Our SXSW 2008 Diary – Part 2 (live review / feature)
Read Part 1 CLICK HERE
March 14, 2008
Peggy Sue and the Pirates @ +1 House Party
The +1 House party was set at this really eccentric older dude’s house who called himself Hank Sinatra. He told us that he cleared all the land on his backyard on his own, and this was a sprawling backyard with all these trees and sloping hills and a small pond. He also crafted this really cool little stage with all sorts of southwestern crap and well, trash, but still it looked awesome. Peggy Sue and the Pirates were the first band on when I arrived at the party, and I was shocked to see how much one of them resembled Amy Winehouse. They shuffled through a fairly long set, which was rather low-key, but nonetheless awesome. I didn’t even know I’d get to see them play, which ended up being a really pleasant surprise. They ran through numerous songs of theirs including “Spare Parts” which is one of my favorite songs. The set was the perfect set to relax to underneath the warm Austin sun—sitting next to Ryan Jarman and Kate Nash (who was singing along adorably).
Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit @ +1 House Party
A few days before South By, I had downloaded a few tracks by some guy named Johnny Flynn. Unbeknownst to me, he was also to be playing the very same +1 party that I was attending. So when he got up there and began his set with “The Box”, I was really rather excited. I had no idea he was playing South By, but I was extremely happy to have seen him. First of all, “The Box” is a fucking great tune. He has a very melodic voice that is still raw, but conveys a lot of wisdom and emotion. Also, he plays a MYRIAD of instruments from guitar to the fiddle to the banjo, all of which create a very folky sound. Now, normally, I’m not really into folk tunes at all, but that is just a testament to the greatness of Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. His background singer had a very girly voice that harmonized really well with Flynn’s voice. Overall, I’d really recommend you check out Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. I think lyrically, he is a very strong songwriter and I think he has a way with melody that is quite special. If you are looking for a place to start, I would recommend listening to “The Box” first, as I think it’s his best song by far. I don’t think I’ve gushed enough about the awesome environment at the +1 party, but we also got to see Emmy the Great’s backing band do some solo acoustic stuff, which was pretty great as well.
The Morning Benders @ +1 House Party
The Morning Benders are a four piece from Berkeley, California, who I’ve had the fortune to see twice now opening for the Kooks in Los Angeles. They are receiving a fair amount of hype in the blogging world (technically egged on, partially, by my own humble blog) but they have parlayed it into opening for the Kooks across the country in May. Anyway, they came on and played. I do like their stuff. It’s melancholic at times; angry other points, and has a dreamy quality to it. Unfortunately, we were only able to stay through the first few songs, which luckily included my favorite “Damnit Anna” which is really a cracking tune! I had heard on the fly that there was a huge line for the Cribs at Stubbs, so we had to get out of there and over to Emo’s to wait for the Cribs.
The Ting Tings @ Stubbs Outdoors
I wasn’t initially really excited about the Ting Tings, I originally thought they were kind of over-hyped and annoying. However, I actually quite enjoyed their set. They are really energetic and fun, and the lead singer was really cute and into it and a pretty ace guitar player. I liked the playing off of each other that the Ting Tings had on-stage, it was what created such a good crowd response like the one they got. By the end, I was clapping too and shouting “That’s NOT my name!” as well.
Santogold @ Stubbs Outdoors
I’d heard of Santogold before SXSW, as well, because she has been pretty hyped as the next M.I.A. I didn’t like her set as much as I liked the Ting Tings, who were able to redeem themselves. She, however, was kind of cute and fun on stage but I didn’t really like any of her songs. They didn’t have any of the same qualities that make M.I.A great, and she was sort of just lackluster. And she had these two dancers to the right and left of her in these ridiculous pants that don’t flatter a single person and white tops and fake Ray ban glasses. They never smiled, and just did these ridiculous dance moves. We spent most of the hour-long set wondering how she went about asking these people to join her on stage. We felt it went something like this: “Will you come on tour with me? But you have to wear ridiculous costumes that will make me look better, oh and do really ugly dance moves that I won’t do, but pretend I know how to do? Thanks girl!”
MGMT @ Stubbs Outdoors
MGMT were much better than I though they would be. Although, the singers voice tends to get a little whiny on stage, which I don’t really hear in the recorded stuff that I have by them. They were quite different live, but really good. My friends liked the a lot more than I did. I had been distracted by meeting Matthew Murphy of the Wombats and a terrible stomach ache from not eating all day. However, I did enjoy them! Didn’t manage to get a good picture, really, because of the smoky atmosphere.
