The week was decidedly low-key for me - sans wristband, which I determined last year to be not worth the money, I returned to my day-show/hanger-on moocher role of the past. Lovejoy's was home base of course, so if I was too lazy to seek out shows elsewhere, there was always music at the LJ. Here are the highlights of my week!
Wednesday, March 15: First off, and a pleasant surprise, was Secret Weapons, a local garagey band with a killer lady on lead guitar and vocals. And they have a song about the HEB on Oltorf & S. Congress. I recommend seeing them around town if you can. Here is a murky picture of them:
Next that day, still at Lovejoy's, was Militant Babies, led by LJ bartender Davis on drums (ex-Fivehead). They were ok; it got a little guitar-wankery for me at times, but the songs Davis sang on were great:
Thursday, March 16: One of the best things that happened to me that week was biking from S. Congress to Ms. Bea's on E. 6th street ostensibly to see Von Iva play in the afternoon, but instead finding Erase Errata setting up on The Rambler stage:
I fell in love with The Rambler, a mobile stage. Here's the lineup written on the side of the truck:
Later that night, I returned to Ms. Bea's to see Von Iva, at last. Ever the shameless groupie when it comes to anything 7 Year Bitch, I couldn't wait to see Liz Davis after 10 years of a 7 Year Bitch-less life. Of course being the shy girl, I admire from afar.... Von Iva, from San Francisco, was pretty damn good in their own right. Sort of punky with a blues feel on the vocals (think Mia Zapata), and a very fun live show. Unfortunately I had to endure some horrible bands that went on right before them (everyone on the patio actually left in droves when one "noise" band started playing.). I took a walk down E. Sixth to get away.
I swear she's not holding her boob - just gesturing:
Here's Liz (she plays with her eyes closed a lot). I remember all the women in 7 Year Bitch had the arm band tattoo you see here, and I was so entranced by that at the time (1994):
Also on Thursday (I was biking all over the joint that day!) was the Schuba's party at Yard Dog, a short bike ride from home. I had skipped this particular party in years past, thinking it would be too crowded, but it was pretty fabulous. All the Miller Lite you could drink (woo), and bands like KEXP darlings Tapes 'n Tapes from Minneapolis, and steady Chicago favorites the Ponys. I also found out that apparently Neil Young was at this party, too. Maybe even at the same time I was! The only celebrity sighting I have to report is the guy from the Outback Steakhouse commercials, who apparently is some wildly popular satirical folk singer from New Zealand.
Ponys! I was so close I was able to find out that the singer/head Pony has really, really, bad teeth.
Other half of the Ponys!
Finally, on Thursday night I witnessed one of those weird SXSW things that instantly become legend. A group of us was hanging around outside of the entrance to Lovejoy's watching the freak show, and all of a sudden there is this dude in the alley climbing into a bunch of plastic wrap and a motorized pump is filling it with air. It takes shape into a giant clear plastic bubble, with the dude inside. Some other dudes in blow-up creature suits are around him, and they all take off in a little march down sixth street, the dude walking in his bubble like a hamster. I admit, at first I was jaded and assumed the whole thing was a corporate publicity stunt a la Red Bull or Gibson Guitars, and scoffed at everyone who glommed around the guy snapping pictures like lemmings. But then, word spreads quickly that it's actually the lead singer of the Flaming Lips, Wayne Coyne, who was about to play a "secret" show that night at Eternal, around the corner from Lovejoy's. Ever the lemming, I managed to snap this picture as they trotted off into the night:
If you look really closely, you can see Coyne in the bubble.
Friday, March 17th: This day I took it super easy, sipping AJ Porter at LJ while some mediocre bands played. The earplugs helped. I had two things planned - catch The Divorce at some random magazine/label party down the street at The Drink (eww), and then run over to the Lucky Lounge to see Visqueen who were playing an unofficial party for a label called Justice Records. I got upstairs at The Drink with plenty of time to see The Divorce, from Seattle. This was the definite highlight so far -- and found myself a tad obsessed with the lead singer (really, did I need to take THAT many pictures of them??). Check out The Divorce's music at www.myspace.com/thedivorce. I luv these boys.
(check out the icky stripper poles on the stage - what the hell goes on at this bar?)
Exhilarated, I sprinted over to the Lucky Lounge and saw Visqueen on stage. I zoomed up to the front of the crowed, started rocking out, only to hear the last few bars of their last song. Thank you, good night! Rachel was in town to sing backing vocals for all of Neko Case's performances, and this was Visqueen's only show, alas.
Saturday, March 18th: This day was spent with M., as he was finally done toiling at Lovejoy's for the week. We biked over to Jovita's for the series of bands sponsored by Twangfest, a St. Louis festival. First up was Two Car Garage, from Columbus, Ohio. They play that hard rock twang that reminded me a lot of Radio Nationals, a Seattle band I used to like. They were really loud but in a good, stand up and take notice kind of way. We had this little rickety table right by the side of the stage where we ate migas and a taco salad and drank coffee. Yay for Jovita's.
Two Car Garage:
The main reason for going to Jovita's that day was so I could see The Long Winters, another great Seattle band. I hadn't seen them since the Capitol Hill Block Party in 2001 or 2002, and I admire John Roderick's songwriting a lot. They have various incarnations, but today it was just two of them, guitar and bass with vocal harmonies. Nice! I feel a sort of kindred relationship to Roderick, as he also grew up in Anchorage. He managed to become cool, though, unlike most of us. At one point in his life he walked from Amsterdam to Istanbul.
This day Roderick looked a bit like he was in the witness protection program:
Saturday night, thanks to one of M.'s friends who works at Stubb's, we were let in to the all-star show of the week: What Made Milwaukee Famous, Rhett Miller, Roseanne Cash, Lyle Lovett, and The Pretenders. I was so thrilled for WMMF - up on the big stage at Stubb's, bathed in lights...sigh. They sounded great, and will someone please sign them already? I heard rumors of Barsuk, but no news yet.
Rhett Miller, cute as a button as always:
Roseanne Cash (She sang a duet with Lovett while I was in the bathroom):
A grainy Mr. Lovett, who was the highlight of the whole evening, aside from the drunken assholes standing by us during his set. I love how all the band members wear suits:
Chrissy Hynde & The Pretenders!
Ms. Hynde, an animal rights activist, asked if anyone had ever actually seen a slaughter house (appropo as we were all standing behind a barbeque restaurant), and commented that it looked a lot like "this" - meaning all of us standing there crammed in to a fenced-in space. I have to say it wasn't quite that bad, as us humans could roam around quite freely and it was relatively clean that night - but I enjoyed her point. It was truly awesome to see her but I was pretty beat by then, so we left before her encore (I later heard there were two).
And that concludes my SXSW odyssey. I'm pooped just writing about it! It was all free, all fun, and I can't wait for next year.
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