By hilary_jane on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 11:02 am
I just fled the dining room at the hotel because I ruined Texas-shaped waffles for everyone. I got four hours of sleep last night, and Jess and I just shuffled off for free breakfast like zombies. I made the mistake of making a waffle before having some coffee, and I also forgot to use the cooking spray conveniently placed right next to the waffle iron, so my waffle was definitely more of a fluffy, "IAMNOTBUDGINGFROMTHISCONTRAPTION" pastry. The looks I received from the French dance band in line behind us were scathing, to say the least.
Anyways: Good morning from Austin. Here's what happened on Day 2 of SXSW, which was chock full o' goodness, to say the least.
THE WANDAS at DARWIN'S: Keith is officially one of the most charming frontmen ever, and this fabulously facial-haired foursome did not disappoint for their last SXSW set yesterday afternoon. I'm a big fan of their latest, New Wave Blues, and I suggest you all check 'em out when you can as these Boston boys are rarely home due to their crazy touring schedule. They'll be playing Tommy Doyle's in Cambridge on March 27th.
FREE SNACKS! EVERYWHERE!: Before hitting the Wandas' set at Darwin's we stopped in to the Blind Pig to hang out with Christoph and friends, and there was the most delectable taco spread in existence. and it was ALL. FREE. I went up to the bar to order a Shiner Bock. Bartender handed it to me and literally shoved my crumpled three dollar bills back at me and smiled. Texas, why you gotta be so hospitable?
THE LOW ANTHEM at PASTE'S PARTY at GALAXY ROOM: I had the great pleasure of seeing Providence's folk wunderkids at the Newport Folk Festival back in August, and I can now happily report that Ben, Jocie, Geoff and the new guy are sounding better than ever. They packed Galaxy Room for the Paste party, which is no small feat seeing as members of the Decemberists were playing the stage behind them. Jocie particularly kicked ass on bass and belting her little heart out towards the end of the set. Ben's intensity is unrivaled as a meditative frontman, and Geoff effused pure joy at points on bass and drums. Such an enjoyable set, sad we missed them at the RS party last night.
THE ROLLING STONE SHINDIG at BEAUTY BAR: Disclaimer: I used to be a Rolling Stone intern and I majorly, majorly geek out in the presence of any of the writers/editors I used to work for. Jason Fine is the dude who threw together the RS SXSW Party lineup, and he did a bang-up job. We caught The Whigs at Beauty Bar, and they're undeniably one of the best live bands in existence at the moment. Drummer Julian especially is one of the most unstoppable percussive forces out there, the guy's like a real life Animal (minus the really, really awful teeth.)
MELISSA FERRICK at LIVE.CREATE.LOUNGE: To say that Melissa is a fierce talent would be an extreme discredit and understatement. She's WONDERFUL and soulful and warm and her music makes me want to pick up a guitar and make something meaningful. She's also so personable and she spent a good half an hour hugging fans and chatting them up after her set. A+ in the personality department; A+ in the talent department for Melissa Ferrick. (Jess is also obsessed with her, amazing songstress that she is.)
MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS, YES GIANTESS and... PEREZ? at LAMBERT's: Here's the deal: At festivals like SX, badges offer you the privilege of getting into shows first. Then, festival goers with wristbands can enter shows if there's room after badges get in. Then, the general public is allowed entry. During festivals like SXSW and CMJ, where shows take place at hundreds of venues across a given city, bands are rarely afforded the benefit of lists to ensure that various members of the media or their entourage get in. Such was the case at Lambert's: Marina and the Diamonds are a massive pop/dance act from the UK and they packed the two-level venue. The door lady, who was described as a "hillbilly nazi" by some in line, was literally SCREAMING at people who were trying to get in without badges. Some poor woman: "Hey! Sorry to bug you - the publicist from ____ said they would try to get me on a list tonight, is there-" Hillbilly Nazi Bouncer: "LIST?! I DON'T GOT NO GODDAMN LIST. NO BADGE, NO SHOW. NOW GET TO THE BACK O' THE LINE. NOW. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT COMING IN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BADGE." and then she promptly shoved the "BADGES ONLY" sign in the woman's face. How horrifically rude. But I digress - the show was KILLER. Marina and the Diamonds were fantastic, and I'm trying to track down a copy of their album as we speak. Perez Hilton was there scouting them out, as he's asked Marina and her crew to play his party tomorrow night. (Yes, your fair pblogger and gonzette met the Queen of All Media last night. No, she was not impressed.) Yes Giantess followed and had the entire room practically SEIZING in a matter of seconds. My favorite was the random gangly hipster who looked like he walked straight out of an American Apparel ad who kept wailing for their Miley Cyrus remix. All in all, a fantastic way to end the night.
