SXSW: Day Two

Wednesday was the busiest day for me. I saw a total of 18 bands. In SXSW terms, that's really not that much though. I started the day at the Gorilla vs. Booze party. They had free Red Stripe beer so it was worth riding my bike out there. I only got to see one band: Harlem. They play fun-loving, sloppy, lo-fi tunes with names like "Psychedelic Tits". Needless to say, I'm a big fan.

After Harlem I headed to the A Blog and a Band party. Felix Obelix, a twee band from North Carolina, played first followed by Deleted Scenes. It was great to see Deleted Scenes one last time before they headed back to DC. Don't forgot to join Rock Club at Deleted Scenes show the Black Cat this Saturday night.


Next up was a meeting with Steve from BabyStew.com. We met at the French Legation in East Austin which is a cool venue for SXSW shows. It has lush lawns for you to sprawl out, relax, and enjoy the music. It's perfect for a mid-day siesta or a game of Jarts. While there I saw Efterklang, Alela Diane, and Camera Obscura (pictured above). Efterklang was odd in a good way but Camera Obscura was disappointing. Their set just seemed blah so I decided to bolt after about 4 songs and go see The Wrens.


I arrived back at 6th St. in time for The Wrens but the line at the Radio Room was massive. I decided to suck it up since Thao and The Get Down Stay Down (pictured above) were also playing after The Wrens. So I waited. And waited. It was almost time for Thao's set and the line was still super long so I said, "fuck this." I left the line and was walking to my bike when I ran into Thao (we're friends from back in the day). When I pointed out the line she snuck me into the club by telling the security I was her roadie. Once inside I grabbed a beer and vowed never to waste my time like that again. SXSW offers too many bands to spend time standing in line.


After Thao's set I went to another bar to see The Homosexuals. The rest of Rock Club had seen them play just a few days earlier. The band delivers short, blistering post-punk songs followed by long winded rants about past Presidents and the perils of drug use (Just Say No!). I was especially amused by lead singer Bruno Wizard railing on the first President Bush. Reagan I can see. W? Absolutely. But George H. Bush? It just struck me as funny. It's like hating an insignificant NBA team, the Milwaukee Bucks. People know they exist but no one really has strong opinions on them one way or another.

After The Homo show it was time for dinner with my friend Carol Bui (conflict of interest alert!). We grabbed some awesome Tex-Mex at Manual's on Congress and then I raced to The Mohawk. I met a friend there for what I thought was Bishop Allen's time slot. Wrong. It was Richard Fucking Swift. A few years back we saw this ass clown at the Black Cat. He sucked then and he sucks now. To be fair, I gave him another shot. I stayed for three songs, decided I still hated his music, and then moved to the inside stage for Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band. I alternated stages for while and watched Bishop Allen, Julie Dioron, and Phosphorescent. I wish I had been closer to the stage for Julie Dioron because I love her album, Woke Myself Up. I had to watch from the adjacent room. I'm hoping she'll play Austin again soon when it's not so packed.

The rest of the evening was spent hanging out with friends at different venues. After seeing Crystal Stilts and a few other bands at the Red Room (no, not the Black Cat bar), we met up with Willis the drummer of The Get Down Stay Down. He suggested a showcase of Portland bands. When he and Thao had recorded their new album in Portland they became friends with many of the bands living there. The Upsidedown played some awesome psychedelic rock. Horse Feathers followed it up with a mellow set that was a calming way to wrap up a crazy day. However, about half-way through I was falling asleep so I called it a night. I still had two days of SXSW and I didn't want to be too tired.