GREETINGS ON THE SUNDAY OF SXSW, GREATEST CLEANING DAY OF THE YEAR
So, how was my SXSW? Cool, how was yours? Actually mine was weird this year. It was the first time in 29 SXSWs that I didn’t have any responsibilities on the music side. I covered it for the fest-founding Austin Chronicle when it started in 1987, and since then I’ve had to write about it for someone like the Chicago Sun-Times, Dallas Morning News or Austin American-Statesman. When I wasn’t writing, I booked the gospel showcases for two years. But this year I was just a townie with a badge. And I found that I truly enjoyed SXSW like never before.
I flaked out on a few opportunities, like the panels on Alan Lomax and Chet Flippo, two of my heroes. Never did see Courtney Barnett, Sam Outlaw or Fantastico Negrito, but I did thoroughly endure a 40-minute vocal lovemaking session between Yoko Ono and the Cookie Monster. Talking about Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq, whose set Friday at Speakeasy suggested that Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You Baby” was big up in Canada near the North Pole. The Eskimo Ho’s sexualization of her culture was interesting and the crowd who came to see her and her spare band (violin, drummer, keyboards) dug it hard. But the set was made extremely uncomfortable because the next act, the gospel-preaching Jones Family Singers, were sitting out in the audience. The second Tanya started touching herself in an impure manner, they were gone. I was embarrassed- and I can name 10 porn stars of the ’70s! Bishop Jones referred to Tagaq as “that devil woman” the next day. 
My focus this SXSW was on the new doc The Jones Family Will Make a Way which is about the struggles and tiny, satisfying victories of my favorite band at SXSW the past few years. It’s a great film by the Arts + Labor team, with director Alan Berg adding a meditative feel to a band bio and editor Lauren Sanders using quick cuts to accentuate the intensity of the group’s performances. I’m in the film and was asked to be there for post-screening Q&A, which were really my only requirements this past week. I ended up seeing the Jones Family perform 4 times this past week- two were the best I’ve ever seen them and 2 were wrecked by either bad sound or an Inuit throat singer.
Tanya Tagaq.
This was the first year I attended a film during the festival. I was hungry and walking down Sixth Street, looking for a place that wasn’t disgusting or filled with drunks, when I saw a badge line entering the Alamo Ritz. So I just went in, too, and had a very tasty chicken sandwich and fruit plate while I watched City of Gold, a documentary about LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold. There were times in the flick, which is also about L.A., that I thought “I hope this movie never ends.” Just such an interesting life and outlook. And the food! But by the end, I was full. If docs were rated by how long they should’ve been, City of Gold was a -5, five minutes too long. Which is a very good rating for me and my attention span.
It was weird this year, having no deadlines. And I saw almost as many movies as bands. SXSW is so much more fun when you don’t care.
And how did my first SXSW diet go? Aside from a celebratory post-screening dinner at Vespaio (still amazing) and a Dr. Pepper in Margaret Moser‘s room when I started feeling a little hypoglycemic, I stuck to it. Come to think of it, hanging out with Margaret and some of my other longtime friends from SXSW: THE BEGINNING, like Bullethead, Jim Fouratt and David Menconi, was the highlight of the fest. It’s always been that way. Catching up with old friends beats a dozen buzz band in a tent.
Here’s the other key to enjoying SXSW at a slower (unemployed) pace. Get that first great party under your belt as soon as possible. For me, that was the Arts + Labor party on Monday at the Continental Club. The Jones Family Singers and Alvin Crow’s Doug Sahm salute were great, but what really put it over the top was the appearance of rock n’ roll legend Leon Russell, in town for that night’s world premiere of A Poem I a Naked Person, the Les Blank doc. I interviewed Blank’s son Harrod for a column on the doc and when he said he’d be picking up Leon from the airport at 12:30 on Monday, I told him about the Jones Family Singers set at the Continental and suggested he bring one of the first rockers to tap into gospel. “Leon loves gospel music,” Blank said, and I just kept my fingers crossed. Well, what do you know, Leon Russell showed up, and he loved the Jones Family. “They didn’t know who I was,” a wheelchair-bound Russell said after he posed for pics with the Pentecostal house-wreckers. “But I said I’d take a picture with them if they laid hands on me” in a healing manner.
Leon Russell and another old guy are with the Jones Family Singers outside the Continental Club 3/16/15.