SELLING MY SOUL FOR A CAB ON CONGRESS AND OTHER STORIES: We've heard horror stories about trying to catch rides home from downtown during SX, but we had no idea how awful it was until we were getting hollered at by a bunch of UT brahs on Congress Ave. After 45 minutes of pacing and flailing we finally hailed one and made it home. Austin: I love you, you've made me so happy since Wednesday, but for the love of all that is holy and good please hire more cab drivers for those of us who are staying three miles away from 6th street.
also: Jess, Geoff and Mikey are taking some INCREDIBLE PHOTOS of the shows here. When I leave on Sunday, there's going to be a Best Of SXSW 2010 in Photos post. In the meantime, check out Jess (http://www.jesshodge.com/) and Mikey's (http://www.michaelbasu.com/) websites, and the Dig's flickr for Geoff's stuff.
So that's where we're at, friends. As soon as I'm done with this post, I'm throwing on my chucks because my feet are killing me from yesterday and I'm running down to 6th for the Sonicbids party so that I can catch Cassavettes in action. After that, we're off to go hang with Deer Tick and Those Darlins, and then somehow we're winding up at the Spanish Embassy showcase. Austin, be my boyfriend.
By hilary_jane on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 11:02 am
I just fled the dining room at the hotel because I ruined Texas-shaped waffles for everyone. I got four hours of sleep last night, and Jess and I just shuffled off for free breakfast like zombies. I made the mistake of making a waffle before having some coffee, and I also forgot to use the cooking spray conveniently placed right next to the waffle iron, so my waffle was definitely more of a fluffy, "IAMNOTBUDGINGFROMTHISCONTRAPTION" pastry. The looks I received from the French dance band in line behind us were scathing, to say the least.
Anyways: Good morning from Austin. Here's what happened on Day 2 of SXSW, which was chock full o' goodness, to say the least.
THE WANDAS at DARWIN'S: Keith is officially one of the most charming frontmen ever, and this fabulously facial-haired foursome did not disappoint for their last SXSW set yesterday afternoon. I'm a big fan of their latest, New Wave Blues, and I suggest you all check 'em out when you can as these Boston boys are rarely home due to their crazy touring schedule. They'll be playing Tommy Doyle's in Cambridge on March 27th.
FREE SNACKS! EVERYWHERE!: Before hitting the Wandas' set at Darwin's we stopped in to the Blind Pig to hang out with Christoph and friends, and there was the most delectable taco spread in existence. and it was ALL. FREE. I went up to the bar to order a Shiner Bock. Bartender handed it to me and literally shoved my crumpled three dollar bills back at me and smiled. Texas, why you gotta be so hospitable?
THE LOW ANTHEM at PASTE'S PARTY at GALAXY ROOM: I had the great pleasure of seeing Providence's folk wunderkids at the Newport Folk Festival back in August, and I can now happily report that Ben, Jocie, Geoff and the new guy are sounding better than ever. They packed Galaxy Room for the Paste party, which is no small feat seeing as members of the Decemberists were playing the stage behind them. Jocie particularly kicked ass on bass and belting her little heart out towards the end of the set. Ben's intensity is unrivaled as a meditative frontman, and Geoff effused pure joy at points on bass and drums. Such an enjoyable set, sad we missed them at the RS party last night.
