Category: South by Southwest (Page 7 of 9)

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

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Jonneine Zapata

March 24, 2010 /

Ms. Zapata’s name caught my eye when I saw it on the grid. It’s not often you find an artist who shares a surname with legendary Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata (who also begat the modern day Zapatista rebels of Chiapas.) I walked up Red River to the Red Eyed Fly and discovered that the venue has a great little outdoor stage in the back. The set was a treat, with the Los Angeles-based Zapata backed by a full band and displaying a powerful voice that at times recalled another great LA female rocker, Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde. One tune started off slow and almost meditative before building into a hard-edged riff rocker with Zapata really belting it out. It’s no surprise to see her album is titled Cast the Demons Out, as Zapata seemed like a tortured soul at times. But watching her channel that energy into the music was compelling. “Burn” was a muted-riff rocker, while “Cowboy” also had an aggressive sound before breaking down into a deep well of bluesy feedback.

Jonneine Zapata
Photo by Tiffany Kyees

Artists, Blues, Concerts, Rock, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: The Strange Boys

March 24, 2010 /

The evening showcases kicked off with Austin’s own Strange Boys, who hit the stage at Emo’s Jr., inside, at 8:00 pm. These guys (and one gal) have a very retro, ’60s garage rock sound. They’ve been generating some local buzz and the room was full of onlookers. Singer/guitarist Ryan Sambol has a gritty rasp that fits the R&B-flavored tunes well, but this sound is going to be an acquired taste for some. I don’t think it was quite my thing. I suspected this might be the case, so I had lined up a backup plan.

Artists, Concerts, Rock, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: The Maldives

March 24, 2010 /

Exiting the Levis/Fader Fort, I heard a bluesy sound coming out of the Independent across the street. The Maldives out of Seattle were rocking the stage with a honky-tonk, roots rock sound that recalled Neil Young and maybe Ryan Adams & the Cardinals. There were three guitars, pedal steel, banjo and fiddle along with the rhythm section and free Pyramid Hefeweizen on tap, which really hit the spot since it was rather steamy inside.

(Editor’s note: we went to add a picture from the band’s MySpace page to this entry, but received one of those fake anti-malware messages, so no picture. Sorry, Maldives.)

Artists, Blues, Concerts, Folk, Rock, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Free Energy

March 23, 2010 /

Over to the Levis/Fader Fort, which I’d seen described on Twitter the night before as a “funhouse for hipsters.” I wanted to check out Philadelphia buzz band Free Energy, and therefore braved a ridiculous 45-minute line to get in. I was rewarded with free drinks, which are often served at the sponsored day parties, but the power-pop rock quartet turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. They have catchy tunes, vintage gear, a great name and cool looks, but something seemed to be missing. The band members seemed like they were into it, but the tunes kept falling a little flat, like the musicians lacked the chops to propel the songs higher in a live setting. I wanted to love this band, but I just wasn’t feeling it and the crowd seemed to feel the same way. I wanted to catch one of their other showcases to give them a second chance, but was unable to do so. The Fort was definitely a great venue though, with lots of spots to chill, beer pong, a blogger’s lounge with laptops, a Korg soundlab with musical toys and more.

free energy

Artists, Concerts, Power Pop, Rock, South by Southwest

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