The Cribs @ Stubbs Outdoors
Ah, the Cribs! We had attempted to see them earlier in the day at La Zona Rosa but we were turned away because apparently, for the one-hour the Cribs were playing, they had turned the venue 21+. Damn being underage! But anyway, we were right at the very front at Stubbs to see them and we were beyond excited! They came out, nice as can be, as the Jarmans are… and then they rocked the shit out of Stubbs. They started with Don’t You Want To Be Relevant and then proceeded to bang out my personal favorite Our Bovine Public. They played a few oldies like Hey Scenesters, Mirror Kissers, and Another Number. They filled the rest of the set with tunes from their 3rd album like Moving Pictures, Men’s Needs, I’m a Realist, Ancient History and Women’s Needs. They were really energetic, and as on form as I’ve ever seen them. Stubbs did have some issues with sound, and they are definitely one of my least favorite venues! Ryan Jarman brought out his new trick of taking off his shoes and lying down on the ground and spinning around, all whilst playing guitar. Ross stood up on his drum kit, as he does, and was also wearing a scarf as a belt, so naturally, he looked cool. Other star spotting I did while watching the Cribs included Kate Nash and Matthew Murphy from the Wombats. Overall, it was an incredible show. The Cribs are always great live.
March 15, 2008
These New Puritans @ KXEP Session
So, I’ve talked about These New Puritans for like hours and days now, but I did go to see them for a fourth time on Saturday. They were playing in the PBS or whatever Station in Austin on Guadalupe. It was technically, I think, the set that they do the ACL live broadcasts from or something, I don’t really know, anyway, I digress. They were playing on a soundstage where there was literally no one. We were the only ones there. I am beyond sure that they probably found us really creepy being like, right up front for like 4 out of their like 8 shows ha ha ha. But regardless, they were fantastic. Two of the times I saw them, were at venues and where people were dancing and getting into it and they were great. The other two times were when there weren’t that many people there and it was a much more relaxed place. Suprisingly, both of them were great. That’s rare to find a band who I can jump around to, but I can also sit and chil and enjoy. Anyway, they played Elvis, which might be their best song but it’s not my favorite, and also my favorite b-side, “FFF”. Really, I can’t stop recommending These New Puritans, I just think they are brilliant!
Popup @ Some Radio House Party
Popup are a band that I really, really like. I saw them after SXSW last year in Dallas. They had hung around for a month in Texas playing shows and enjoying themselves, which I found really interesting. Lots of bands from the UK that I like hardly come to the US (I’m looking at you Dirty Pretty Things) or only come for short tours. Anyway, so, we couldn’t see the Popup showcase at the Habana Annexe due to age restrictions, so we were glad to be able to catch them. It was at this house a little ways on 35N and was just a really friendly atmosphere. It was a few of us fans and mostly people who knew them and were living in the house, I mean there was a barbeque, two dogs, and 3 little kids running around! Popup are a really special band. I love each and every one of their songs. I only had a few of their demos running around but I enjoyed their set. Its got a mix of catchy, fast paced songs to beautiful, melody driven slower songs – but lyrically each song is incredible. We had been planning to go see Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong and the Raveonettes over at Emo’s later, but Popup convinced us to come to this block party that they were playing.
Popup (Twice!) @ Block Party
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So this block party was in this cute little park near the Enchanted Forest, and it was just one small stage. Some band were playing when we arrived but this place had a free bar so we busied ourselves drinking and laughing. Then Popup went on and were just as good as they were two hours ago! I had begun to start to distinguish the songs that I’d love on first hear back at the House party. My favorite live song might have to be “Chinese Burn” with a really great guitar intro and is just fast paced and fun to dance to. We had a great giant dance party for Popup, which went on for a good forty five minutes which was great. Then they came off and we introduced them to “American biscuits” were the same as “scones” in Scotland and we all ate fried chicken. Then they were told they were going on again! Which they didn’t know about, but were semi-happy to do. They ran through the rest of their songs including the beautiful “Stagecoach” which they said they hadn’t played in 2 years, but sounded fantastic regardless. They played repeats from the first set, but we were happy to hear them. Popup are a very special band in my opinion, they just have a perfect ear for pop songs – fast and slow, for melody and for vocal harmonies. I can’t recommend them enough. Their album should be hitting the UK very soon!
And we finished our time at South by, exactly how it should be, laughing and drinking in some bar somewhere on 6th street. SXSW has been getting sort of a bad rep from certain people for a multitude of reasons, but I think they are just hardened. SXSW was one of the best weeks ever for my friends and I. Its great, but it does have its downfalls. If you’re planning on going to SXSW 2009 (and you should!) be prepared to get no sleep, have no time to eat, and spend lots of time waiting and doing fuck all. BUT, you get to see some really great intimate shows in a city that has a feeling like no other that I’ve been. So in conclusion, GO TO SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST. Seriously.