THE ROLLING STONE SHINDIG at BEAUTY BAR: Disclaimer: I used to be a Rolling Stone intern and I majorly, majorly geek out in the presence of any of the writers/editors I used to work for. Jason Fine is the dude who threw together the RS SXSW Party lineup, and he did a bang-up job. We caught The Whigs at Beauty Bar, and they're undeniably one of the best live bands in existence at the moment. Drummer Julian especially is one of the most unstoppable percussive forces out there, the guy's like a real life Animal (minus the really, really awful teeth.)
MELISSA FERRICK at LIVE.CREATE.LOUNGE: To say that Melissa is a fierce talent would be an extreme discredit and understatement. She's WONDERFUL and soulful and warm and her music makes me want to pick up a guitar and make something meaningful. She's also so personable and she spent a good half an hour hugging fans and chatting them up after her set. A+ in the personality department; A+ in the talent department for Melissa Ferrick. (Jess is also obsessed with her, amazing songstress that she is.)
MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS, YES GIANTESS and... PEREZ? at LAMBERT's: Here's the deal: At festivals like SX, badges offer you the privilege of getting into shows first. Then, festival goers with wristbands can enter shows if there's room after badges get in. Then, the general public is allowed entry. During festivals like SXSW and CMJ, where shows take place at hundreds of venues across a given city, bands are rarely afforded the benefit of lists to ensure that various members of the media or their entourage get in. Such was the case at Lambert's: Marina and the Diamonds are a massive pop/dance act from the UK and they packed the two-level venue. The door lady, who was described as a "hillbilly nazi" by some in line, was literally SCREAMING at people who were trying to get in without badges. Some poor woman: "Hey! Sorry to bug you - the publicist from ____ said they would try to get me on a list tonight, is there-" Hillbilly Nazi Bouncer: "LIST?! I DON'T GOT NO GODDAMN LIST. NO BADGE, NO SHOW. NOW GET TO THE BACK O' THE LINE. NOW. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT COMING IN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BADGE." and then she promptly shoved the "BADGES ONLY" sign in the woman's face. How horrifically rude. But I digress - the show was KILLER. Marina and the Diamonds were fantastic, and I'm trying to track down a copy of their album as we speak. Perez Hilton was there scouting them out, as he's asked Marina and her crew to play his party tomorrow night. (Yes, your fair pblogger and gonzette met the Queen of All Media last night. No, she was not impressed.) Yes Giantess followed and had the entire room practically SEIZING in a matter of seconds. My favorite was the random gangly hipster who looked like he walked straight out of an American Apparel ad who kept wailing for their Miley Cyrus remix. All in all, a fantastic way to end the night.
SELLING MY SOUL FOR A CAB ON CONGRESS AND OTHER STORIES: We've heard horror stories about trying to catch rides home from downtown during SX, but we had no idea how awful it was until we were getting hollered at by a bunch of UT brahs on Congress Ave. After 45 minutes of pacing and flailing we finally hailed one and made it home. Austin: I love you, you've made me so happy since Wednesday, but for the love of all that is holy and good please hire more cab drivers for those of us who are staying three miles away from 6th street.
also: Jess, Geoff and Mikey are taking some INCREDIBLE PHOTOS of the shows here. When I leave on Sunday, there's going to be a Best Of SXSW 2010 in Photos post. In the meantime, check out Jess (http://www.jesshodge.com/) and Mikey's (http://www.michaelbasu.com/) websites, and Geoff's flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hargadon/sets/72157623521583959/).
So that's where we're at, friends. As soon as I'm done with this post, I'm throwing on my chucks because my feet are killing me from yesterday and I'm running down to 6th for the Sonicbids party so that I can catch Cassavettes in action. After that, we're off to go hang with Deer Tick and Those Darlins, and then somehow we're winding up at the Spanish Embassy showcase. Austin, be my boyfriend.
By hilary_jane on Thu, Mar 18, 2010 2:08 pm
Like a cool kid, I slept through my alarm back in Boston yesterday morning, scrambled to finish packing before my last minute cab showed up, and then forked over $40 for said cab to drag my sleepy ass to Logan for my flight to SXSW. Logan was a madhouse at 7am, but I wasn’t alone in my SXSW-bound glory – Jenny Dee of The Downbeat Five and Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents were checking their guitars, and I saw a couple of other kids with gig cases walking around. Solidarity! Upon landing in Austin, there were plenty of handlebar mustaches on kids in skinny jeans to go around at the baggage claim and there were more pieces of equipment getting picked up than suitcases. I was definitely in the right place.