My bad
Most embarrassing SXSW moment was thinking I was going to a panel at the Convention Center and it ended up being an AA meeting. It was advertised as “Friends of Bill W.” and after about ten minutes I realized those folks had nothing to do with Bill Withers!
ON HIS FIRST (AND LAST) APPEARANCE AT THE BROKEN SPOKE
“Boy, if these walls could talk…” Chuck Prophet said when he took the stage at the Broken Spoke for Twangefest on Thursday night. “…they’d say ‘Clean me! I’m filthy!” If word gets back to James White, the Spoke will book hip hop before Chuck Prophet again.
DOING SXSW WITH KIDS
I’ve got a story that I haven’t told in a few years. Jack was about 7 and I thought I’d take him on my rounds of day parties for a couple hours. Following the ol’ man around while he works. We went to Yard Dog and there were two homeless men urinating in the alley. Profanity written on the walls made Jack point and gasp. The place was jampacked and the music loud and abrasive. The smell. We lasted less than five minutes and walking back to the car, a mildly- traumatized Jack asked, “Dad, when you decided to become a music critic, did you know about South By Southwest?”
EVIDENTLY, THE PLOY WORKED. YE SAID NAY TO SXSW2015
You know how sometimes when someone plans making a surprise appearance and then they ditch the idea when the word gets out? KANYE WEST IS PLAYING STUBB’S ON SATURDAY!!!!
SXSW HIGHLIGHT: AN INTIMATE DINNER WITH OCTOGENARIAN BROTHER AND SISTER
Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie are hosting “Banquet At Heartbreaker,” a culinary and musical event on Wednesday at Willie’s Western town of Luck, TX. includes admission to Thursday’s to Heartbreaker Banquet, featuring performances by Willie Nelson & Family, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Nikki Lane, Butch Walker, Angel Olsen, Israel Nash, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real and Insects Vs. Robots in Luck.
But the highlight of the week will be Willie and Bobbie together alone on Wednesday night for an audience of 250. The brother and sister have been playing music together for a remarkable 77 years. Chefs for the dinner will be Michel Nischan (a three-time Beard-winner) young luminary Marcel Vigneron of Top Chef fame, Spike Mendelsohn of FYI Network’s Midnight Feast and Josh Jones of Austin’s Salt & Time.
A portion of Banquet At Heartbreaker proceeds will benefit Wholesome Wave, a national nonprofit founded by Nischan enabling underserved consumers to make healthier food choices by increasing affordable access to locally grown fruits and vegetables.
For more information on the Banquet At Heartbreaker and the next day’s blowout, visit www.heartbreakerbanquet.com.
FADER FORT PREVIEW (BECAUSE YOU CAN’T GET IN)
Someone of all the acts playing the Fader Fort, which is open only to badges and invitees this year.
Today I benched 250 pounds. Sat down at a bus stop.
This is my first SXSW on a diet. Third as a non-drinker. Had no idea what I’m up against until I had to turn down free Shake Shack cheeseburgers at Friday night’s NYT Magazine party at the Mohawk. Booze was a breeze. I don’t know how much longer I can pass up free food. Houston soul band the Suffers did provide me some nourishment as I headed back out into the hungry night. Turned out, that was all I needed.
D’ANGELO, BLIGE HEADED TO SXSW S’UPPERCLUB
D’Angelo
D’Angelo, whose LP Black Messiah was one of the freakiest soul records since Sly did Riot, will perform at a Samsung-sponsored event Sunday according to Mashable. The R&B artist is down to play the Samsung Supper Club, an invite-only event on the rooftop of 333 E. Second Street. Mary J. Blige also sings for her s’up on Tuesday, March 17, reported Kevin Curtin of the Austin Chronicle.
KANYE, PAISLEY, ROMO and more FOR KIMMEL’s SXSW SHOWS
Jimmy Kimmel announced on his show Thursday that Kanye West, his former Twitter feuding partner, will be one of his guests when he does his talk show from Austin next week. Kanye, promoting the new LP So Help Me, Me, is expected to do a surprise show at SXSW, most likely at Stubb’s on Saturday 3/21. There’ alo als a slot for “Special Guest” at the Fader Fort on Friday night, after Kimmel tapes. Brad Paisley, Kevin Hart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dallas QB Tony Romo and Matthew McConaughey are also slated to appear. Austin guitarist Gary Clark Jr. will sit in with Kimmel’s house band Cleto and the Cletones.