Words and photos by Brianna Saraceno
Bookmark and share this page with:March 14, 2008
Peggy Sue and the Pirates @ +1 House Party
The +1 House party was set at this really eccentric older dude’s house who called himself Hank Sinatra. He told us that he cleared all the land on his backyard on his own, and this was a sprawling backyard with all these trees and sloping hills and a small pond. He also crafted this really cool little stage with all sorts of southwestern crap and well, trash, but still it looked awesome. Peggy Sue and the Pirates were the first band on when I arrived at the party, and I was shocked to see how much one of them resembled Amy Winehouse. They shuffled through a fairly long set, which was rather low-key, but nonetheless awesome. I didn’t even know I’d get to see them play, which ended up being a really pleasant surprise. They ran through numerous songs of theirs including “Spare Parts” which is one of my favorite songs. The set was the perfect set to relax to underneath the warm Austin sun—sitting next to Ryan Jarman and Kate Nash (who was singing along adorably).Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit @ +1 House Party
A few days before South By, I had downloaded a few tracks by some guy named Johnny Flynn. Unbeknownst to me, he was also to be playing the very same +1 party that I was attending. So when he got up there and began his set with “The Box”, I was really rather excited. I had no idea he was playing South By, but I was extremely happy to have seen him. First of all, “The Box” is a fucking great tune. He has a very melodic voice that is still raw, but conveys a lot of wisdom and emotion. Also, he plays a MYRIAD of instruments from guitar to the fiddle to the banjo, all of which create a very folky sound. Now, normally, I’m not really into folk tunes at all, but that is just a testament to the greatness of Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. His background singer had a very girly voice that harmonized really well with Flynn’s voice. Overall, I’d really recommend you check out Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. I think lyrically, he is a very strong songwriter and I think he has a way with melody that is quite special. If you are looking for a place to start, I would recommend listening to “The Box” first, as I think it’s his best song by far. I don’t think I’ve gushed enough about the awesome environment at the +1 party, but we also got to see Emmy the Great’s backing band do some solo acoustic stuff, which was pretty great as well.The Morning Benders @ +1 House Party
The Morning Benders are a four piece from Berkeley, California, who I’ve had the fortune to see twice now opening for the Kooks in Los Angeles. They are receiving a fair amount of hype in the blogging world (technically egged on, partially, by my own humble blog) but they have parlayed it into opening for the Kooks across the country in May. Anyway, they came on and played. I do like their stuff. It’s melancholic at times; angry other points, and has a dreamy quality to it. Unfortunately, we were only able to stay through the first few songs, which luckily included my favorite “Damnit Anna” which is really a cracking tune! I had heard on the fly that there was a huge line for the Cribs at Stubbs, so we had to get out of there and over to Emo’s to wait for the Cribs.The Ting Tings @ Stubbs Outdoors
I wasn’t initially really excited about the Ting Tings, I originally thought they were kind of over-hyped and annoying. However, I actually quite enjoyed their set. They are really energetic and fun, and the lead singer was really cute and into it and a pretty ace guitar player. I liked the playing off of each other that the Ting Tings had on-stage, it was what created such a good crowd response like the one they got. By the end, I was clapping too and shouting “That’s NOT my name!” as well.Santogold @ Stubbs Outdoors
I’d heard of Santogold before SXSW, as well, because she has been pretty hyped as the next M.I.A. I didn’t like her set as much as I liked the Ting Tings, who were able to redeem themselves. She, however, was kind of cute and fun on stage but I didn’t really like any of her songs. They didn’t have any of the same qualities that make M.I.A great, and she was sort of just lackluster. And she had these two dancers to the right and left of her in these ridiculous pants that don’t flatter a single person and white tops and fake Ray ban glasses. They never smiled, and just did these ridiculous dance moves. We spent most of the hour-long set wondering how she went about asking these people to join her on stage. We felt it went something like this: “Will you come on tour with me? But you have to wear ridiculous costumes that will make me look better, oh and do really ugly dance moves that I won’t do, but pretend I know how to do? Thanks girl!”