Given my mid-afternoon arrival, I missed a ton of panels, parties and showcases that I was actually really,really looking forward to checking out – Freelance Whales! The Fader Fort! Free food from Brooklyn Vegan! – but I wasn’t too worried about it given my ridiculous schedule between now and Sunday morning. Trusty photographer partner-in-crime-extraordinaire Jess Hodge and I hopped in the SXSW shuttle at our hotel and booked it to SX’s epicenter, 6th Street, and hit the pavement. We must’ve collected like 3840289340289 flyers from people handing out drink specials and inviting us to showcases before we headed over to see friends of our from the Boston band McAlister Drive playing Manic Fest Destiny at the Belmont. Earnest power pop and $1 drink specials aside, the real jaw dropper of this party? The Belmont had hired a little person to dress up like a leprechaun as a barback. I was just as horrified as amused. To all the people thinking "THAT'S OFFENSIVE!", you tell me how YOU would react to getting a margarita from a leprechaun, c’mon.
After taking a timeout for some Tex Mex on 6th Street, which had been closed off to traffic and now completely swarming with people since the sun went down, Jess ran off to go snap some shots of Melissa Ferrick and Mikey and I stopped into Spill for Magic Magic’s set. These guys always blow me away: I’m super impressed with their ability to keep their sound so tight, especially given that drummers Mike and Dylan are pounding their kits in perfect rhythm, and John’s high tenor makes for an interesting mix with the band’s trance-inducing lo-fi garage rock. We hung out with the Magic Magic dudes for a bit after, but we split from Spill – the St. Paddy’s day festivities had deeeefinitely commenced, and there was definitely some pukeage happening inside. John bumped into some girls he knew from New York outside, and the girls looked slightly gypsy-esque in multi-layered garb. Turns out the ladies got robbed in Mexico and they’re trying to make their way home. Random and awful, but Magic Magic kicked ‘em a couple bucks for the cause. Good chaps, they are.
This is all around 11pm, by the way: 6th Street is ABSOLUTELY SWARMING, there are green shamrock Mardi Gras beads everywhere, and the crowd is equal parts college coed and SXSW show-goer. We say goodnight to Magic Magic and head on over to the Driskill Hotel in search ofboot-stompin’ Boston-based Americana outfit Girls Guns and Glory. The hotel, with its gorgeous Georgian pillars and sprawling lobby, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. After the Alamo, it’s also one of the most haunted sites in Texas. We hung out with the dudes of Girls Guns and Glory before their set, who told us that the Driskill, which had been purchased for $400,000, was now valued at over $400,000 a room. We thought that the guys should’ve gotten to stay in the hotel for the night they were playing. They agreed.
Regardless of their lack of $400,000 abode, Girls Guns and Glory played an incredible set for the Driskill Hotel. The stage, which is located at the front of the hotel, has huge windows looking out onto the street, and passerby definitely noticed the antics of the next best thing to happen to Boston Americana. Way to represent, guys!
I’d like to say that our first night in Austin was spent downing Lonestars and heading out to secret shows on rooftops along Congress Ave until the wee hours of the morning, but we were so wiped after Girls Guns and Glory that we chugged huge bottles of water and passed out. Our goals for this evening are high, let's just leave it at that.
So! After my first day in Austin, here’s the basic gist of what I’ve learned:
1) Southern hospitality exists.
2) 6thStreet really IS Indie Rock Disneyland.
3) Hauntedhotels make for sick venues.
4) I like sleep.
Today, we’re hitting a ton of parties including the Paste and Rolling Stone shindigs, as well as various showcases. Our friends at Berklee have invited us over to their soiree as well, which we’re heading out to in abit after finding some migas. (There's an open bar. that is all.) A girl’s gotta rock, but not until she’s got breakfast and a couple of beers in her stomach, right? Right, y'all. Right.
