SXSW Day 4 (Saturday): One Last Night To Get Dirty
Clint got a little earlier start on the final day than me, and went to see Still Flyin’:
After I awoke from a too short slumber I headed out to the 40 Watt showcase at Side Bar. Our gracious host Larry dropped me off and I went inside to catch a proper Still Flyin’ set, something I wanted to do since I caught their acoustic set the other night at the Todd P. party. To my surprise D.J. from Still Flyin’ did a short hilarious rap set as his alter ego Excalibrah. It was a nice change from the serious rock shows I had been catching during SXSW. After that Still Flyin’ came on stage with too many members to count. I really enjoy the beach music meets big family band thing that they do. The stand out song was “Rope Burn” which shows they have the power to craft incredibly catchy indie pop songs similar to their sister band Je Suis France. As soon as the set ended I hoofed it to Waterloo Park to meet up with the rest of the Ohmpark crew.
Excalibrah:
Still Flyin’:
After that we met back up at the Mess With Texas free mini-festival in Waterloo Park. This event features two big stages and showcases bands that have been playing SXSW shows all week.
The first act we caught was Jason Lytle of Grandaddy. He commented that “noone should be this drunk this early” and as you would expect, the set was a little rough. He played two songs I didn’t recognize and am assuming are on his upcoming record, and the closed with two Grandaddy tunes. It didn’t come anywhere close to matching the one time I caught Grandaddy live, but it was still pretty cool.
Next up on the same stage was Abe Vigoda. They played a solid set, but whether it was SXSW fatigue setting in or the midday, outdoor festival setting, it seem underwhelming. I would really like to see this band in a tiny, packed out club. I think overall these guys are a good band heading in the right direction, but they haven’t officially arrived quite yet.
After that I got something to eat and then withstood some terrible bands. I won’t even mention the band I hadn’t heard of before that sucked, but i will rant a tad bit about the horribleness that is Vivian Girls. The only slightly enjoyable moment is when they covered Wavves‘ “So Bored”, but that might be the best song this band ever plays, and that’s not really saying that much. There is obviously a big market out there for pretty girls playing crappy garage punk, but that is the last thing I am interested in. The biggest shame about this sham of a band is that there are so many extremely talented female musicians out there that are doing amazing stuff, and so-called-taste-makers are spending their hype currency touting this garbage. Life it too short for bad music, so don’t believe the hype.
Shortly after that, Crystal Antlers took the small stage and totally pwned the entire Mess With Texas festival. This is a hype you can believe in. They blasted through songs from their EP and their upcoming Tentacles, and everything sounded perfect. They had this hilarious auxiliary percussionist who stole the show on stage dancing around and acting goofy while still contributing the music. The screaming vocals surprisingly reproduced the studio intensity almost perfectly. This band is so good:
After that, I literally ran across the city to get to the French Legation Museum to catch the last Dirty Projectors show of the week. it was well worth my effort because I think this was the best single show I caught at SXSW. Anyone who didn’t catch this band here totally lost. Every single person in this band is an incredible musician. The three cute little females in this band weren’t just there for looks, but were each belting out unique vocal styles and inhuman harmonizations in addition to playing key instrumental parts. The new stuff sounds so good that I think there is a good chance their new album is going to land on the top of many people’s best of 2009 lists, maybe even mine. As far as crowd reaction goes, I saw no show in Austin with a more ravenous and excited audience. I know Grizzly Bear came into this fest as the defending champs and I’m sure their sets were life changing as per usual, but I think SXSW 2009′s biggest story is the ascension of Dirty Projectors to the mantle of true greatness.
After that we made a ludicrously long walk across the river to catch Explosions In The Sky. They were playing a free show at Auditorium Shores that was packed out beyond belief and apparently everyone who actually lives in this city was over at this while the SXSW invaders ravaged the rest of the town. This was EITS‘ 10 year anniversary show, and some locals explained that they got their name from watching a 4th of July fireworks show in this very location. The event was unbelievable as their finale song was accompanied by one of the most massive fireworks shows I have ever witnessed. While most blogelites wasted their time waiting around for some conceited, overrated rapper, I was lucky enough to experience what I think was SXSW’s most amazing moment.
After that we ended our South By experience the same way we did last year, closing out Saturday at Todd P’s Ms. Bea’s extravaganza. The place was packed out, with plenty of superstars in attendance. I caught Crystal Stilts from afar, and it sounded better than I remember their album being. Then I got to experience a proper Wavves set, and it was a fun scene, but I think I enjoyed his solo show the first day more. I do really like his albums, but his live incarnation isn’t exactly top notch. But this kid is young, so he has plenty of time to improve.
The secret act for this event would be No Age, and maybe it is that their newer stuff is easier to play live or maybe they just improved, but they sounded worlds away better than when I caught them live about 2 years ago. It still wasn’t spectacular, but it was thoroughly gratifying.
SXSW is over, and it is time to head back to the ATL. As soon as we get back and get some rest, we’ll have some reflective thoughts and wrap up the entire experience. Now it is time for a long drive home.
Read our SXSW Friday coverage
Read our SXSW Thursday coverage
Read our SXSW Wednesday coverage
- Posted by Davy Minor on March 22, 2009 at 4:15 pm
