SXSW The Kick Off

Wednesday has always been the official kick off to the music portion of South By Southwest (SXSW). The entire SXSW conference has become a beast of a whole different proportion in recent years, and I definitely don't crab about the giant commercial entity it has become, hell I look forward to it whole hearted. All of the things to see and bands to experience, I love it.

 Of all the places I could go to kick things off, how about Macy's? Right! My thought also. Macy's American Rag collection sponsored by the Van's Warped Tour. As a special event, Macy's had a stage in their store with special acoustic performances by Super Water Sympathy (SWS) and Breathe Carolina. I, unfortunately did not catch Breathe Carolina, but look forward to that in the near future, but was wowed by the SWS performance.

Super Water Sympathy (http://superwatersympathy.com/) was here in Austin, Texas as recent as February for a full on show at the One2One. These young kids from Shreveport. La. brought a big time touring show to a local venue and it was heart stopping. Their sound is clean, crisp and full of energy. Fronted by the vocals of Ansley Hughes, it is truly stunning. They do what you want when you go out to see a show. They put on a show! The way that SWS stands on stage and becomes one with the crowd is unbelievable. The guitars and keys mesh together into a sound that can only be described by the band as 'Water Pop'. The big bold vocals and the haunting sounds of the rhythm section are only topped off by a light show that you just don't see, unless you pay big money and go to the event sized arenas. To think they are still doing this on a small scale seems unimaginable, but then you snap back to reality and realize, "Oh Shit!" They are gonna be on the Vans Warped Tour for a second year in a row. There is definitely something special within the bands collective beating heart, and how they give that to the audience in a performance is just beautiful.

This leads me to SXSW kick off at Macy's. It was an acoustic performance. This could possibly be a crack in the foundation of a lesser band, if they were not prepared, but not SWS. Taking the stage and blasting through their set list in slow motion was wonderful. Here again the vocal performance of Ms Hughes was more than enough to make the crowd of young, eager on lookers just shut up and listen. Though they may not have known the songs of SWS, the crowd liked what they heard, clapped and swayed to a phenomenal sound. I don't think there could have been a better performance to introduce a whole new fan base to what is already a great band.

Handing out little business cards with free downloads of some SWS songs was just the perfect thing to do to work the crowd into a frenzy after hearing the haunting, but stunning performance.

I had the pleasure of catching them yet a third time the next day, but will save that blog for another part to my SXSW excursion.



Laters

SXSW Local at the Lucky Lounge

Like I said in my video post, 'there is music here all the time!' SXSW just brings the musical spotlight and the world to our doorstep. It is our duty to make it fun, worthwhile, and exciting while you are here. With the preponderance of musical venues and an outstanding live music entertainment district, that is usually not difficult. So, here I am with this blog and the impossible quantity of music to write about compacted into one short/long weekend.

"Local at the Lucky Lounge" was simply the pre -SXSW kick off party featuring a few of the best local acts that Lordship Ent (http://www.lordshipentertainment.com) has to offer.

The Moonshiners (http://www.moonshinermusic.com/) kicked things off with a set of bluesy type rock. The singer has a very distinctive, big voice that pushes through you as you listen. Wonderful and passionate story telling interwoven with a lead guitar that seems almost sublime until it is time to solo, then you had better pay close attention because the lead guitarist is 'Wow!.'

I had an opportunity to speak with the lead guitarist for a moment in between sets and learned he is self taught. He seemed genuinely surprised when I told him his sounds and styling were reminiscent of Eric Clapton. The keyboardist and guitarist are the two mainstays in the group. With rotating bass and drums keeping it fresh, you need to check them out when you get a chance. Smooth, mellow, soulful,and rocking (when they want), The Moonshiners are a good bet any night of they week you can catch them in Austin, Texas.

Jess and The Echoes (http://www.jechomusic.com/) are getting some heavy stage time here in Austin, and it is well spent. This young lady has a huge voice. Her vocals grab you by the ears and turn your head towards her. The band is wonderfully level across the stage, no overpowering ensemble here. This unit is designed to support the fabulous singer that Jess Kellner is. Jess and The Echoes has a certain something that can be felt, but is most difficult to describe. The crowd loved there stage time and pushed forward while they had the stage. I kept hearing statements of "They are great", "She is amazing!", and "I really love this band." throughout the crowd as I pushed through here and there to take some photos.

