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SXSW history, pt. 2: the middle years
1997
Number of acts: 788
Keynote speaker:Carl Perkins
Buzz, buzz, buzz: Atari Teenage Riot, 24-7 Spyz, Whiskeytown, Archers of Loaf, Jimmy Eat World, Ron Sexsmith, Ben Lee, Gomez, Less Than Jake
A sign of the times; the most noteworthy panel, hosted by Jon Pareles of The New York Times, is ‘What’s Behind the Drastic Slump In Record Sales?’ Or, more to the point: Where Are All the Big Label Parties This Year?
Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips keeps things interesting with his Parking Lot Symphony, in which 30 cars parked in a garage at Seventh and Brazos streets play 30 cassette tapes simultaneously with the car doors open. More than 2,000 fans show up.
This is also the year Tony Bennett plays the Austin Music Hall, to about half a house because everyone figures it would be a mob scene.
SXSW organizers stubbornly refuse to let their fest compete with the Austin Music Awards, but because most clubs have been jumping the gun, Wednesday is finally added as the official starting night of SXSW.
1998
Number of acts: 1,043
Keynote speaker: Nick Lowe
Buzz, buzz, buzz: Imperial Teen, the Donnas, Dust Brothers, Get Up Kids, Rufus Wainwright, Queens of the Stone Age, Olivia Tremor Control, Plastilina Mosh, Damnations
For some reason, SXSW organizers hate bands flown in by outside entities to play private parties. When they hear that Philadelphia-based Internet retailer CDnow is paying Sonic Youth big money to play a party in a 300-capacity club, they work hard to persuade CDnow to move their party to 1,500-capacity La Zona Rosa and make the Sonic Youth set follow the bash as an official SXSW showcase. Wristband-wearers and fans willing to pay cover are ecstatic at the chance to see the Youth, but few get in, as those attending the party just stick around.
Austin band Breedlove doesn’t get signed, they get served, with a summons for breach of contract charges by manager Jan Mirkin as they step off the stage at Steamboat.
1999
Number of acts: 829
Keynote speaker: Lucinda Williams
Buzz, buzz, buzz: Trail of Dead, Lo-Fidelity Allstars, Built To Spill, Patty Griffin, Cibo Matto, the Hives
The magic is so quickly followed by mayhem. The night after Tom Waits plays the Paramount Theatre, one of the all-time highlights of SXSW, his friend and sometime-promoter Don Hyde is savagely beaten by bouncers at La Zona Rosa. The bouncers were trying to clear out the crowd after Alejandro Escovedo’s set, but when Hyde wants to go backstage to get his bag, there is some jostling, and push soon turns to punch, then to kicks in the side. Hyde suffers five broken ribs, a broken collarbone and a separated shoulder. Waits vows to never play Texas again and has stayed true to his word.
A major Thursday night thunderstorm forces cancellation of all outdoor events that night, including a Willie Nelson concert at Stubb’s. Emo’s is flooded with knee-high water, but most of it drains by showtime.
2000
Number of acts: 1,314
Keynote speaker: Steve Earle
Buzz, buzz, buzz: At the Drive In, Black Eyed Peas, Modest Mouse, Elliot Smith, Marah, Blackalicious, Jennyanykind, Backyard Babies, Morphine, Cibo Matto, Bright Eyes, Tenacious D
Friction sparks between SXSW and Revolver magazine after Revolver flies in Guided By Voices, not an official festival act, to play a private party. Revolver charges SXSW with threatening to call in the fire marshals (a charge denied), but the jam-packed party goes off without a stumble. Good food, too.
Neil Young, in town to hawk his new concert film ‘Silver and Gold’ locks himself out of his suite at the Driskill and conducts a news conference, with a handful of critics, in the hallway.
Los Super Seven is born at a party at Las Manitas when members of Los Lobos jam with Raul Malo and Austin’s Joe Ely, Ruben Ramos and Rick Trevino.
A grouchy soundman cuts the magic at Momo’s, just as Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads joins Bernie Worrell onstage for an encore of music from ‘Remain In Light.’ A cooler dude would’ve let the show go past 2 a.m.
2001
Number of acts: 1,159
Keynote speaker: Ray Davies
Buzz, buzz, buzz: White Stripes, the Strokes, Death Cab For Cutie, Aterciopelados, Kasey Chambers, Bellrays, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Mogwai, the Shins, New Pornographers
During that small window in which he’s a star, Pete Yorn pulls a star trip, refusing to leave the La Zona Rosa stage after his allotted time. Even after the houselights go up, Yorn continues to play and eventually does leave the stage, ‘not by our own choice.’ The following act, North Mississippi Allstars, finally starts at 2 a.m.
Revolver magazine tries to stick it to the man (SXSW) again, flying in the Cult for a private party, but when staffers show up to register, they discover that their badges have been revoked. ‘The roadrunner would be nothing without the coyote,’ Revolver’s Brad Tolinski says, relishing the controversy.
Ike Turner plays to a crowd lousy with musicians and a few protesters who’d seen ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It.’ By the end of the incredible set, the crowd chants, ‘We like Ike!’
2002
Number of acts: 1,011
Keynote speaker: Robbie Robertson
Buzz, buzz, buzz: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Los Lonely Boys, Clinic, Mastodon, Norah Jones, Eels, Drive-By Truckers, Polyphonic Spree, KaitO, Tift Merritt, Mooney Suzuki
The worst SXSW booking of all time puts Norah Jones, who has the No. 1 album in the country, in the upstairs banquet room of the Clay Pit Indian restaurant. Forget, for a moment, that it’s a little rude to put the daughter of Ravi Shankar in an Indian restaurant, but what is the woman about to win six Grammys doing playing any restaurant?
Courtney Love draws the biggest crowd ever for a non-keynote, and her rambling, self-indulgent, ‘one on none’ interview doesn’t disappoint rubberneckers. Love complains of a tequila hangover, but they don’t serve tequila in the men’s room of the Hole In the Wall, where she had locked herself with a couple of unsavory locals for an hour the night before.
Los Angeles rockers the Icarus Line make national news when the singer smashes a display case at the Hard Rock Cafe and tries to play a guitar that once belonged to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Bouncers chase the singer four blocks before he gets away.
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Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: SXSW
Comments
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By atxburn
March 10, 2008 6:36 PM | Link to this
This is weird. You all only seem to be focusing on the things that go wrong every year rather than any of the amazing moments. I guess I just don’t get all of the SXSW hatred, especially from the Statesmen. I mean really, why bash the festival that is the only reason anyone would ever care what the Statesman thinks about music? I get annoyed by SXSW at times too, but it does more for Austin music - all the bands, publications, and businesses - than anything else anywhere. Most places would love to have the entire music industry paying attention to them for a week or more. Oh well, your fight, not mine.
By Bob M
March 11, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this
While reading Corcoran’s history synopsis I kept thinking the same thing as atxburn. Most of his “highlights” are negatives. It seems that if you’re going to sum up the individual years of the festival with 3 or 4 bullet points you could write about a great showcase or something similar.
By Dave
March 11, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this
While this has been a fun read, I agree with the other two commenters. “Highlights” along with “Lowlights” for each year would have been interesting.
By tugena
March 11, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
get over yourselves you whiny hippies! i love reading these trips through the wayback machine. i have a blast every year i attend sxsw and these little vignettes a) make me laugh and b) allo wme to hear about a side of sxsw i never would have otherwise.
By Dave
March 12, 2008 8:04 AM | Link to this
tugena: Please excuse us for expressing our opinions. Maybe we should have run them by you first for your approval.