From David:
Unbefuckinglievable was the watchword of Day 2 of SXSW 2007.
As in, it was unbefuckinglievable that there wasn’t a bigger line outside La Zona Rosa for the evening showcase. And it was unbefuckinglievable that I got to see Pete Townsend. And really the entire bill at La Zona Rosa was unbefuckinglievable. Thursday was by far the best day of the festival for Smarmy Hipster.
But first things first: Jason and I, having excellent forethought, had RSVPed months ago to the Quack! Media (publishers of Found magazine, which I actually find to be an awesome, unique concept) day show at Bourbon Rocks on 6th. The two bands we were going to see were Okkervil River and The Walkmen. But who to our wondering eyes should appear, but Tally Hall, forcing us to drink lots of beer. Seriously, though, we sat outside when those guys went on. I’ve ragged on them enough, though. Okkervil River (***Official Favorite Austin Band of Smarmy Hipster***) started off the party with a great set. I can’t brag on these guys enough. They have excellent lyrics, a really unique sound, and just kick massive amounts of musical ass. They played some of my favorites, including Westfall, The Latest Toughs, For Real, and Red. They also played three songs from the new album they just finished recording, which were all top notch. Can’t wait for that to come out. We hung around and drank through the next couple of bands, waiting for The Walkmen to go on. But I had found out earlier that morning that the “special guest” for Rachel Fuller’s early show at La Zona Rosa was Pete Townsend, so we were a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to get in if we didn’t go snag a place in line.
Consequently, we hauled ass over to LZR, where we were among the first people in the wristband line. While the badge line (big-timing bastards!) ended up getting fairly long, we got in with no problem. Special thanks to Carina (***Official Wife of Jason and All Around Lovely Person***) for bringing us tasty food from Galaxy Café while we held her a place in line. Pete Townsend actually started off the set with a few acoustic numbers. It was fairly amazing to see him live, but I wish he would have done an acoustic version of Baba O’Riley. Had he done that, I would have had a rockgasm and been in need of a new pair of pants, but it would have been worth it. After Pete finished up, various other singer/songwriters got on stage, including Alexi Murdoch, Martha Wainwright, and Rachel Fuller (who has a gorgeous voice, and did an excellent cover of It’s a Motherfucker by Eels). The level of talent on stage at any given moment was pretty damn impressive. Pete came out and played with the different artists sporadically, and it was great to see the level of awe the other musicians had for him. The best part about it was that we weren’t even expecting to be able to get in that early and see it. We were really there for the bands playing later that night.
Elvis Perkins started off the stellar bill. I am a huge fan of his album Ash Wednesday, which came out in late February. If you don’t like the song While You Were Sleeping, I have no desire to know you. The album is pretty mellow, but he picked up the tempo and the volume of a lot of the songs for the live show. I thoroughly enjoyed his set, and I could tell he made more than a few converts in the audience.
Cold War Kids came up next, with what was probably my favorite show of SXSW 07. They have a great stage presence, with lots of energy. They played Hang Me Up To Dry, Hospital Beds, We Used To Vacation, and a ton of other great songs. They brought up Elvis Perkins and the trumpet player from Okkervil River to play with them on a few songs, as well. They ended with a raucous version of Saint John, bringing up Elvis Perkins’ entire band, the Okkervil guy, and some other random musicians to play. There were around 15 people on stage, playing everything from a clarinet, to an empty beer keg (played with a drum mallet), to a Heineken bottle that was “played” with the handle of a maraca. The performance brought the house down.
Next up was Architecture in Helsinki. This bad might as well change their name to Not For Everyone. They cause divisiveness wherever they go, including in our very own Smarmy Hipster ranks. While I am a fan of the band, Jason can’t stand them. So while he went to rest his feet a bit in the corner with a Lonestar tallboy, I enjoyed a set that was much louder and funkier than I imagined it would be. Half the crowd seemed to love it, and the other half seem to be baffled. Good stuff.
The crowd at LZR had been steadily growing the whole time, and it became obvious that they were there to see Ghostland Observatory from the ebullient roar that rose from the floor when the duo took the stage. Ghostland Observatory did what they do best — deliver thudding, ass-shake-inducing rock that’s heavy on sweet, sweet synth. They got the enormous crowd moving from the first processed beat. I would hazard a guess and say it’s the largest crowd they’ve ever played to, and nobody went away disappointed. Tired, sweaty, and with a song or two stuck in their head, yes. Disappointed, no.
However happy I am that Ghostland is so popular now, as they are two very talented dudes ad completely deserve it, I am even more astounded at the lack of support for What Made Milwaukee Famous. After Ghostland finished up, people fled the venue in droves. The mass Exodus left a paltry crowd for WMMF, one that was obviously exhausted and lacking faces to be further rocked off. The band looked tired; the audience looked on the verge of collapse. As a result, the whole show was kind of flat, but WMMF still sounded great. I really thought this was the year they’d hit it big at SXSW, what with being on Barsuk now and headlining that great bill, but maybe next year. Unbefuckinglievable.
This Blog Written While Listening To
Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On (New) Paint, by Austin’s own The Lovely Sparrows
