led Zeppelin may not have ever happened. I shudder at the thought!!

Low point of SxSw: Watching KU lose to Bucknell. I was wearing my KU t-shirt and got lots of sympathy as I walked around 6th Street. :(

Overall...If one more person tries to talk to me about their band or tells me to come see their band, I'm going to explain to them that is the equivalent of inviting the winner of the Annual 4th of July Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest to a weenie roast. I've just eaten 178 hotdogs in a period of 12 minutes and you want to offer me a hotdog. That's how I feel right now. :cool:

[tentoze]

Somehow, I had never heard of this extravaganza before about a month ago, and thus missed it this year. No doubt it MUST be a real zoo, but out of those 1300 bands, there were a coupla dozen playing that I would kill to see live. It will be on the radar for next year though..........

BTW, wouldn't Muddy Waters be kinda stiff on stage these days???

[-Jar-]

Low point of SxSw: Watching KU lose to Bucknell. I was wearing my KU t-shirt and got lots of sympathy as I walked around 6th Street. :(



Yea, talk about a shift of the wind.. one basket and my whole bracket is shot to hell.

Of course, they might not have lasted the next round anyway.. who knows.

-jar

[Swish]

Have you ever been to SxSw? If not, forget it, you missed it. Don't go now. It's gotten way out of hand and has become Mardi Gras. 1300 bands. You can barely get into shows you want to see.

Low point of SxSw: Watching KU lose to Bucknell. I was wearing my KU t-shirt and got lots of sympathy as I walked around 6th Street. :(


that was a highlight of my night when it happened. I'm not a true Bucknell fan, although it's only about 90 minutes from me. I know their coach, Pat Flannery, but not as a friend (I mentioned earlier that I played against him in high school and we beat his team, barely, to win their holiday tounament). He was one scrappy and talented player, later becoming coach at nearby Lebanon Valley College, where he led them to National Champions of Division III. He's a successful guy who is loved by his players and the fans, and Bucknell didn't even offer athletic scholarships until 2002, so they still have a few players who are paying their own way! I know I already shared that info on the board, but it's worth repeating. Heck, no team from their Patriot League had ever won a game in the NCAA playoffs before this huge upset. Compare that to a machine like Kansas and it's easy to see why I wanted Bucknell to win. The lack of class shown by most of the Kansas players after the game, when they walked off without shaking hands with the Bucknell players, was really a shock to me. I'm sure most of them regret it and I hope their AD let them have it but good! As for the Bison, they only had one senior on the team this year, and he wasn't a starter, so I fully expect them back next year and they could go even deeper...maybe Sweet 16? Elite 8? Ok, maybe that won't happen, but you never know.

Oh yeah, about South by Southwest. I've read and heard a lot about this for years and always thought about going, but I like the way the New Orleans Jazz Fest is organized; one site for all the bands, with a bunch of stages set up throughout the enclosed area (actually a horse-racing track) and you can just roam around and see whomever you want. Getting a good seat, or more accurately a good piece of sod on which to sit, is tough for some of the bigger acts, but you're free to listen to anyone you like. You pay a flat price at the gate and you're good for the entire day. Your experience there tells me that it might be a real PITA trying to see someone who is really hot. I don't mind crowds in certain situations, but not for something like that. I think I'll have to pass.

Swish

[dean_martin]

WOW, it has become huge. I've been following it in mags and online for several years. I understand that they've recently added an independent film festival type program to the mix. Is there any chance of that breaking off and becoming a seperate event at a different time? Did you catch any films?

Also, I understand the Austin City Limits Music Festival has become a big event, too.

[KEXPMF]

Somehow, I had never heard of this extravaganza before about a month ago, and thus missed it this year. No doubt it MUST be a real zoo, but out of those 1300 bands, there were a coupla dozen playing that I would kill to see live. It will be on the radar for next year though..........

BTW, wouldn't Muddy Waters be kinda stiff on stage these days???

OH MY GOSH! I left off a very important word after Muddy Waters... that word would be 'TRIBUTE' LOL!!!
Robert Plant got into the Muddy Waters Tribute show I heard.
I don't really recommend SxSw now. I would have 5 years ago. It's very expensive (wristbands or badge) and be prepared to not get in to the big shows (and the popular small shows). And be prepared to be frustrated when you find that 4 bands you want to see are going on at once. Or if they aren't going on a once, you won't get in to 3 of them due to the time you have to spend waiting outside so you can get in to one of them.
I MUCH more recommend JazzFest, Bumbershoot (Seattle), Coachella (Palm Springs) or dozens of better music festivals. SxSw is about something else now. Hype and marketing.

