Category: Concerts (Page 11 of 47)

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Spoon

March 24, 2010 /

I’d passed on Spoon’s headlining set at Stubbs to see Nas & Damian Marley, but the Austin-based indie rockers were still playing when the Emos’ show let out, so I went back in to catch the end of the set. I’ve been lukewarm on the band, although they have certain tunes I dig. I guess I just don’t understand their formula of playing two or three songs that are kinda blah, then throwing down a hard-hitting rocker, then two more blah, then another rocker. So the set was kind of up and down to this reporter’s view, as opposed to last year’s Wednesday night headliner set at Stubbs when the Decemberists captivated the crowd with a full performance of their Hazards of Love album.

spoon

Alternative, Artists, Concerts, Rock, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Nas & Damian Marley

March 24, 2010 /

Back over to Emo’s main outdoor stage for a highly-anticipated midnight set from Nas & Damian Marley, who have a new collaborative album out. The place was packed and rightfully so, for this was a truly electrifying set mixing the ace hip-hop skills of Nas with the classic reggae vibe of the Marley clan. Nas opened it up with one of his classic raps and then introduced Marley, who sang/rapped over a “One Love” groove. The duo kept mixing reggae and hip-hop throughout the set, such as on “As We Enter,” which featured a line from Nas about the duo being “real revolution rhymers.” “Only the Strong” was another strong moment from Nas, while Marley later rocked a “Road to Zion” jam with Nas proclaiming “revolutionary warfare from Damien Marley.” The crowd loved every minute of the superb 45-minute set. This pair definitely won the best new duo of SXSW award and are surely an act to watch in 2010.

Artists, Concerts, Hip Hop, Rap, Reggae, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Broken Bells

March 24, 2010 /

I caught up with Broken Bells here at Stubbs since they followed Jones with an 11:00 PM set. The new band from the Shins’ James Mercer and Danger Mouse was definitely one of the most buzzed about. This probably comes from the fact that the Shins have quite simply become one of the most influential bands of the 21st century’s first decade. The Broken Bells sound a lot like the Shins, frankly, due to the distinctive voice and talent of James Mercer. But there’s less guitar and more keys and samples, triggered by Mr. Mouse on drums. The band has a groovy if laid back sound that seemed to hold the crowd’s attention fairly well. “Vaporize” and “Mongrel Heart” both have that classic Shins-y vocal from Mercer over a Shins-y type of groove, which seemed to resonate. The last two songs also featured more guitar, which helped build the energy some more, with Danger Mouse also playing guitar at the end over a sampled beat. It wasn’t the dazzling set that SXSWers have come to expect from evening showcases at Stubbs, but this is a new band, so it’s only logical that they might need some time to develop. There’s definitely some potential here, though.

Artists, Concerts, Electronica, Pop, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

March 24, 2010 /

I had to get over to Stubbs BBQ a little early for Sharon Jones’ 9:45 PM set because the line is always long to get in at this venue, which tends to host the more popular acts. The place was packed for NPR night, with the radio station broadcasting the entire evening nationally. The soul queen hit the stage with her crack band and owned the audience instantly. The band’s rendition of “This Land is My Land” was surely the funkiest version ever played. A new song had an early ’70s James Brown funk vibe, while another song took the crowd “back to 1965 on a soul train” and featured a big groovy jam. This stuff was retro to be sure, but with the fresh vibe that comes from top-shelf talent getting the most out of each song. It was a fantastic set.

Sharon Jones, SXSW 2010
Photo by Steve Hopson

Artists, Concerts, Soul, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Here We Go Magic

March 24, 2010 /

At 9:00PM it was up the street to Club Deville for Here We Go Magic, out of Brooklyn. It was another outdoor stage with Christmas lights, which provided a festive vibe, and the place was pretty packed. The sound was crystal clear but the first couple of tunes seemed like they were building up to something that never came. The third tune got a bouncy psyche groove going, though, which started to establish some more vibe. I couldn’t stay until the end of the set, but was intrigued enough to want to check them out again some time.

magic
Photo by Ben Ritter

Artists, Concerts, Psychedelic, Rock, South by Southwest

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Eat Sleep Drink Music

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