Gary Clark Jr. 2009 by Todd V. Wolfson
LET’S REMEMBER STEVEN, JAMIE, SANDY and DEANDRE
They were a couple who moved to Austin together to start their married lives, a pair of high school sweethearts who took a road trip from Fort Worth, a young woman who moved here from Mississippi to finish her studies at the University of Texas, and a new father from Amsterdam whose career in the music business was really starting to take off. Their ages ranged from 18- 35, like a demographic, which is fitting because they represent us. Jamie, DeAndre, Sandy, Steven: four people, so loved, who had lives of such promise ahead.
Four people with different backgrounds, coming together on Red River Street to hear the music and feed off the energy. It could have been any of us.
The night of Wednesday March 13 had been one of the happiest I’ve ever spent at SXSW. Margaret Moser hosted the Austin Music Awards for the 31st and final time and every Austin musician, DJ, writer, clubowner and manager not working turned out. A true Austin music family reunion. I got out in the fresh air outside the Convention Center at about midnight and decided to walk as far as I could before hopping in a pedicab. But strolling with my son felt so good we just kept going home. On the way, a couple cop cars screeched forward with lights going crazy, then an ambulance. “Hope it’s nothing bad,” I said.
In 27 years of SXSW, no one had died. But due to an insanely selfish act that lasted less than a minute, four lost their lives and 19 more were hospitalized.
SXSW is people from all over the world with diverse experiences coming together to discover what they have in common. They roam the streets in search of music that’s going to make them feel most alive. Some of us had done that every March since 1987. The SXSW experience became an almost sacred part of being an Austinite and that was violated at about 12:30 a.m. on March 14.
A moment of silence, please.
Steven Craenmehr was the creative director of MassiveMusic, a leading European music agency based in Amsterdam. With a natural talent for linking people who could help each other out, Craenmehr was the sort of connected international businessman that SXSW was created for. “Change the world through music” was the mantra of the sometime singer (Perneau) and producer. He was on Red River at about midnight to see Kurt Vile at Cheer Up Charlies with friends. When he hopped on his rented bike to catch his next must-see act, the car without a conscience ended a remarkable life. Craenmehr left behind a son Mick, not yet 2.
Jamie West and her future husband Evan West met in high school in Garrett, Ind. and started dating in college. Artists and vegans, they worked at theeartland Café in the Chicago suburb of Rogers Park. The couple and their two dogs moved to Austin in 2010, after Evan had tried it on his own for four months and came back to get Jamie. They married in June 2012. Before her death, Jamie West set her ambitions on a prestigious art residency in Houston, while working at a jewelry boutique shop in Austin. The couple were on a scooter when they were hit. Evan West, 28, who worked at Violet Crown Cinema downtown, suffered head trauma, a broken leg and ribs and internal injuries to his organs. He’s been released from the hospital and is going through rehab.
Sandy Le grew up in the Vietnamese-American shrimp business on the gulf coast of Mississippi. Her family had gone through hard times, losing their house in Hurricane Katrina and then watching the shrimp business suffer after the BP oil spill. Le was ready to strike out on her own three years ago and moved to Austin with a close-knit group of friends from Pass-Christian, Miss. Described by friends as someone who lit up rooms and lived life to its fullest, Le’s hospital room was always full of visitors, a mix of Mississippi relatives and Austin friends. Many hearts broke when she succumbed to her injuries on March 17.
DeAndre Tatum was a 2013 graduate of Trimble Tech High School in Fort Worth, in training as a plumber. He and his girlfriend of three years, Curtisha Davis, a senior cheerleader at Trimble, were just hanging out on Red River Street outside the Mohawk, like everybody else checking out the scene for Tyler the Creator’s 1 a.m. showcase, when the car crashed the barriers and gunned into the crowd. Even though Trimble Tech was closed for spring break, students came to the campus to hear any updates on the conditions of their friends. Tish was released from the hospital with broken bones, but DeAndre Tatum didn’t make it home.
These are the people who embody the spirit of diversity and togetherness that define SXSW. Not a minute of senseless violence.
A HISTORY OF SXSW 1987-2015
I’ve been to every SXSW and started doing this year-by-year history on the 10th anniversary.
SXSW SHUTTLE ROUTES
For film and platinum badgeholders only.
