Austin360 blogs > Almost Urban > Archives > 2007 > March > 18
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Blowing out SXSW 2007 with the Jazz Mafia
12:03 a.m. One of my favorite parts of SXSW is the influx of international musicians into the city. I had planned to try to catch the Somali-Canadian rap-rocker K’naan, but he canceled earlier this week. Since I’m feeling a little Crunked out, I decide to change gears entirely and I head down to the Elephant Room to catch Japanese jazz genius Hiromi, but when I arrive at the door it turns out she canceled, too.
On the Congress Avenue side of downtown with no better plan I head down to the Giant Step records unofficial showcase at the Firehouse. On the last night of SXSW downtown Austin seems like a street carnival. On the steps of The Driskill a washtub band is entertaining passerbys.
12:25 a.m. It’s a capacity crowd at the Firehouse, but the line moves fast. On the inside Chicken George is at the helm dropping hip-hop, soul and hard funk. DJ J Boogie from the Bay takes the stage and the sound morphs into something a little more electronic for a minute. He starts mixing in old school hip-hop and afrobeat, it’s a good vibe. Then the Jazz Mafia horns from San Francisco step in and the whole scene blows up with a crazy boogaloo block party feel. This is definitely the spot to close out my Almost Urban SXSW 2007 adventure.
2:02 a.m. I’m walking back to my truck. The jam session on the steps of the Driskill has grown. As they’re leaving The Firehouse, the Jazz Mafia horns hop in on the washtub band’s set which sets the sound swinging. And I realize this is it, the thing that makes the crowds, the traffic and the generalized nonsense of SXSW worthwhile. For four days during the year our city turns into an interactive music playground, a free for all jam that echoes through every bar, coffeehouse, corner and backyard. And that’s a beautiful thing.
