It’s time once again for Austinites to grab the handrail tightly as the city braces for yet another SXSW festival. This year’s music portion (the focus of this article) is March 13 through 18.
This writer will be reporting mainly from the downtown and east side areas, on his trusty $90 flea bike. As usual, I will be attending mostly day shows, because I am “thrifty.” Here are some of the highlights of my weekend…
Wednesday the 14th… Spiderhouse will have Bare Wires, country rockers Natural Child, FIDLAR, Austin’s own Dikes Of Holland and Rayon Beach, garage band The Allah-Las, and two more Austin bands, Alfie Rabago’s Lola-Cola, and Crooked Bangs, featuring two rockin’ dames, Leda Celeste Ginestra and Samantha Wendel. Bare Wires play again at Beerland. Trailer Space weighs in with San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees, Mean Jeans, and Natural Child… Thursday the 15th… the east side’s dirty dive the Legendary White Swan hosts a night show, featuring Jesse Malin from D Generation performing a solo set, Atlanta’s haircut band The Biters, and more great haircuts with headliners Prima Donna… Friday the 16th… totally scuzzy dive bar Trophy’s will host a day show with Barrio Tiger from L.A., with Miami guitar legend Jimmy James. Jackalope has a stellar lineup with Tommy Stinson, Jesse Malin, Austin survivor Alejandro Escovedo (The Nuns, Rank And File, True Believers), and—hang on to your hats—a reunion of Peter Case and Paul Collins (The Plimsouls, The Nerves). 29th St. Ballroom has fuzztone bands like Thee Oh Sees, Burnt Ones, Xray Eyeballs, and Kid Congo Powers‘s new band, the Pink Monkey Birds. Beerland has Denton’s Wiccans and two great Austin Bands, OBN IIIs and A Giant Dog. A new burger joint on Manor—Flat Top—will host an unspecified appearance by The Wedding Present (spoken word? music? meet ‘n’ greet?). Lustre Pearl has The Drums. The New (and awfully big) Emo’s East has a super noise fest with The Gories and Spits… Saturday the 17th… Waterloo Records continues its excellent free parking lot show tradition with a series of day shows, including appearances by Blouse, Strange Boys and Kid Congo. Trailer Space has Ty Segall pal Mikal Cronin and Austin darlings Hex Dispensers. Beerland has the wonderful local power pop band Bad Sports, fronted by the talented Orville Bateman Neeley III (also of OBN IIIs and A Giant Dog), plus Bass Drum Of Death and Flesh Lights (I’ve been singing this band’s praises to anyone who will listen—frontman Max Vandever is a dynamo). Peelander-Fest returns to The Grackle with headliners and hosts, Peelander-Z. Lots of other Japanese rock/punk bands will feature. Spiderhouse hosts Ben Tipton’s Burgermania, with Paul Collins and Peter Case and cool Atlanta power poppers Barreracudas. Wayne Kramer will play Lucy’s Fried Chicken. Rock sisters Bleached play the Red Eyed Fly patio… Sunday the 18th… Renate Winter’s excellent ‘zine Rubberneck hosts a showcase at Sidebar with Austin artists the Ugly Beats, Quin Galavis, Hex Dispensers, and Air Traffic Controllers (Matador Records’ Gerard Cosloy), Thom Tex Edwards’ Purple Stickpin (former Nervebreakers). Closing the festival with style and grace, the missus and I will enjoy a rare one together, at Congress Avenue’s beautiful camera shop, Lomography. They promise free cold ones and her fave all-acoustic rockers, princeton University’s Miracles Of Modern Science.
For the best, most complete, and up-to-date SXSW music listings, I always recommend Showlist Austin.