COOL FREE ST. PATTY’S DAY BASH
Leroi Brothers
Garrison Brothers Straight Bourbon Whiskey is hosting a March 17 party with the Leroi Brothers, Michael Martin Murphy, Chris Dismuke and more. It’s at Dulce Vida at 11310 Hwy 290 West. RSVP here:
6:00pm Alyeska {Alaska Reid} (Montana)
6:45pm Leroi Brothers (Austin)
8:00pm Sawdust Bros. with Michael Martin Murphy (Nashville)
9:15 or 9:30pm Chris Dismuke (Colorado)
EMO’S IS FREE AND OPEN TO UNCONNECTED LOSERS DURING SXSW
The big club on East Riverside is out of the heat of downtown during SXSW, so they’ll open their doors to one and all (first come, first served) during the music portion of SXSW. Here’s the sked.
****
We also found these Tweets From SXSW 1989:
1. “The registration line was insane. That’s 20 minutes of my life I won’t get back.”
2. “Do you know where Saturday’s day party is?”
3. “Austin learned its lesson from the Armadillo. No way they’re tearing down Liberty Lunch for an office building.”
4. “I’m in such a hurry I’m gonna have to grab lunch from a food trailer. Where’s the nearest construction site?”
5. “We can either see Mojo Nixon tonight for free or pay $50 to see him next year at the Erwin Center.”
6. “Let’s just take a cab to Salt Lick. How much could it be?”
7. “So, besides the Austin Music Awards, what else are you excited about this week?”
8. “They used to be a punk band, but now they play roots music. With punk energy.”
9. “Listen, I paid $20 for this wristband and I WILL get in to see Scruffy the Cat.”
10. “I’m not sure, but I think the Spin party is either in room 1703 or 1307.
11. “Holy shit, that’s Peter Zaremba!”
12. “SXSW is a good idea, but they’re going to need to rely on the revenue from the Austin Chronicle to survive.”
13. “One day this thing might be bigger than Aquafest. OK, I’m wasted.”
14. “If you’re cool you call it ‘Southby’.”
15. “I heard they were going to have a hip-hop act this year, but couldn’t find a corporate sponsor.”
16. “They need to get someone hip, with an opinion, to keynote. Someone like Michelle Shocked.”
17. “OK, we’ve got this cool party space on SoCo. What should we do in the storefront? A gallery for outsider art? Really?”
18. “Let’s share a room at the San Jose. Not to save money, but to take turns standing guard.”
19. “Some guy just handed me a cassette. Hasn’t he heard of CDs?”
20. “It’s so great SXSW happens during Spring Break. No college kids in town!
21. “Look at poor Hugh Forest. We’ve gotta find something for him to do. Maybe a spinoff fest for CD Roms?
YOUTUBE PARTIES BEAT ALL!
War on Drugs, Snoop Dogg, Win Butler, Leon Bridges, Marina and the Diamonds and on and on. of the YouTube parties at the Coppertank. (Who knew the Coppertank was still open?) The shows are Wednesday and Thursday. There’s an RSVP in the link. Good luck with that.
FADER FORT TO STREAM ALL ITS SETS ON 4K HD
The big bummer for Spring Break freeloaders at SXSW this yer is that the Fader Fort is an official venue- honoring SXSW badges and invited guests only. No RSVP! But they are live-streaming all the performances here.
The first show at the Fort is a Dell preview party featuring Passion Pit and Mew. We are checking out email for a full schedule every half hour. It’s apparently coming today (Wednesday.)
PEREZ HILTON’S ‘ONE NIGHT IN AUSTIN’ RETURNS
This poster is important because it lets us know that SXSW started going downhill 8 years ago. The celebrity blogger brought in such unknowns as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Macklemore Plus One early in their careers and introduced celeb afterparties to our cultural cul de sac. Soon after came all the Spring Breakers, y’all. Perez is back at the Austin Music Hall, where fans can buy tickets here. Proceeds go to VH1’s Save the Music. No lineup announced yet.
