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Scene report: First in line for Band of Horses at Central Presbyterian
I picked up my first SXXpress Pass Friday morning. I wanted to make sure I caught Band of Horses at Central Presbyterian Church around 9 p.m., and given reports of the madhouse that was the Grizzly Bear show there last year, I figured I wouldn’t be the only one. Realizing the church would reach capacity early in the evening, I knew that if I got there before the doors opened, I would be assured a seat. When I arrived, I expected to see at least a small Xpress line, but it was just I. At least I thought it was until I realized the middle-aged gentleman already sitting on the wall was a fellow pass-holder and not a musician.
Stephen Hoad had seen the queue on Wednesday night — one he said was equally long to the 100+ line formed by 6:45 p.m. Friday — and figured he would play it safe by getting an Xpress pass for Saturday night. The Brit from Aylesbury, England said he had been turned onto the South Carolina-based band by his son but had missed them their last time in the UK and he was determined to remedy that.
Attending his fifth SXSW, Hoad said he loved the smaller crowds and venues of the fest because, “it’s the way I like to listen to music.” Having attended the Wednesday night showcase, he was already enchanted with Central Presbyterian, a venue who compared to Union Chapel in London, though he said the church in downtown Austin was nicer.
When I asked the well-versed music lover for any fest highlights of the week, he pointed to California duo El Ten Eleven, a band he said he had been waiting to see for five years after a DJ from the BBC whom he ran into at SXSW turned him onto the band. That’s quite a wait, but Hoad seemed to think it was worth the wait, calling the band “just stunning.” Seems I have a new band to check out.
With that, the doors to the church opened and Hoad and I went our separate ways, with him taking a seat in a pew about 10 rows from the front, just past the soundboard and a perfect distance from the speakers, ensuring a fantastic listening experience. The guy knows his music.
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