Page 120 of 583

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: The Eggmen

March 23, 2010 /

Walking back up Red River on this beautiful sunny day, my ear caught a Beatle-esque sound coming from Jaime’s Spanish Village, a Mexican restaurant across the street from Stubbs BBQ. The Eggmen were set up on the tiny patio with a rotating lineup that included seven people at this point. The addition of fiddle and ukulele to the standard band lineup added a more exotic flavor to great renditions of “I’m Only Sleeping,” “Fixing a Hole,” “From Me to You” and “All You Need is Love.” Some kind of Beatles marathon was taking place and these tunes were a great fit on a balmy afternoon.

eggmen

Artists, Concerts, Pop, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 1: Yukon Blonde

March 23, 2010 /

I tried to catch buzz band Broken Bells doing an impromptu 1:00 PM set in the Red River Street garage that was hosted by AOL Music, but the line was too damn long. I wandered up the street to see what was happening at the Mohawk, one of Austin’s finest smaller clubs. This was where I made my first surprise discovery, in the form of Yukon Blonde. The Vancouver-based quartet were rocking a vibrant sound on the outdoor stage that recalled My Morning Jacket and Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Three-part harmonies elevated the tunes further and it was clear this band had both excellent musicianship and strong songwriting skills. A powerful jam at the end of their set brought things to a rousing conclusion before the appreciative audience.

yukon blonde

Americana, Artists, Concerts, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits: “Successful SXSW,” “Caution Before Signing” music panels

March 23, 2010 /

The weather was perfect for the first three days, with sunny highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, making Austin feel like Rock ‘N Roll Paradise Vacation Land. I started off with the opening panel, “Successful SXSW: The Tao of the Conference” with CD Baby founder Derek Sivers. The panel seemed aimed at the musicians themselves, with Sivers encouraging them to get out and network and promote themselves. Sivers said the most essential point in SXSW networking is the follow-up after the conference. “Persistence is polite,” said Sivers, citing the tale of one label rep who said they didn’t respond to anyone who didn’t call at least three times first.

At 12:30 pm, I checked out the “Caution Before Signing” panel with entertainment attorneys Brian Rosenblatt and John Strohm, who went over the details of what bands should be looking for before signing contracts. The panel was run as a hypothetical scenario for a band, and it seemed like a very useful panel indeed for musicians on the verge, but less compelling if you’re not in that category. One example cited of how contractual issues can become pivotal down the line was Cadillac’s use of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” for a commercial on their “Break on Through” campaign a few years ago. The company originally wanted to use The Doors’ “Break on Through,” but the group’s band agreement required unanimous approval for such licensing and Jim Morrison’s estate voted against it, feeling Jim would not approve. The role of the band manager was also discussed, with the attorneys clarifying that it is to “find ways to exploit the creative output of the artist, not to book gigs, which is an agent’s job.”

Artists, Concerts, South by Southwest

Concert review: They Might Be Giants, Capitol Theatre, Columbus OH 3/14/10: “We Want Cake! Where’s Our Cake?”

March 22, 2010 /

If you’re looking for Brooklyn’s Finest, avoid the multiplex this weekend; you’ll find them in concert in the form of infectiously catchy geek rockers They Might Be Giants. Supporting their latest kid-oriented, parent-friendly CD/DVD release Here Comes Science, TMBG stopped in Columbus recently and pulled out all the stops.

Frontmen John Linnell and John Flansburgh led a set that drew heavily from Science and its Grammy-winning predecessor, Here Come the 123s, making sure to include tracks that gave their bandmates a moment in the spotlight. Fans were encouraged to cheer for bassist Danny Wienkauf as he sang lead on “I Am a Paleontologist” because “he’s having a birthday this year,” and to welcome percussionist and “High Five” lead singer Marty Beller “straight from the dance halls of New York” – though, regrettably, the stage setup seemed to dissuade fans from actually high-fiving Marty during the song; he had to settle for air-fives. Horn master Curt Ramm was touted as “the hardest-working member of the band,” and he proved it, knocking out a stellar version of “Seven Days of the Week” on trumpet and following up later with tuba, more trumpet, and of course the irresistible horn intro added to “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).”

They_Might_Be_Giants_01

But the music, while solid, was only the bare cake. This being a family show, TMBG knew they needed plenty of frosting for the kids. Upon entering the show, every child attendee was given a giant foam finger emblazoned with the band’s name – which came in handy for pre-show tickling and sword fights. Early tracks such as “Kids Go!” encouraged the little ones to get up out of their seats, “move like a monkey” and “move like a jumping bean.” During “Particle Man,” Linnell exhorted his young fans to “keep clapping: It’s the only thing that keeps our spirits up when the chord changes to C Minor.” Ironically, the one missed opportunity with regard to audience participation was the criminal omission of fan favorite “Seven,” with its “We want cake! Where’s our cake?” lyrics just born to be screamed by a theater full of children.

