sxsw 2009
Such a great showing at SXSW this year for music — so much to see, so much to do. I smiled the most at M.Ward at Central Presbyterian Church and PJ Harvey & John Parish at Stubb’s (never seen her before). M.Ward sounded great in the cavernous church, though I will admit it brought back some interesting memories sitting on a wooden pew for a few hours through the 4AD showcase. Miss Polly Jean cha-cha’ed her way across the stage during a few of her songs and she’s such the lady — where most singers would slug water straight out of whatever bottle they had on-stage, she walked over to her water, unscrewed the bottle, poured it into a glass and drank a few sips.
This year was the first year that I felt my age though — what is up with Steve Snere from These Arms are Snakes? While watching him at the Red Eyed Fly, I thought I was watching the love child of Scott Weiland, Iggy Pop and Tim Harrington. I wanted to scold him when he was climbing all over the stage or taking stage dive after stage dive — though his meat on the bar ceiling joke was great. I won’t even get into the insanity that was the Monotonix show at Mess with Texas. Watch for yourself, this YouTube video.
And there were moments that made me swoon — watching the Wrens, Rural Alberta Advantage, Handsome Furs and the Hold Steady at Hot Freaks made me crush on them all the more. Lest I forget, my first free kebab as a result of filling up a frequent Kebabalicious card. Oh, and Anni Rossi’s cover of an Ace of Base song, yeah, as well as Titus Andronicus’ cover of Spider Bags’ “Waking Up Drunk,” so good.
Too bad the Red Bull party got broken up — well, okay not technically broken up — muted, let’s say. I’d have really liked to see Erykah Badu Saturday night.
- the Hold Steady – Hornets! Hornets!
- Handsome Furs – Handsome Furs Hate This City
- M.Ward – Sad, Sad Song
- the Obits – Back and Forth
- Anni Rossi – Living In Danger (Ace of Base cover)
- Titus Andronicus – Waking Up Drunk (Spiderbags cover)
- PJ Harvey – When Under Ether
- Loney, Dear – I Was Only Going Out
- Heartless Bastards – Out at Sea
- the Von Bondies – 21st Birthday
- American Analog Set – The Only One
- the Thermals – Our Trip
- Graham Coxon – Flights In The Sea (Lovely Rain)
- No Age – Eraser
- Aqualung – Good Times Gonna Come
- These Arms are Snakes – Diggers of the Ditches Everywhere
- These United States – Diving Boards Pointed At The Sky
- the Riverboat Gamblers – The Art of Getting F****d
- the Wrens – This is Not What You Had Planned
- the Rural Alberta Advantage – In the Summertime
- St. Vincent – What Me Worry?
If you’re interested, my complete wanderings:
Tuesday
Team Fabrication (Creekside Lounge)
Quickie Mart
Wednesday
Ioda party (but no waffles)
Amanda Palmer (lead singer of Dresden Dolls, at Radio Room, acoustic cover of “Creep” was stellar, just her and an ukelele)
Port O’Brien
Heartless Bastards
Loney, Dear
Post War Years (Fader)
Abe Vigoda
Graham Coxon
Anni Rossi (Central Presbyterian Church, cover of Ace of Base)
M Ward
Department of Eagles
St. Vincent
Past Lives (Red Eyed Fly)
These Arms Are Snakes
Shepherd Fairey’s dj set (Red Bull Moon Tower)
Thursday
very last bit of Busdriver (Party Ends)
Fools Gold (Red 7)
Lucero
Brother Reade
the Hold Steady (kinda, was at the back of the audience)
No Age
Lissy Truille (Fader)
Tricky
Now These United States ((s)lysium)
Aqualung (covered Queen’s “Somebody to Love”)
Ed Harcourt
the Riverboat Gamblers (Red Bull)
Friday
the Wrens (Mohawk)
Rural Alberta Advantage
the Obits (Club Deville)
Handsome Furs
American Analog Set
the Thermals
the Hold Steady
Solid Gold (caught a song on a walking east-side tour)
Metallica (sat with friends next to APD garage and listened to most of their set, including “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “One,” “Sad but True,” “Master,” “Bread Fan,” “Seek and Destroy”)
Twin Atlantic (Red Bull)
Sons of Albion
Von Bondies
Saturday
Thao Nyguen (Waterloo Park)
Vivian Girls
Crystal Antlers
Monotonix
Razorlight (Stubb’s)
PJ Harvey
LA Riots (Radio Room)
Old Leather
Steve Aoki
Ponytail (Club Deville)
Titus Andronicus (Spider Bags’ cover)
Goldilocks (Red Bull, then shut down)
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