MGMT @ Stubbs Outdoors
MGMT were much better than I though they would be. Although, the singers voice tends to get a little whiny on stage, which I don’t really hear in the recorded stuff that I have by them. They were quite different live, but really good. My friends liked the a lot more than I did. I had been distracted by meeting Matthew Murphy of the Wombats and a terrible stomach ache from not eating all day. However, I did enjoy them! Didn’t manage to get a good picture, really, because of the smoky atmosphere.The Cribs @ Stubbs Outdoors
Ah, the Cribs! We had attempted to see them earlier in the day at La Zona Rosa but we were turned away because apparently, for the one-hour the Cribs were playing, they had turned the venue 21+. Damn being underage! But anyway, we were right at the very front at Stubbs to see them and we were beyond excited! They came out, nice as can be, as the Jarmans are… and then they rocked the shit out of Stubbs. They started with Don’t You Want To Be Relevant and then proceeded to bang out my personal favorite Our Bovine Public. They played a few oldies like Hey Scenesters, Mirror Kissers, and Another Number. They filled the rest of the set with tunes from their 3rd album like Moving Pictures, Men’s Needs, I’m a Realist, Ancient History and Women’s Needs. They were really energetic, and as on form as I’ve ever seen them. Stubbs did have some issues with sound, and they are definitely one of my least favorite venues! Ryan Jarman brought out his new trick of taking off his shoes and lying down on the ground and spinning around, all whilst playing guitar. Ross stood up on his drum kit, as he does, and was also wearing a scarf as a belt, so naturally, he looked cool. Other star spotting I did while watching the Cribs included Kate Nash and Matthew Murphy from the Wombats. Overall, it was an incredible show. The Cribs are always great live.March 15, 2008
These New Puritans @ KXEP Session
So, I’ve talked about These New Puritans for like hours and days now, but I did go to see them for a fourth time on Saturday. They were playing in the PBS or whatever Station in Austin on Guadalupe. It was technically, I think, the set that they do the ACL live broadcasts from or something, I don’t really know, anyway, I digress. They were playing on a soundstage where there was literally no one. We were the only ones there. I am beyond sure that they probably found us really creepy being like, right up front for like 4 out of their like 8 shows ha ha ha. But regardless, they were fantastic. Two of the times I saw them, were at venues and where people were dancing and getting into it and they were great. The other two times were when there weren’t that many people there and it was a much more relaxed place. Suprisingly, both of them were great. That’s rare to find a band who I can jump around to, but I can also sit and chil and enjoy. Anyway, they played Elvis, which might be their best song but it’s not my favorite, and also my favorite b-side, “FFF”. Really, I can’t stop recommending These New Puritans, I just think they are brilliant!
Popup @ Some Radio House Party
Popup are a band that I really, really like. I saw them after SXSW last year in Dallas. They had hung around for a month in Texas playing shows and enjoying themselves, which I found really interesting. Lots of bands from the UK that I like hardly come to the US (I’m looking at you Dirty Pretty Things) or only come for short tours. Anyway, so, we couldn’t see the Popup showcase at the Habana Annexe due to age restrictions, so we were glad to be able to catch them. It was at this house a little ways on 35N and was just a really friendly atmosphere. It was a few of us fans and mostly people who knew them and were living in the house, I mean there was a barbeque, two dogs, and 3 little kids running around! Popup are a really special band. I love each and every one of their songs. I only had a few of their demos running around but I enjoyed their set. Its got a mix of catchy, fast paced songs to beautiful, melody driven slower songs – but lyrically each song is incredible. We had been planning to go see Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong and the Raveonettes over at Emo’s later, but Popup convinced us to come to this block party that they were playing.Popup (Twice!) @ Block Party
So this block party was in this cute little park near the Enchanted Forest, and it was just one small stage. Some band were playing when we arrived but this place had a free bar so we busied ourselves drinking and laughing. Then Popup went on and were just as good as they were two hours ago! I had begun to start to distinguish the songs that I’d love on first hear back at the House party. My favorite live song might have to be “Chinese Burn” with a really great guitar intro and is just fast paced and fun to dance to. We had a great giant dance party for Popup, which went on for a good forty five minutes which was great. Then they came off and we introduced them to “American biscuits” were the same as “scones” in Scotland and we all ate fried chicken. Then they were told they were going on again! Which they didn’t know about, but were semi-happy to do. They ran through the rest of their songs including the beautiful “Stagecoach” which they said they hadn’t played in 2 years, but sounded fantastic regardless. They played repeats from the first set, but we were happy to hear them. Popup are a very special band in my opinion, they just have a perfect ear for pop songs – fast and slow, for melody and for vocal harmonies. I can’t recommend them enough. Their album should be hitting the UK very soon!And we finished our time at South by, exactly how it should be, laughing and drinking in some bar somewhere on 6th street. SXSW has been getting sort of a bad rep from certain people for a multitude of reasons, but I think they are just hardened. SXSW was one of the best weeks ever for my friends and I. Its great, but it does have its downfalls. If you’re planning on going to SXSW 2009 (and you should!) be prepared to get no sleep, have no time to eat, and spend lots of time waiting and doing fuck all. BUT, you get to see some really great intimate shows in a city that has a feeling like no other that I’ve been. So in conclusion, GO TO SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST. Seriously.
Words and photos by Brianna Saraceno
