SXSW Home > South by Southwest Live Updates > Archives > 2007 > March > 17
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Trent Summar
Artist: Trent Summar
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Venue: Broken Spoke, 7 p.m. Saturday
Pre-show buzz: A picky co-worker met him at Guero’s the other night and said he was a nice guy. Spoke owner James White heard he was the real thing and rocks out.
High point: Images of a blond Elvis in his Louisiana Hayride days, legs spread wide and a red jacket flapping before going down on his knees and shaking off his straw cowboy hat. Songs about horseshoes, hand grenades, St. Peter and needing “a gooseneck trailer to haul your love.”
Low point: Begging folks to dance to fast-slow-fast tunes and the few who did getting shown up by an 89-year-old Spoke regular.
Afterthoughts: Palo Duro Records should keep pushing this 40-year-old speed country artist because he writes songs that Jack Ingram and Pat Green will — and, in fact, did — cover.
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Mohair
Artist: Mohair
Hometown: Watford, UK
Venue: La Zona Rosa, 8 p.m. Saturday
Pre-show buzz: Didn’t make it to my ears.
High point: Their song, “Keep It Together,” was a creative rock gem with a nod to ’60s musical sensibilities, which Mohair singer Tom Billington said was the No. 1 something or other in Bosnia. “I (expletive) you not,” he attested.
Bonus points: awarded for drummer Pete Baker’s fantastic trumpet solo during the bridge of “Keep It Together.” That Brit pop coolio put down his sticks, picked up the trumpet and played a spot-on solo, then picked up the sticks and went right back into the song. The audience rewarded his skill with applause. Additionally, keyboardist Alex Richards’ elegant harpsichord sound and his classically influenced playing was a nice respite from the typical four-on-the-floor rock ‘n’ roll that inevitably surrounds you at SXSW.
Oddest stage attire mix-match: Bassist Tim Slade wearing a navy polo shirt while singer/guitarist Billington donned something akin to the infamous “Seinfeld” white puffy shirt.
Post-show buzz: The thunderous applause felt sincere. Most folks appeared to be hearing them for the first time, but the consensus was that these guys were not too shabby.
Afterthoughts: I’d check out Mohair again if they were playing for free. But that said, they come across as one of those bands that have the potential to make great singles because they were all such polished, tasteful musicians. They’ve got potential for greatness, but their music isn’t going to change you life just yet.
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The Capitol Years
Act: The Capitol Years
Hometown: Philadelphia
Venue: Habana Calle 6, 10 p.m. Saturday
Pre-show buzz: “The hottest thing in Philly right now.”
High point: The three guitars, bass and drums all coming together on “You Can Stay There,” which makes a case that Freddie Mercury has a big influence on today’s power-pop groups.
Low point: When two band members introduced a song at the same time so that the talking sounded like gibberish. For a band with such short, snappy songs, this “comedic” bit went on too long. Also the room was way too well-lit, so the audience members just stood in place when perhaps many of them wanted to rock out.
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Mastadon
Artist: Mastodon
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Venue: SXSW Dew Music Festival at Town Lake, 8 p.m. Saturday
Pre-show buzz: Many of us continue to hold out hope they will become the next Metallica without having to make their “Black Album.” We’ll see. That said, with the exception of Boris, Mastodon is coolest, heaviest band in ages to play the free SXSW show.
High point: Gorgeous weather; singer/guitarist Brent Hinds’ Kylesa t-shirt on the JumboTron; the galloping, triumphant one-two opening combo of “The Wolf is Loose” and “Crystal Skull,” the first two songs on the band’s major label debut “Blood Mountain;” the tasteful mid-set placement of the band’s breakout single “March of the Fire Ants; bassist/singer Troy Sanders’ “metal face.”
Low point: A few songs got a little too complicated and slowed the set, but this was a minor complaint. For most of Saturday, it was blissfully possible to forget that March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, the day an ethnic group is celebrated by everyone engaging in that group’s single worst stereotype. Ah, well. The crowd (and Against Me!, who played right before Mastodon) made this impossible to forget. But if you’re going to have an outdoor metal show on St. Patrick’s Day, shouldn’t the between band music be Thin Lizzy? For shame.
Post-show buzz: Big crowd + nice evening + cutting-edge metal presented for free = extra-large fun for the whole family. And yes, there were whole families there.
Afterthoughts: Not a bad way to start a Saturday night.
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Boris
Artist: Boris
Hometown: Tokyo
Venue: SXSW Dew Music Festival at Town Lake, 4:55 p.m. Saturday
Pre-show buzz: Generally acknowledged to be one of the bands one had to see at SXSW, this doomy, majestic power trio played three times during the festival — this was the final one.