By weeklydig on Tue, Mar 16, 2010 3:17 pm
LIVE REVIEW BY RILEY OHLSON
RJD2 got his start DJing for Columbus rap group MHz in the '90s, but is better known for his solo work, beginning with Your Face or Your Kneecaps in 2001, and hitting his stride with widely acclaimed 2002 release Deadringer. He's continued his hip-hop collaborations since then, releasing another three solo albums, most recently The Colossus. On Monday, March 8th, he took his newest act to the Paradise.
The show began with RJD2 in a get-up straight out of an '80s version of The Hurt Locker (defusing bombs in ... Grenada?), complete with a glittery welder's mask. A litany of "balls" jokes and a short ditty he dubbed "The Nutsack Symphony" drew a mixed reaction from the audience, but all was soon forgotten as he launched into his set. The sellout crowd started to bob their heads, and you could feel the collective loosening of hips as "Good Times Roll Pt. 2" called out to the people, "Are you ready!" and the room dutifully responded, "Yeeeaah" (although omitting the "noooo" that accompanies it on the album).
The set proceeded with a mix of live stuff, DJ'd tracks and a sliding scale of mixes between the two. RJD2 was joined by three musicians who accompanied him with everything from drums and keyboard to guitar and, perhaps in a bass-heavy, hip-hop danceparty first, a glockenspiel.
Behind them was the increasingly ubiquitous video screen for those with particularly acute ADD. Although we spent the better part of the show in obstructed seating (read: standing/dancing) that would've made the Garden proud, we caught some of the Aquateen Hunger Force, grainy '70s, and black and white noir movies ... even a scene from Tron.
Although the live stuff occasionally lacked the crowd-rousing energy of his DJ tracks, his pacing of the show was masterful. It never stalled, and each acceleration into another crowd pleaser seemed to build to even higher levels of dance euphoria. By the end of the show, I began to suspect that it was all deliberate—that RJD2 treating the whole set the same way he cuts a track, knowing when to bring the listener down a bit, and exactly when to raise their heart rate again. He spliced together newer stuff, live stuff, and older hits like "The Horror" and "Sunshine Maybe Rain," without breaking a sweat (which is more than can be said for the crowd). At one point, the group even faded a live song so seamlessly, it felt like I was on my porch hearing a track on one of his records end.
As the blowing wind, strumming guitar and syncopated snare of "Ghostwriter" first started to drift out of the speakers, it was easy to tell this was the one song that everyone in the room knew for sure. You could feel the anticipation of the crescendo of horns in the song saturating the room, like a rain cloud about to burst. By the end, the crowd was amped to start their "one more song chant." When RJD2 returned to the stage, he shouted, "I don't know if we can do one more song," and even though the next thing out of his mouth was eminently predictable, no one was any less pleased: "But maybe we can do two more songs."
The encore started off with a marriage of a throwback video game and a battle hymn, and ended with an acoustic clap-along ballad that let the crowd down easy. At some point during the evening, the video screen had turned monochrome blue. The fact that no one I talked to could pinpoint quite when that was is probably the best testament to RJD2's totally enrapturing live performance.
By cmcduffie on Sun, Mar 14, 2010 10:33 pm
The Middle East is a great venue when it's kind of full--but it can be a mess when it's completely sold out.
Unfortunately, Copeland's last show ever in Boston took place at the sold out Middle East this past Saturday. Opening acts included Deas Vail and Person L, delivering short but cute sets. Acoustics for the show were off, but Person L managed to push out a passionate performance. "Wooden Soldiers" and "Storms" were among crowd favorites, for those who were close enough to enjoy it.
I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business were up next, and quite frankly I wasn't that interested. Ace Enders, the former frontman of The Early November, has abandoned his pop-punk roots in order to indulge other creative endeavors such as I Can Make A Mess. Although their sound pales in comparison to The Early November, the softer side of Enders shine through, and songs like "Old Man ... You're Not" (off the new record to be released March 23) gave credence to this.
