A friend of ours described South by Southwest as “spring break for the cool kids” yesterday, and I have to concur. Part of the pleasure of being there is just people-watching, partying, and taking it all in. Even though it’s called hipster city—-and really it is, as a swarm of folks from the coastal cities descend and impose a fashion-consciousness that laid-back Austin doesn’t usually have (not that I’m picking—-I think it’s cool)—-really, all sorts turn out for SXSW. It was a diverse year, and I was happy to see that hip-hop is finally making a big impression. Just last night, I saw some post-rock, some electroclash, old-fashioned 60s-era ska, and alt country-tinged indie rock. Pretty eclectic.
We started off the evening at 9 PM, because we were just too worn out to see day shows. We went out to see The Octopus Project, a post-rock band from Austin that I really like, because they’re like the only post-rock band I’ve ever seen that doesn’t make me want to lie down to take a nap during their show. Plus, they have this badass woman who plays a bunch of synthesizers, including the theremin.
The woman standing next to us at the show didn’t know what a theremin is, and it was funny watching it blow her mind. It really does seem like it works by magic and fairy dust. The Octopus Project not only has great music, but they have a cool animated show and people who dress up like the ghosts of cats past, which makes me cheerful for some reason. They are also a modest, sweet group of people, and it comes across on stage. Here’s a video that demonstrates how the magic of the theremin can turn ordinary hamsters into super-heroes:
After the Octopus Project, we hung in to see Yelle, on Ann‘s recommendation. I didn’t get any decent pictures of Yelle, because we were stuck in a poor spot, visually-speaking, and because she runs around on stage like a madwoman. She’s very electroclash/disco and the crowd was wild for her, singing along even, though all her lyrics are in French. I think this was the most dancing I saw at SXSW. It went from being a standing around being cool show to a dance party within two songs.
After that, we trekked from Emo’s to Opal Divine’s to see the Spanish ska band The Pepper Pots. And by ska I mean the original ska, the 60s Caribbean take on what we know as the Motown sound, not the punk rock version that was kind of cool in the 70s and 80s but then devolved into No Doubt by the 90s. (Devolution is real!) This was a back-to-basics ska, and it was really fun, especially since the performers were downright giddy to be there. It was a bit corny—-they did a tribute to the Supremes—-but it’s such a sunny, happy music and they played it so well that no one was complaining. The first picture in this post is the horn section, because I just kind of like that picture.
Then onto the Beauty Bar to see The Golden Boys. They’re another local band, and they actually have a variety of influences, but they stuck to the alt country-tinged stuff, probably because the crowd there was pretty drunk and were in the mood for a hoedown. Unfortunately, I can’t find any decent videos on YouTube, but I did get a picture I think captures the mood in the room.
After that, we decided we were too tired to hang in for the 1AM show, and that it might be smart to grab a cab before the 2AM mark, when you’re competing with every other person downtown for one. The festival isn’t exactly over—-there’s always the Sunday night closer at Emo’s, where a bunch of cover bands goof off to put a cap on it—-but for most SXSW goers, that brings this year’s Spring Break For The Cool Kids to an end. I, for one, feel like I got my money’s worth and am reminded once more why growing up is overrated.
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The Pepper Pots remind me a lot of Dance Hall Crashers from back in the ill-fated-for-ska 90’s.