PALEHORSESOUTHBY2011 by The Palehorse
Oh, Dear SHP Readers.... how I've missed you! Since my last contribution, a lot has changed in my life. I started going to a new yoga class, added French and Italian to my List Of Foreign Languages I'll Never Take The Time To Learn and finally, gave up on flossing.
A month or so ago, Rocky found me on Gchat to see if I'd toss some scribbles his way for SHP 2.0. I sent him a draft about the time, after hitting up Mugshots for last call, I awoke a few days later to find out I had been bought by a wealthy businessman to be his son's "live-in friend" for a week. Rocky is apparently a fan of Richard Pryor. He started typing in ALLCAPS, and the conversation was over. That next morning I received a fax that simply read: SXSW RECAP! (he also added a few obscene drawings).
My favorite part of SouthBy is the schedule. The 70 page list of free events from Wed-Sun. Breaking that down -by day, -by priority, -by trash and of course, -by free booze. I seriously lose interest in world news, sports scores.... My daily focus for 5 days is the time and location of an artist I wouldn't mind checking out. At the same time, I love to stray off the path I've created and meet up with a group for some cheap drinks at Sidebar or catch a random band here and there. I just love having OPTIONS! That's how it's been the last few years, running around from Noon-2am everyday. I seriously doubt I'll be able to continue that pace in the years to come.
This year's Southby may be one of my favorites. Everything about it: the weather, the friends, the new venues and no severe damages like lost ID/phone, or arrest! Just a couple bruises and a few scrapes...
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| Palehorse + Free SXSW Beer = Awesome |
Saw some old faves (Menomena, Ted Leo, J Mascis, Cave Singers) who, of course, were spectacular. Odd Future at MessWithTexas was like nothing I had ever seen, and I don't think I ever will again. Got a chance to see Thee Oh Sees in two very different settings, and their energy for both was to the MAX. Definitely a band you have to see live rather than form an opinion based on recordings.
There were countless times this year that were so enjoyable and amazing, but these 3 for me were extremely surprising and magical:
MELLOWHYPE and BASSDRUMOFDEATH: DeVille, Wed. afternoon.
I had already been walking around for a couple hours, hopping into various venues to find freebies. After meeting up with SuperSonic James at RedEyedFly and downing all the free Trumer Pils we could, we decided to go see what exactly a MellowHype was.
I knew very little at the time:
1. It had something to do with OddFuture.
2. It was their first SXSW performance.
It turned out to be the "performance to beat" for the rest of the week. Hodgy Beats and Left Brain were on fire and unlike previous years, DeVille was not packed at all. Of course, when the entire Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All crew jumped on stage, people started to Lose. Their. Shit! I think BASSDRUMOFDEATH knew they would have to come out and just kill it for the crowd energy to stay on the same level and they did not disappoint at all. It was a 1-2 punch of hiphop/garagerock that left us in awe and set the bar for the rest of the week.
GAYNGS: Red 7, Secret Guest Slot. Wednesday night.
What. A. Wednesday! After Club DeVille and an Eastside Bar Tour, I knew I had to make my way to Red 7 for the Jagjaguwar Showcase, since it would be the only chance for me to catch the Cave Singers during this SouthBy. They were honestly the only reason I was going to the Showcase, and to me, worth the $20 I was assuming would be the door price along with waiting in line for 30 minutes at the very least. As I walked up to the club, a line 20 deep had already formed, everyone wearing wristbands or dangling badges. Just to make sure I wasn't wasting my time, I went and asked the door girls if they were even accepting cash for entrance into the showcase. "Oh, the line for cash starts here" she said, and pointed two feet to her left, reaching out her hand for my money.
SuperSonic James was able to get in just as easily and as we were discussing how we had just waltzed in for $15 while $300 wristbanders were STILL waiting in line, a crowd started to form onstage. After two notes of the guitar soundcheck my jaw hit the floor. I had completely forgot there was a Suprise Guest and had already chalked Gayngs up as a band I wouldn't get a chance to see this week. They played a relatively short set, but you could tell just how much fun they were all having that night. I had their album in my Top 5 of last year, and it's an album you MUST listen to from start to finish to truly enjoy. That usually makes it more difficult to transition to a live performance, but Gayngs has figured out what needs to be added and what parts are better suited just for the record.
WYEOAK: Swan Dive, Brooklyn Vegan Day Party. Friday afternoon.
Friday was the start of my four-day hangover.
This didn't stop me from drinking, though I probably should have passed on the free tequila mixes that were constantly flowing. But hey, free is free. I feel like I walked about 20 miles on Friday alone. The original plan was to meet up with Rocky at Scoot Inn for Odd Future and Pentagram so I slurped down my third disgusting margarita and trekked to the Eastside. Walking up to Scoot, the line literally wrapped around the entire venue and into the streets. A volunteer kept shouting, "We're at capacity, you're not getting in!" but no one was moving, listening. I informed Rocky of the bad news and decided to head back to the Brooklyn Vegan party. After grabbing some free vegan treats outside, I decided to check out who was playing inside. The above video is the song I walked into (if you look closely you can see me). Not knowing anything at all about Wye Oak, they completely blew me away. First, the sound quality at Swan Dive was spot on. Every band I saw there benefited from it greatly. And of course, if you're a girl that shreds on a guitar, you've got my attention. Maybe it was the fact that I had just previously struck out on a show I really wanted to see, but Wye Oak's set gave me my second wind, and prolonged that shitty hangover feeling until Saturday.
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