Finally, Copeland took the stage. In between countlessly thanking fans for making this tour the most successful and memorable, lead singer Aaron Marsh belted out hit after Copeland hit. Although their last album was released was in 2008, no one seemed to care and enjoyed watching the band performing songs from Beneath The Medicine Tree ("Take Care," "California," "When Paula Speaks"), In Motion ("No One Really Wins," "Pin Your Wings"), and their last record You Are My Sunshine ("Grey Man," "Chin Up"). It was a very heartfelt performance from the Florida natives, and quite a satisfying way to end a career that was almost a decade long.
Too bad the venue was jammed, though. It would have been nice to have a little room to swoon.
By cmcduffie on Wed, Mar 10, 2010 1:53 pm
Moving a show from a Saturday night to Tuesday evening at the illustrious Middle East sounds like quite of a buzzkill. But somehow it wasn't as damaging as it sounds for the release show for Crime In Stereo's latest creation "I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone' on Bridge Nine Records last week. The Long Island natives delivered an intense performance, showing that their latest material is arguably their strongest. It was a distinct balance between old and new, and fresher songs like 'Drugwolf,' and 'Type One' were go betweens for fan favorites like 'Small Skeletal' and 'But You Are Vast' found on their 2007 album, 'Is Dead.' While the boys manage to put on a show with alot of passion and heart, Defeater, one of the three opening bands (alongside Transit and Make Do and Mend) seemed to own the night.
As soon as Defeater stepped onstage, legions of their most devoted followers congregated to the front of the stage to mosh, crazily echo all the lyrics to every song faster thanlead vocalist Derek Archambault could belt them out, and to ultimately climb each other to rip the microphone out of Archambault's hand anytime he grazed them. With their latest record, Lost Ground, being well received from fans and critics alike, it's hard not to get excited when witnessing them live in concert. Every song Defeater performed had the audience frothing at the mouth for more, but it was 'Prophet in Plain Clothes' that turned out to be the most memorable of the evening. Maybe I was impressed because I haven't been to such a grimy punk show in ages (my calender has recently been infiltrated by that overcrowded, overpriced House of Blues bullshit), but the energy and mere presence of Defeater (as well as of their loyal fans) is definitely something worth checking out.
By ioncrash on Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:26 pm
None-too-shockingly, Jonas Stein of Turbo Fruits (formerly of Be YourOwn Pet) turns out to be a pretty chill guy. After all, the dude’s written more songs about weed than I care to list right now. Getting high, being high, and having just been high: those are important themes. Leave it at that (I will just mention that one of their early singles is called “Volcano,” and involves Jonas saying “volcano” over and over). That said though, the guy IS a garage-rocker, and I was a little surprised when I went to his show with Surfer Blood and Doomstar!, and it turned out that he was the guy leaning quietly in a corner sipping a beer and people-watching.
We chatted for a minute about regular dude things, like vacation (“We just played a couple shows in Costa Rica. It was awesome. Best time of my life.”), beer (“Yeah I dunno, I like good Guiness and PBR. Nothing too fancy.”), and his band’s moustache contest (“We haven’t really decided how to tell who wins… volume, I guess.”) before he went to get ready for the show. For as laid back as the guy is, though, he knows how to wail. Turbo Fruits had everything you want in a live rock show: they were loud, their solos were awesome, they were tight as all hell, and the songs were interesting and varied enough to keep you involved. It’s kind of a shame they weren’t headlining – they probably would have really gotten the crowd worked up.
As it was, though, Surfer Blood was the headliner, and they did whateveryone expected them to do – they showed up and played their songs.I was a little disappointed that not much changed in the transition from album to live show – some more solos might have been nice, or a little running around and swinging from lighting fixtures maybe… maybe some choreographed dance routines? I dunno. But, that said, the show was pretty good – everyone got what they came for – good, tight, well-thought-out songs and a chance to see some dudes who’ve only just started to sell out shows. Next time around, maybe we’ll get a little dancing.
By CaraBayles on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 12:36 pm
... the healthcare forum! The folks at the Sunlight Foundation are streaming it ... and cunningly including a sidebar that shows how much
money each speaker has received in campaign contributions from the
healthcare industry.
http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/live/
By weeklydig on Wed, Feb 10, 2010 2:48 pm
It's so snowy that I had to shovel my driveway with rain.
Your turn. Get your sarcasm warmed up and finish the sentence:
It's so snowy that...