High point: Since this sounded like much the same set the band played at the Scion party, there were no big surprises. Guitarist Wata droned the e-bow as singer Takeshi — still sporting that hideous double-neck bass/guitar thing — crunched away. Also, they were projected on a fair-sized JumboTron.
Low point: That more Austinites didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to see this wonderful band.
Post-show buzz: That ruled. Boy, it’s hot out. Does this look like sunburn?
Afterthoughts: On March 17, 2007, in Austin, Texas, it was entirely possible to enjoy a funnel cake and watch one of the coolest metal bands of our epoch for free in park in the center of town. In the immortal words of Ron Burgundy, “in no way is that depressing.”
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Dengue Fever
Artist: Dengue Fever
Hometown: Los Angeles
Venue: SESAC stage at the Convention Center, 2 p.m. Saturday
Pre-show buzz: Multi-culti combo’s fan base grew after its music appeared in Jim Jarmusch’s “Broken Flowers.”
High point: Closing your eyes and imagining you’re in the coolest ’70s flick ever to emerge from Southeast Asia.
Low point: A middling his and hers duet (the only tune in English, not Khmer) between the singer and lead guitarist.
Post-show buzz: Judging by the number of passers-by drawn into the room by the strange sounds they heard, the band won some new fans.
Afterthoughts: The mix of Ethiopian jazz, Cambodia-inflected vocals and Bollywood spice was a lot more accessible (and funkier) than it might sound on paper.
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Rickie Lee Jones
Artist: Rickie Lee Jones
Hometown: Chicago
Venue: “SXSW Live” at the Convention Center, 4 p.m. Saturday
Pre-show buzz: Hearing that the songwriter just made an album inspired by the Bible, old fans were heard wondering if she intended to preach from the microphone.
High point: “Where I Like It Best,” an unexpectedly moving song whose modern-day interpretation of Christ’s instructions on prayer elicited a burst of mid-song applause from the crowd.
Low point: Watching the TV crew try to tell the singer her time was up, just as she was getting rolling on the hushed, stream-of-consciousness “I Was There” (which runs eight-plus minutes on the album).
Post-show buzz: Biblical inspirations or no, she’s still Rickie Lee Jones.
Afterthoughts: Sticking to new material in a lovably odd, sometimes improvisational set, Jones won a lot of believers for songs that wove everyday social and romantic concerns into a religious context and vice versa.
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Pela
Artist: Pela
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Venue: Eternal, 11:15 p.m. Friday
Pre-show buzz: None in the room. Most everyone had arrived early to see the Faint.
High point: Every song played was a high point. They rocked the majority of their upcoming release, “Anytown Graffitti.”
Bonus points: For covering the Pixies’ “The Holiday Song” without being coy or ironic.
Post-show buzz: “Those guys were really great. Who are they?”
Afterthoughts: Pela was one of the best sleeper/surprisingly delightful showcases of the entire festival. They made the band that played right before them — Austin rag-tag outfit Peter and the Wolf — look like rock ’n’ roll pretenders as Pela blew them off the stage. This crib-sheet description won’t do them complete justice, but imagine what it would sound like if Bruce Springsteen were an indie rocker who grew up listening to the Pixies and Husker Du.
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The Faint
Artist: The Faint
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
Venue: Eternal, 12:30 a.m. Friday
Pre-show buzz: Their live shows are notorious for transforming dingy indie rock clubs into glamorous, “you should have been there” dance parties.
High point: The encore that included “Desperate Guys” and “Agenda Suicide.” It was the most blissfully transcendental moment of my SXSW 2007.
Bonus points: Playing “Worked Up So Sexual” midway through the set. The audience was screaming, practically begging for it. Then the Faint unabashedly gave it up.
Post-show buzz: Overheard as sweaty people sought more oxygen outside of the club on Sixth Street: “This was the best show I’ve seen at this year’s SXSW!” This writer concurs.
Afterthoughts: The Faint have always been Saddle Creek Records’ ticking time bomb just waiting to explode into the mainstream. If the Faint jump ship from Saddle Creek and move on to a major label — Internet rumors suggest Rick Rubin’s American Recordings — they will likely become the next New Order or Depeche Mode. There are multiple bands rehashing 1980s dance music these days. The Faint set themselves apart by reinventing electronic dance music with their combination of indie rock live-band verve and state-of-the-art keyboards and electronic programming, combined with guitars, bass and live drums. And songs. Songs with hooks that would be just as catchy and melodic on acoustic guitars as they are with ear-splittingly supersonic production values.
Personal to SXSW organizers: Booking the Faint at Eternal put the audience in jeopardy of being hurt. The club was entirely too small.