UPDATE: STARTING TO LIKE SNOOP AS THE SXSW MUSIC KEYNOTE
At first I hated the idea. Snoop is everywhere and not really a marquee name anymore. He’s a SXSW regular who usually plays cheesy parties like the Perez Hilton bash. But he’s also a survivor. Somehow, this weed-smokin’ gangsta original has stayed current in the entertainment biz for over 20 years. He’s relatively well-spoken and always real with his opinions, as listeners of the Howard Stern show know, so let’s hear what he has to say. I think it’s the first SXSW keynote from a hip-hop artist, and that genre has made a few people rich. Who better to represent than the O.G. who’s still standing? Rather than a speech, it’ll be an interview format, which cuts the losses but also makes it less likely that something really inspiring will come out. The fun for me is trying to guess who it’s going to be. After that, you just don’t want them to be tedious. Or make us hold hands. Another positive for Mr. Dogg is that he could also be a keynizzle for SXSW Sports, talking about college football recruiting.
LIKE GETTING AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP: SNOOP DOGG TO DELIVER SXSW MUSIC KEYNOTE
Now here’s aa blunt speaker. Rapper Snoop Dogg has been announced as SXSW Music keynote speaker, with his address to commence on Friday March 20 at 11 a.m. That’s right. It’s not Bob Dylan or Madonna, but the Doggystyle gangsta, who can be pretty damn funny and the dropper of science concerning pimp hands, but not quite of the gravitas of a Springsteen or a Quincy Jones. Ice-T has gotta be thinking he needs a new publicist. Don’t even get Sir Mix-A-Lot started!
From the first paragraph of the SXSW statement: “(Snoop Dogg) has received multiple GRAMMY® nominations. Since 1993, he has released twelve albums and collaborated with artists across all genres of music.” That’s some trumpet blast. Maybe he’s got a new reality show about urban entrepeneurship called Pimp Tank.
The bad news is that the announcement came too late for the Gourds to decide to reunite for a “Gin and Juice” victory lap.
FADER FORT GOES FAMILY FRIENDLY THURSDAY (3/19) MORNING
Kids get in free, but parents have to pay $20 in advance (it will sell out) with all proceeds going to a children’s cancer charity.
IF YOU WANT TO JINX KENTUCKY…
“Wow, I didn’t realize the singer from Pavement is so tall.” What are “Things you might hear at SXSW this year?” Christian Laettner will be at Scholz Garten on Sunday from 5-7 p.m. for the March Madness selection show. Party hosted by TripCase travel product. NBA legend Rick Barry will also be on hand.
AND THE MUSIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER WILL BE…
John Legend, who’s playing a Spin party at Cheer Up Charlies, is now a contender in a contest that seemed to be between Bob Dylan, Madonna and Bono. Legend has a lot to say in his “Selma” moment, plus he just played the Houston Rodeo over the weekend, which would explain why he hasn’t been announced yet. Still holding out hope for Dylan, but with his Bass Concert Hall show May 6 sold out, there’s no reason to not have announced him already. Madonna is everywhere and Bono is producing a movie starring Willie Nelson in Spicewood, so they’ve been floated. We should know soon.
PASSION PIT TO PLAY SPOTIFY HOUSE THURSDAY 3/19
According to the band’s publicist Sacks and Co., Passion Pit is playing one set only at SXSW- at the Spotify House on E. Sixth Street on Thursday. It looks like the band, whose album “Kindred” has been delayed several months, may be down to founding member Michael Angelakos (photographed above).
UPDATE: Rebecca Silverstein of Fader Fort has confirmed tht Passion Pit is playing a private party for Dell at the Fader Fort on Tuesday 3/17. The Fort, which is invite and badges only this year, begins its programming on Wednesday 3/18. Silverman says they’ll get the full schedule to me in two days.
LEVITATION PARTY WED 3/18 at FRENCH LEGATION
The Black Angels gang host a party for their Levitation Festival (formerly Psych Fest) at the French Legation in West East Austin on the Wednesday of SXSW Music. We know Heartless Bastards, just off the road opening for Bob Seger, are going to be there, which is good enough for me. Party runs from noon to 6 p.m. Invitation only, though if you’re good looking and dress like a hippie they’ll probably let you in. Don’t say you’re Tommy Hall. I’m using that one.
LONE STAR MUSIC MAGAZINE PARTY FREE AND OPEN TO ALL
So, now you’ve got something to do Wednessday afternoon if you’re a fan of Jonathan Tyler! The spiritual blues-rocker from Dallas headlines a bill at Threadgill’s March 18th from 4-7PM, which includes Brandy Zdan, K Phillips, John Evans Band, Blue Water Highway Band and American Aquarium. First come, first served.
RSVP for Rolling Stone stage at Mellow Johnny’s at 4th and Nueces.
