That's what I call it. When you are out and about, checking out the music scene. Listening to bands, going into bars and venues, and the sun is still bright. Whether it is during SXSW or some other, random, vacation time of the year and you decide to explore our beautiful central Texas city, you will be amazed at the difference between the daytime views and the nightlife amusement.
Will I took a short break from the Rachael Ray event that had taken over Stubb's. Sean and I found our way to check out three other spots and three other bands. So here you go.
Flamingo Cantina (http://flamingocantina.com/), located right there on 6th St, pretty much in the heart of everything is this interesting little gem. Something of a reggae bar and a Rastafarian hideaway, The Flamingo Cantina has been entertaining those in the know for many, many years. My opportunities to drop in here have arisen and then passed. Today was my lucky day.
The Flamingo Cantina has a small entryway. As you enter to your left, it opens up into what would almost appear to be an open air venue. The stage is immediately in front of you towards the back. There is a bar to the right hand side wall and bleacher, type seating along the front wall, wrapping to the right side, and then on the other side of the bar going to an outside back area. There is a DJ/soundboard set up at the top o the seating area in the corner as well. By no means is this place big. It is small, down right small, but the Flamingo Cantina does the most amazing job in maximizing the seating in here. AND, this place is straight up from music. There is no hanging out at the bar. Grab you dink, shut up, get out of the way, sit down I want to see the band kind of place. Not in a mean or aggressive way, simply put..it's small in here.
The performer onstage when we walked in was Isaac Tauaefa (http://www.isaactmusic.com/). Here it was, the most stunning, mind blowing performance of SXSW2015. I tell you this happens every single year. It is not the bands you plan to see. It is not the bands you hope to see. It is the one band you didn't know existed, and weren't planning on hearing or seeing that turns in the must mind blowing performance. Here was Isaac Tauaefa! There were no pyrotechnics, no dancing girls, and no video screens. Isaac with his voice and his guitar, and two other guys joining him on stage with a percussion box and a bass.
In this little non decrepit bar, this kid stood onstage and tore through the crowd with his smooth, sweet, and hauntingly innocent voice. It was not rock and roll, it defied genres and only was limited by the 4 walls that contained it. I will make sure this praise reaches him, because the greatest gift you have is even better when you share it. Every person sitting there that Saturday afternoon was blessed to have been in Isaac's company.
Okay! next stop was a side, parking lot stage which was set up in on Red River St, in between 6th and 7th St's. I have no idea who this band was. We caught their last 2 songs before they had to get off the stage. But not before I got some cool ass shots of their female bass/lead singer! If you know who this is, let me know. I would love to forward them some photos. It seemed like an epic daytime set, but alas...so sad too bad!
Finally there was this set we caught at Elysium (http://www.elysiumonline.net/), Trashy and The Kid!
Elysium itself is located on the corner of Red River and something. The inside set up almost defies description. The stage is to your left as you walk in the entryway. There is a large bar ahead of you and seating all around. There is a pool table in a corner and a patio out front. It defies description because the layout is turned oddly from front to side as the bar is on an intersection corner, and the entry is in a corner on the other side of the street corner.
Anyway...Trashy and The Kid (https://www.facebook.com/trashyandthekid) were here doing a SXSW show. And a show it was. Here was that stage show with the lights and smoke. A charismatic lead singer that worked the crowd from all parts of the stage. He moved and drew the crowd with him, leaning over the edge of the stage and getting right down in the faces of the crowd. It was punk music, rock music at it's noisiest, most arrogant style. But these guys were good. It was good enough to have the folks in attendance banging their heads, and moving around on the open floor in front of the stage. This was a Friday night is all right for a fight type of band and music. Another simple statement here, I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL!
Laters.
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