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Ponderosa Stomp showcase
Show: Ponderosa Stomp showcase
Hometown: South Bend, Ind. (Herb Remington); Lecompte, La. (Jay Chevalier); Lafayette, La. (Paul “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal & the Buckaroos featuring Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural); New Orleans, (Rockie Charles, Tammy Lynn, Willie Tee and the Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indians)
Venue: Opal Divine’s Freehouse, all night Friday
Pre-show buzz: This celebration of under-appreciated roots artists, founded in New Orleans six years ago, had a long line out the door when it made its SXSW debut at the Continental Club last year.
High point: Loads of them. Pedal steel guitarist Herb Remington sparkled on everything from “Remington’s Ride,” an instrumental from his days with country star Hank Penny, to a lovely “Sleepwalk.” Red-hot guitarist Lil’ Buck Sinegal and soulful organist Stanley Dural (of Buckwheat Zydeco fame) played together with infectious joy (they were bandmates in the late Clifton Chenier’s zydeco band), whether backing other artists or stepping out front on instrumentals such as the Meters’ “Cissy Strut.” Snappy dresser Rockie Charles had a commanding presence, as well as a stirring, gospel-fired voice and some good new songs. Willie Tee displayed wide range — he sang his sly old soul hit “Teasin’ You,” went toe-to-toe with Dural on keyboards and led the Mardi Gras Indians through some of the carnival classics he created for the Wild Magnolias. The Indians in their splendid finery also performed some traditional chants on their own, getting the crowd dancing with only bass and drum accompaniment for their call-and-response.
Low point: Jay Chevalier overdid the showbiz shtick at times, and Tammy Lynn was a crowd-pleaser, but her big voice only has one speed — full-throttle.
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Antibalas
Waiting for Antibalas to perform, a small group of guys in their 20s was having a decidedly unacademic conversation about classic jazz artists. Their exchanges had the one-upping swagger of a sports-bar argument, and the vocabulary was more what you’d expect from, say, teenagers comparing video games. “Dude, Freddie,” one said, presumably talking about the great trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. His friend started going on about organist Larry Young. “That album — dude! It’s just retarded! Dude!” Then the conversation turned to Stan Getz and his last album. “Dude, that is the greatest album. And then he died, like, two months later.” “Dude!”
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Venue: Antone’s, midnight Friday
Pre-show buzz: The next-best thing to the late Fela Kuti (well, maybe after his son Femi Kuti)
High point: Compelling polyrhythms, intricate, peppery horn arrangements and some intriguing, jazz-based saxophone solos.
Low point: A very late start because of the difficulty setting up sound for an 11-piece band. The sound directly in front of the stage was distorted — overamplified drumbeats felt like knife blades in the eardrums — although it was not bad off to the side.
Post-show buzz: After the long, hot wait for the band — so long one couple actually sat down on the sticky floor to rest — some of the crowd wilted or wearied before the end of the set. However, the (surprisingly young) audience seemed impressed.
Afterthoughts: The venue, with its narrow space in front of the stage, wasn’t really suited to a band that likes to fully engage everyone in the audience and get the whole crowd dancing.
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Pierre Aderne
Artist: Pierre Aderne
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Venue: Copa, 8 p.m. Friday
Pre-show buzz: His co-writers have included prominent artists such as Seu Jorge, and Aderne scored critical acclaim with his 2005 debut, “Casa de Praia.”
High point: Interesting chord progressions and quirky percussion provided a bit of contrast for his soft, pretty vocals and soothing guitar, and he added more color by inviting young singer Alexia Bomtempo to join him on two songs.
Low point: Although he had no trouble engaging the audience, his introspective style would be better suited to a listening room than a club where patrons are standing (and the ones near the bar can’t resist schmoozing).
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The Redwalls
Artist: The Redwalls
Hometown: Chicago
Venue: Bourbon Rocks, 1 a.m. Saturday
Pre-Show Buzz: Four rowdy dudes, who are barely old enough to drink, take on the Brit-rock challenge with songs that would be perfect for getting sloshed while ditching school. Think of a Rolling Stones/Beatles cover band that has just started to write some stuff of their own (need I bring up Oasis?). They want so badly to stick it to the man and merely watching them try is worth one week of detention.
High Point: In the spirit of Bourbon Rocks, the Redwalls marched right into a party with something familiar that held its own with the already energized rock ‘n’ roll atitttude.
Low Point: The tight black suits and white shoes combination wasn’t very original. The same could be said for their entire repertoire. Standing on the stage before the show awkwardly tuning their insturuments while a couple of guys fiddled with their wires for 30 minutes wasn’t a soundcheck, it was a tease.