HOUSTON’S SUFFERS FOLLOW SXSW WITH LETTERMAN APPEARANCE
Great Houston soul band the Suffers are playing a free set at the Midway Food Court (1905 S. Capital of Texas Hwy) on Tuesday March 17, plus a million of other SXSW shows. Then they’re off to NYC for their network TV debut. So catch ’em while you can- and for free. The Tontons are also playing the family-friend show at the Midway. Now that I think about it, should a band from Houston be called the Sufferers?
RACHAEL RAY HOSTS EDWARD SHARPE, RAEKWON, B. SCHNEIDER, MORE AT STUBB’S 3/21
The bubbly food network host returns with a big lineup on three stages for continuous music. Here’s the lowdown from Billboard just moments ago.
FALL OUT BOY, BIG SEAN, YEARS & YEARS TO PLAY mtvU WOODIE AWARDS
The west parking lot of the Austin American Statesman is going to be rocking like it hasn’t since a former music critic used to sit in his car and listen to AC/DC full blast to prepare for the workday, on Friday March 20. That’s when the AAS hosts mtvU’s “Woodie Awards,” hosted by Jack Antonoff of Bleachers and Hannah Horvath eye candy fame. Headlining will be Fall Out Boy, who are getting some kind of lifetime achievement award for selling a few records ten years ago. Then there’s Detroit rapper Big Sean and Brit-synth-poppers Years & Years. Wonder if Sean’s lady Ariana Grande will make a cameo. What am I thinking? TV cameras will be there!
Big Sean.
* The Friday 3/20 Auditorium Shores free show will be headlined by Ryan Bingham, with Luther Dickinson, Jackie Greene and Carson McHone on the bill. Spoon headlines the Aud-Sho on Thursday 3/19 and Saturday 3/21 there are a bunch of Latin bands. If you don’t have a badge or wristband, you need a Guest Pass to attend. Get it here.
Where’s the party? That’s really the #1 question being asked in Austin in mid-March, FOMOsexual season. We’ll be providing some free party tips in the next couple weeks, but first let’s run a list of all the parties and locations that applied for applications.
STUB HUB HAS WAR ON DRUGS, FUTURE ISLANDS, PORTUGAL. THE MAN AND MORE PLAYING ITS SXSW DAY PARTIES. ALSO MAYBE: FREE. THE BEER.
The StubHub Music Experience runs Tuesday- Thursday (March 17-19) at the Clive Bar in Rainey Street. Daptone soul revivalists Charles Bradley and British rockers the Vaccines are also playing for the scalpers. RSVP here.
The Conqueroo/Guitartown party used to kick off SXSW Music on W. Sixth on Wednesdays. Now it’s right in the thick of things. Wed. March 18 at the Dogwood (715 W. Sixth St.) Free as hell. Le lineup:
OUTSIDE STAGE AT THE DOGWOOD:
11 a.m. JAMIE LIN WILSON & KELLEY MICKWEE
( from THE TRISHAS)
12 Noon JAMES MCMURTRY
1 p.m. JON DEE GRAHAM
2 p.m. REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND
3 p.m. RAY WYLIE HUBBARD
4 p.m. AMERICAN AQUARIUM
5 p.m. DALE WATSON
6 p.m. JIMMY LAFAVE
6:55 p.m. TBA
8:00 pm- PASTOR T AND THE GAMETIGHT ALLSTARS
(FEATURING MEMBERS OF ROXY ROCA)
INSIDE STAGE AT THE DOGWOOD:
11:30 a.m. CURTIS MCMURTRY
12:30 p.m. THE GRAHAMS
1:30 p.m. PAINTED REDSTARTS
2:30 p.m. THE SILOS
3:30 p.m. AARON LEE TASJAN
4:30 p.m. THE MASTERSONS
5:30 p.m. RONNIE FAUSS
6:30 p.m. KEVN KINNEY & FRIENDS
7:30 p.m. JEFF AUSTIN
Are there any greater words in Austin in mid-March than Free and Open To the Public?