[KEXPMF]

WOW, it has become huge. I've been following it in mags and online for several years. I understand that they've recently added an independent film festival type program to the mix. Is there any chance of that breaking off and becoming a seperate event at a different time? Did you catch any films?

Also, I understand the Austin City Limits Music Festival has become a big event, too.

Yes, I've heard very good things about that one. Haven't been to it though.
re: films - you know, I MEANT to check that out... but I meant to check out a ton of things and it just wasn't in the cards. I saw some long lines for the films. Lines. That's a big part of SxSw. You need a cab at night? Be prepared to wait in a long line. I met some nice lads from Brighton, the Go! Team (good band) during a 40 minute wait in a taxi line one night.
Bumbershoot in Seattle is my favorite these days. I go every year now. They have a FANTASTIC film festival and comedy and art exhibits and more. My Seattle friends make fun of me because I go every day, all day for 4 days to Bumbershoot. Just like JazzFest in New Orleans... they locals don't usually like it much, but everyone usually goes for at least one day. Pixies at Bumbershoot this year... one of the best concerts of my life. And Seattle weather in August/September... not a bad thing at all. And I can listen to my beloved KEXP on the air! (that's why I'm the KEXPMF - MF stands for Morning Faithful... it's because of their a.m. DJ)
Coachella is tied with Bumbershoot (although I've only been to that one once). Imagine all the music you love in one place on pristine polo fields. Now that's a good one. I've sadly never yet been to the European music festivals although I hear they are perfection. Coachella was modeled after those festivals.

[tentoze]

I'll have to scope out Coachella- it would be convenient as far as location goes.........

---edit---- Just checked out the Coachella website- I'll take a big pass on that one, at least this year...Only a couple of groups in the entire line-up that I'd drive across the street for. Having admitted that, the last microscopic glob of indie-hipster cred has evaporated here.........

[KEXPMF]

that was a highlight of my night when it happened. I'm not a true Bucknell fan, although it's only about 90 minutes from me. I know their coach, Pat Flannery, but not as a friend (I mentioned earlier that I played against him in high school and we beat his team, barely, to win their holiday tounament). He was one scrappy and talented player, later becoming coach at nearby Lebanon Valley College, where he led them to National Champions of Division III. He's a successful guy who is loved by his players and the fans, and Bucknell didn't even offer athletic scholarships until 2002, so they still have a few players who are paying their own way! I know I already shared that info on the board, but it's worth repeating. Heck, no team from their Patriot League had ever won a game in the NCAA playoffs before this huge upset. Compare that to a machine like Kansas and it's easy to see why I wanted Bucknell to win. The lack of class shown by most of the Kansas players after the game, when they walked off without shaking hands with the Bucknell players, was really a shock to me. I'm sure most of them regret it and I hope their AD let them have it but good! As for the Bison, they only had one senior on the team this year, and he wasn't a starter, so I fully expect them back next year and they could go even deeper...maybe Sweet 16? Elite 8? Ok, maybe that won't happen, but you never know.

Swish

KU did that? I didn't know. That's not cool. I imagine they were in shock. Still, not cool. Jim Clark and I will apologize on behalf of the Jayhawks. I will keep Bucknell in mind for sure when I fill out my brackets for next year. I think I'm sunk this year unless Illinois go all the way.
I hear you about rooting for the underdog. I do, unles they are playing against the Jayhawks. :)

[KEXPMF]

Oh yeah, about South by Southwest. I've read and heard a lot about this for years and always thought about going, but I like the way the New Orleans Jazz Fest is organized; one site for all the bands, with a bunch of stages set up throughout the enclosed area (actually a horse-racing track) and you can just roam around and see whomever you want. Getting a good seat, or more accurately a good piece of sod on which to sit, is tough for some of the bigger acts, but you're free to listen to anyone you like. You pay a flat price at the gate and you're good for the entire day. Your experience there tells me that it might be a real PITA trying to see someone who is really hot. I don't mind crowds in certain situations, but not for something like that. I think I'll have to pass.

Swish

The smartest thing I ever did at JazzFest was, while the entire world went to one side of the racetrack to watch Dave Matthews Band, or maybe it was the year Phish played?....
I went to the usually-very-crowded Jazz Tent (the one WBGO sponsors) and got a great seat, front and center, even put my feet up, to something huge (although I forget what... not Miles Davis huge but something up nearly at that level) :)
Sorry I can't remember which jazz great I saw right then. I've been to 5 JazzFests and it's a blur!! The moral of the story is... when the masses go one way.... go the other way. (Unless it's the Pixies at Bumbershoot... just go, camp out if you have to, join the masses!)