Post Show Buzz: Playing to a three-quarters full crowd might have been a blow to their self-esteem, but with half the women in their pockets and the rest craving more, let’s just say that the Redwalls didn’t leave anything behind.
Afterthoughts: The Redwalls walk the line between posing their way into the middle ground and being poised to make an impact on the Brit rock genre.
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Archie Bell
Act: Archie Bell
Hometown: Houston
Venue: “Ponderosa Stomp” showcase at Opal Divine’s Freehouse, 12:15 a.m. Friday
Pre-show buzz: Is the one-time leader of the Drells still funky?
High point: The sexagenarian teaching an enthusiastic crowd how to “Tighten Up.”
Low point: As with some of the other highlight sets on the “Ponderosa Stomp” bill, Bell’s was very short.
Post-show buzz: The most danceable set of the night so far.
Afterthoughts: Like other “Stomp” singers, Bell benefited from an ace backing band highlighted by Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural (Buckwheat Zydeco) on organ.
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Public Enemy
Artist: Public Enemy
Hometown: Long Island, N.Y.
Venue: Auditorium Shores, 7:45 p.m. Friday
Pre-show buzz: Undisputedly one of the most important hip hop acts in the history of rap music.
Best Chuck D quote of the evening: “Asking for a record deal is like asking for a plantation owner to take you back into slavery.”
High point: Chuck D and Flavor Flav delivering the one-two, back-to-back punch of “Welcome to the Terrordome” and “Bring The Noise” while Professor Griff and the S1Ws — clad in desert camoflauge Army fatigues — step danced while brandishing samurai swords.
On point: Despite Flavor Flav’s success in the strange world of reality television, he was still the spot-on court jester to Chuck D’s acerbic vocal acrobatics.
Low point: Cutting classic songs short after racing through one or two verses and a chorus is inexcusable, even if your back catalog is as large as Public Enemy’s. Medleys are for suckers.
Post-show buzz: 20 years on, Public Enemy still enlightens like few bands of any genre ever have.
Afterthoughts: Chuck D’s polemical rhymes felt apropos — now more than ever — as he and Flavor Flav addressed the current war in Iraq, presidential malaprops and the condition of oppressed people of color all over the world. A new Public Enemy album — with the original Bomb Squad producing — is long overdue.
Personal to Chuck D: Please, “bring that beat back.”
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Ian Moore
Artist: Ian Moore
Hometown: Seattle, Wash.
Venue:Continental Club, 11 p.m. Friday
Pre-Show Buzz: A former Austinite, Moore returns to a familiar roots rock scene where he started his career in the ’90s as a maverick of the blues guitar. Since then, he has moved to an arts community on an island outside Seattle, cut off his long mane of hair and jettisoned his original style for the more eclectic influences of gospel, early pop and soul. Will Austin ever forgive him? (We think so.)
High Point: “Innocent Maneuvers,” which humbly admits that Moore started out with nothing but promise and ended up in a different place. Wherever that place is, we like it.
Low Point: We didn’t see much of that Curtis Mayfield soul he was bragging about … then again, 40-minute sets are rather limiting.
Post Show Buzz: Moore is one of those tattoos that Austin doesn’t regret.
Afterthoughts: He may have dropped his blues, but whatever medication he’s taking (adult contemporary, acoustic rock) seems to be working.
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Clockcleaner
Artist: Clockcleaner
Hometown: Philadelphia
Venue: Exodus, 11 p.m. Friday
Pre-show buzz: At their last Austin gig at the Chaos in Tejas festival two years ago, their set cleared the room. For the first two songs, it sounded like the most egregious Big Black rip-off in human history, from the guitar sound to the human drummer acting like a drum machine to frontman’s Sharky’s guitar sound, glasses and abrasive on-stage persona. Five songs in, it felt like one of the weekend’s most underrated bands. Also, they get many, many points for naming their debut album “Nevermind.”
High point: The guitar sound hasn’t changed a lick, but Sharky displays an amazing ability to translate deceptively simple songs into something tight and shiny. Nobody in the world needs a six-string bass, yet the bassist — a proper-looking gal who might as well be wearing a sign that says, “I’d rather be reading” — makes it work. Massive sound, massively catchy tunes, a whole mass of new fans.
Low point: Well, I’m sure the fight that broke out was not so fun for the folks that were involved, and the piñata filled with flour probably made the folks at Exodus none too happy, but Times New Viking followed by these guys made for the best one-two bill of the festival.
Post-show buzz: More than one patron was heard to remark, “Well, I just saw my new favorite band.”
Afterthoughts: They can play at my house if it means getting them back to Austin.