The big parties out in the Waterloo parking lot just keep getting bigger, with the 1,500 capacity reached early and often. A big plus for bands and fans is the full concert sound. Also, there’s lotsa free music across the street on the upper level of Whole Foods, so you can park once and rock out twice.
globalFEST COMES TO SPEAKEASY 3/20
Reading reviews of international music juggernaut globalFEST at Webster Hall in NYC in January made me wish I was there (except January in NYC). So I was real excited to find out there’s a globalFEST showcase at SXSW, featuring my gospel faves the Jones Family Singers, Inuit throat singing from Canada’s Tanya Tagaq, Just A Band’s Afro-house from Kenya and the psychedelic drums and guitar of Punjab’s Sain Tanveer. If you don’t have a badge or wristband, you can show up early and pay a cover charge and stay all night.
KUTX BROADCASTS LIVE FROM DAY STAGE FRIDAY 3/20
In what looks to be the best lineup of the week- day or night- KUTX hosts and will broadcast a live concert that starts at noon and features performances by Twin Shadow (noon), Gang of Four (1 p.m.), Ryan Bingham (2 p.m.), Best Coast (3 p.m.), Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear (4 p.m.) and Courtney Barnett (5 p.m.). It’s badges only, but KUTX will provide listeners with chances to win tickets to see the show live.
TOWNIE SPECIAL 3/19 AT MARIA’S
It’s the Grand Ole Austin event, free and open to the public, at Maria’s Taco Xpress on the Thursday of SXSW Music. Hosted by Chris Crofton of Nashville. All ages, too!
Kevin Gordon 11:00 – 11:25
Hillary Scott 11:35 – 12:00
Pi Jacobs 12:10 – 12:35
Jane Lee Hooker 12:50 – 1:15
The Bluebonnets 1:30 – 2:10
Joe Fletcher 2:25 – 2:50
Nocona 3:05 – 3:35
Mike Stinson 3:50 – 4:25
Brian Whelan 4:35 – 5:05
Chuck Prophet 5:20 – 6:05
Ramsay Midwood 6:20 – 6:50
John Moreland 7:05 – 7:35
Andrew Combs 8:30 – 8:55
SXSW SPORTS: DID YOU KNOW IT EXISTED?
It’s just the second year that SXSW has added a sports component, but the big names are flying in for the March 13-15 sessions at the Convention Center. The controversial cop-lover Charles Barkley will be here, as well as Ronda Rousey, whose most recent UFC fight used less time than Barkley’s shortest explanation. The great Jemele Hill and the tolerable Michael Smith will do a “His & Her” live podcast from SXSW, plus we’ll also host a panel of gay athletes (Brittney Griner, Jason Collins, etc.) that is somehow not moderated by Skip Bayless.
Jemele Hill.
Also appearing at SXSW, but, suitably, in the comedy section is former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura. He’ll be spouting his conspiracy bullshit at the Hideout on Monday March 16.
GET YOUR FILL OF APPETIZERS AT STATESMAN’S “ROCK THE LOT” FESTIVAL
The Statesman is not too long from selling their prime real estate and moving into an old Albertson’s somewhere north, but until then, they will milk that damn parking lot for all its worth. But that turns out to be a great thing for music fans. I don’t know how they did it, but the usually-clueless Statesman has booked a great two-day lineup for its FREE “Rock the Lot” shows Friday (March 13) and Saturday. First day you’ve got a great afternoon of country and blues from the Dirty River Boys, Peterson Brothers, Whiskey Shivers, Crooks and more. Now, that’s a great lineup, but Saturday is even better, with Shinyribs in the headline slot and T-Bird and the Breaks, Quiet Company and a Selena tribute band rounding it out. If I were you, I’d go to this, get wasted, use Uber and stay the fuck out of downtown the rest of SXSW.
The Statesman always has the best list of free SXSW parties and details. Most of them are shit, it turns out, but that’s for you to find out.
OLD ANTONE’S GOES TO HELL!
With the news that there’s a new Antone’s coming to E. Fifth Street in the old Maxey Glass building next to Eddie V’s, we take you to the other side of Congress to the 213 W. Fifth Street location that hosted Antone’s Mediocre Years. During SXSW, it’s being taken over by the Monster Energy Outbreak House, where the party keeps going until 4 a.m. The biggest Monster Outbreak is Wednesday the 18th when Riff Raff, the Florida rapper who deserves no hooray, will host a “Big, Loud, Stupid Gathering of Attractive Dummies” party. Mr. Raff was allegedly the model for James Franco’s grotesque rapper pimp in “Spring Break,” y’all. Mike Judge will be on hand to film this show for “Idiocracy II.”