Despite that shortcoming, the band delivered ample visual frosting as well: Beller’s drum kit was accessorized with a toy pigeon, and, in a joke that everyone past the first several rows likely missed, Linnell’s accordion was labeled his “Main Squeeze.” Halfway through the show, Linnell and Flansbaugh disappeared, replaced by a puppet duo dubbed “The Avatars of Men” who shared uncanny vocal similarities with John and John. In a nod to Spinal Tap the parents surely appreciated, the Avatars thanked TMBG for serving as their opening act, and then launched into a goofy, disco-ball-accented version of “Shooting Star.”

And what good is a children’s cake without sprinkles on it? As if the live experience of nearly all their favorite TMBG songs weren’t enough, the audience was showered in colorful confetti at the beginning, middle and end of the show. Kids young and old leapt out of their seats to catch the bright, fluttering sprinkles. Boys stuffed handfuls of confetti into the openings in their foam fingers to hoard for later; a little girl shared some with the three-year-old sitting behind her, who happened to be my son. His eyes gleaming, hands filled with confetti, he beamed at me after the show and said, “We saw Giants!”

We saw Giants, indeed.

Alternative, Artists, Concerts, Pop

SXSW Music 2010, Day 4: Neither Wind Nor Rain…

March 22, 2010 /

The weather took a decided turn for the worse in the middle of the night when a big rainstorm hit town. Festival-goers were spared precipitation on Saturday, but the temperature dropped into the 50s and it was cold and windy throughout the day. It felt more like a late-autumn afternoon in the Midwest than Spring Equinox in Austin, but the chilly conditions would not stop SXSW music fans from getting their fill on the final day of the conference/festival.

The big highlight of Saturday afternoon was Rachel Ray’s day party at Stubbs BBQ, which required a special invite. The general RSVP line was going nowhere, but thank goodness a friend had an extra pass. Free margaritas and bloody Marys were served along with chicken quesadillas and meatball sandwiches. Jakob Dylan and Three Legs (featuring the dazzling Neko Case) played a strong set that had a sound not unlike some of the recent work of Jakob’s dad – slow-burning blues and Americana sprinkled with the Tex-Mex flavor. Case’s backing vocals added an extra element to raise the songs higher for what sounds like some of the younger Dylan’s best work.

Street Sweeper Social Club stole the show though with an incendiary set that provided a needed infusion of heat to the chilly conditions. Tom Morello, Boots Riley and company rocked a heavy sound with a definite Rage kind of vibe that had people bouncing. This was one of the best sets of the week.

She & Him closed out the party with a strong set of their own. Zooey Deschanel sounded great, especially with the Chapin Sisters appearing as guest to harmonize with her. M.Ward led the able band, which even rocked out a deep jam at the end.

Getting indoors became the next imperative and there was a large crowd inside Lovejoys, one of Austin’s best dive bars. They had music too, of course, with Middle Distance Runner rocking a heavy sound. The guitarist even pulled one of Tom Morello’s slide guitar tricks. Caitlin Krisko & the Broadcast followed with a bluesier sound, with the charismatic blonde frontwoman belting out some powerful tunes, while a conga player helped provided polyrthythms.

After a break to eat some dinner and catch some March Madness (how about those Northern Iowa Panthers), it was over to Spill on 6th Street where Antennas Up were showcasing at 8 pm. The Kansas City band has a funky sound accented by some trippy synth samples. They’re clearly into the space vibe with astronaut helmets that were donned during one tune, and Space Invaders stickers on the drum kit.

The highlight of the early evening was the redemptive 9:00 set from the Watson Twins at the Central Presbyterian Church on 8th Street. The venue is an actual church with amazing acoustics. Combining this with an evening headliner slot had a dramatic effect on the Twins, with this set highlighting their dynamic sound in a way that their Friday day party set could not. They still didn’t play anything off their first album, but the new tunes sparkled in a new light in this setting.

The 10:00 hour fell flat for a variety of reasons, but Dengue Fever stepped up with an 11:00 set at Emo’s main to get things rocking again. Cambodian vocalist Chom Nimol started off the set wearing a hoodie and skullcap, but she and the band quickly heated things up with their groovy sound, causing Nimol to strip off layers until she was just wearing a pretty blue dress.

Then it was over to La Zona Rosa on West 4th Street for a great SXSW finale with Pretty Lights, who blew up the joint with their funky beats and trippy sounds. The Colorado duo’s spectacular light show provided a dazzling accompaniment to the dance party which went right up until 2 am.

Much more on the past four days coming in my wrap-up report within the next 24 hours…

Concerts, South by Southwest

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Eat Sleep Drink Music

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