Word on the street is that starting March 25th, 2013, we may all want to watch the new season of The Voice (http://www.nbc.com/the-voice). Sounds special to me!

Michael Dillard (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Dillard) is a little more difficult to catch here in Austin, but if you are lucky you can see one of his performances. Here is an artist whom I have seen and tracked for a few years now. He is another person with the most distinctive vocals you may ever come across. I hate to make comparisons because what I hear and you hear are not going to be the same. Let's just say that he puts so much passion into his singing you would swear his head is going to explode. This young man gives it all when he sings and that is, every bit, worth going out to catch him when a show comes up. The steady in this group is the amazing guitarist Ty Read. Here, again, is another six string talent in Austin that is subtle in the group, but his performance soars when he solos.

Like most bands in Austin, there is a rotating field of musicians that passes through the groups door, but for Michael Dillard and Ty Read, they are the core that makes this performance a pop/rock/hip hop extravaganza! What I have said about live music in Austin and will repeat again here! It is not about going to see a band live, it is about going and experiencing a performance. You never know what will happen and you will always be glad to say you were there. Tonite was no exception with a brilliant cover of Peter Gabriels 'Sledgehammer', just be happy I caught it on video for you to see here (http://youtu.be/6eJogPp1P2Q)

 

MC Overlord (http://www.overlordmusic.com/) is he a myth or a legend. Maybe you should check out this Austin music icon for yourself. He seems to be an intimidating hulk of a man, but behind the exterior of the building that he is, lies the genius of hip/hop. MC Overlord has cool , catchy rhymes, an unbelievable live hip/hop presentation that just can not be beat, and the impressive ability to lay out the rhymes. His music is, for the most part clean and positive, but he keeps the party vibe intact with tunes like 'Bartender Keep 'em Coming' and 'I'm in here'.

As iconic as MC Overlord is, as storied as his career is, and as vast as his catalog is, I think it would be amazing to have him perform a fan scripted show. ARE YOU THERE OVEY>>>YOU READING THIS? That's right, do a contest where the fans vote on what songs they would like to hear from the long catalog that is you career. Put on that show, leave the core songs of the show in and play some fan favorites.

For those outside of Austin reading this, for those in Austin who haven't gone, an MC Overlord performance is as much a must see as the Capitol building, Lady Bird Lake, or Mt Bonnell!

here is the photo album from this show https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.517035628347965.1073741825.239625756088955&type=3

Laters

SXSW 2013 edition

So it has begun. The South By Southwest Music, Film, and Interactive conference. The biggest draw and portion of this event is by far the Music conference. Although, the film is coming on strong, AND the interactive portion is HUGE when it comes to the launch of new things, i.e. Twitter and Foursquare!

I will make my way to the DT Austin area and surrounding parts to explore new venues, here tons of new music and hopefully interview some bands.

On just a small little jaunt to the downtown area for a couple of hours on 03/11/13 (for my girlfriends birthday) I did meet some new friends, Ismael (facebook.com/oldmaninthepeanut) and Tom. Hopefully I will see them around over the next few days. During a conversation last night with Ismael, we both made the observation that it is not a preponderance of social media representation and presence this year...(such as the Mashable venue) it is the camera person! I have seen folks with cameras every year and all the time, but this year everyone is breaking out the tri pods, the large camera bags, and lighting. It seems that everyone wants to capture their memory, make their mark, and show the world while they are doing it. You know what I say about that....HELL YEAH! Bring it on! All of you, them, us. This is what makes modern social media fun, exciting and great.

I did upload an intro video to my YouTube channel and to G+, so if you would like to take a moment and check it out ( http://m.youtube.com/user/soundfiend001?feature=guide#/watch?v=c8_7HFS1vpU) . Nothing spectacular, but it is just a short intro of myself, Austin, and the SXSW event that has enveloped the city. To tell the world your story in words and video is awesome, and of course everyone dreams of fame, fortune, and maybe even a little noteriety.

Oh well, be back at ya soon with some video and words of my own, about the music and events that will unfold over the course of this week.....and maybe I will get my shot at fame.

Laters