ONE IN 2,100: SAM OUTLAW
Sturgill Simpson isn’t the only nouveau country singer that knows about Keith Whitley and Gene Watson. Born in South Dakota, Outlaw is now based in Los Angeles, where his debut LP is being produced by Ry Cooder. Outlaw (his mother’s maiden name, so give him a break) plays midnight Thursday 3/19 at St. David’s Historic Sanctuary. Listen to a track here. Outlaw was a breakout act at the Americana Music Festival in September.
SPOON TO PLAY TUMBLR PARTY
Brit and the Daniels are going to be quite busy at the fest this year, playing that big free show at Auditorium Shores Thursday 3/19, plus FLOODfest at Cedar Something and their regular showcases. Spoon is also playing the Tumblr Fuck Yeah Party Monday the 16th at Mohawk. Also on the bill ASTR, Twin Peaks and Tei Shi. Since it’s a Tumblr party, no one over 26, please.
INCUBUS PLAYING SXSW SHOWCASE
That horrible and popular metal pop band Sucubus is using SXSW to resuscitate a career that has seen them sell millions of records, while retaining the luxury of shopping at Ralph’s undisturbed. Nickleback watches with interest.
Here’s the Island Records show. It’s badges and wristbands only, but if you get there really, really early because you simply cannot miss the ‘bus, they might let you pay cover to get in.
“SXSW turns Austin into a dead buffalo and all the people who come are the Indians who use every piece of the animal. Every building, every parking lot, every side street, every park. They stuff their faces and dance to tribal beats and go a little crazy in the spirit of celebration. And when they go home there are always a few they leave behind.”
–From “Getting Mighty Crowded: the Story of SXSW is the Story of Austin Today”
KIRK FRANKLIN PRESENTS GOSPEL/ HIP HOP SHOWCASE AT PROMISELAND FRIDAY 3/20
One of the strangest new SXSW venues is the Promiseland church on E. 51st St. It’s not unusual for a place of worship to convert in mid-March, but this Pentecostal church is far out of the downtown zone. Perhaps that’s the point. Fort Worth-based gospel superstar Franklin is scheduled to perform for only ten minutes between acts, but most are on his Fo Yo Soul roster- and if you’ve never been to a Kirk Franklin show, he’s kinda like the Don Ho of religious music, letting the troupe do most of the work.
Promiseland is hosting hardcore hip hop on the other nights of SX, which is not that out of line considering the church’s in-house studio has been (quietly) producing rap records for over a decade.
Two other gospel shows stand out. The Fairfield Four and the McCrary Sisters from Nashville play St. David’s Sanctuary Wed. 3/18, while the Jones Family Singers have two showcases: Palm Door on Sixth Sreet Thur 3/19 at 10 p.m. and the next night at midnight at the Speakeasy.
* Here’s a bash “Open To All.” Palm Park is next to the Convention Center and across the street from IHOP on Cesar Chavez. Stop by Friday 3/20 at 5:40 p.m. to catch the great, young Chicago rock band Twin Peaks. Don’t ask me how to RSVP. Just show up and bluff it.
Twin Peaks. A sound as original as their name, but it rocks.
* Kathy Valentine (ex-Go-Go’s) is hosting a SHE Factory showcase of female rock acts at her ex-husband’s new joint at 718 Congress Ave. the Townsend on Saturday 3/21. Forest Whitaker‘s daughter Sonnet is fronting one of the bands and the word is that the actor will be on hand.
* Statesman tech writer Omar Gallaga used to be in a Latino comedy troupe that had a bit that still cracks me up: “Chuy on the Roof.” It was a low-rent version of well-funded TV news programs with their traffic helicopters. Chuy would report the traffic conditions with a pair of binoculars on the roof of the tallest building in the barrio. I think Chuy needs to make a comeback at SXSW. We need someone to warn us when it’s not even worth trying to get through the crowds, like at the corner of Sixth and Trinity. There’s a big outdoor stage with rap acts going until late, so that’ll be Bottleneck City.
And now for some history to get you caught up. Here’s what happened the first 27 years of SXSW.
One of the 25 Greatest Austin Bands of All Time reunites for Doug Sahm tribute, then Broken Spoke. Freda (Marcia Ball) and the ‘dogs were the first long-haired country band to play the Spoke. James White hired them wafter they packed the joint for a Lloyd Doggett fundraiser.