Austin360 blogs > Almost Urban > Archives > 2007 > March > 16 > Entry
The skinny jean invasion in full effect
6:26 p.m.: I show up at “the Fort” to try to catch Amy Winehouse’s set, which is scheduled for 6:25 p.m. I’ve been checking for the soulful Brit ever since I heard her smoky pipes on the killer Ghostface collab “You Know I’m No Good.” It’s a mob scene up in here, but the notorious party girl Winehouse is nowhere to be found. The Norwegian electronic rockers Datarock burst onto the stage. They dance, they pose, they aerobicize. I love their energy (and their matching track suits!), but the whole scene is almost lethally hipsterish. The skinny jean invasion is in full effect, topped off with dark-rimmed oversized glasses. If I were taking advantage of the multiple open bar options I’d probably be completely unfazed, but I have to beat a retreat.
8:20 p.m.: Down at Ninety Proof, I’m cruising the Pop Yo Colla party, an unofficial SXSW hip-hop event, and I bump into Buddy Leroy and Cerebral Vortex. I’m so happy to see these cats back in town. Buddy’s an ATL transplant with a rugged sound that owes a lot to the Dungeon Family’s Dirty South, and Vortex spits with a raw indie intellectualism. The two formed a group called 215 The Freshest Kidz, branded their sound Texas hyphy, witty hip-hop with a skate punk sensibility, and headed out to the Bay Area. Six months later, they’re back with road tales and a new platter called “Phresh to Def.” They sound good and come with a vibe that has a lot of crossover potential. This party, incidentally, is free and requires no credentials.
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