Muchness and Light

SXSW - Day 3

More light sleep for the morning of day three at SXSW.  I got up early and went downtown to sit in on a panel.  I felt like some music, though, and started to wander the streets of Austin more doggedly than I did the days before. 

I caught sets by No, the Barr Brothers, Idle Warship, Alberta Cross, and Sugar and the Hi-Lows.  After a quick rest and my first soaking bath in weeks, I went back downtown and saw whoever happened to be playing wherever I was.  I intended to see Elle King but left Stubb's after Of Monsters and Men to see Big Star at the Ginger Man, thanks to a recommendation by Michael Giblin. 

 

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To be fair, I'd never heard of them.  But, as Gibby proclaimed, I'd heard them in dozens of bands over the last forty years.  The original line-up included Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Andy Hummel, and Jody Stephens.  Hummel, Bell, and Chilton have all passed away—Chilton, in fact, died days before a scheduled Big Star reunion at 2009's SXSW.  The line-up now consists of drummer Stephens along with Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of the Posies. 

 

The documentary "Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me" premiered at this year's SXSW and was immediately followed by a tribute show playing the band's final album, "Third".  For this set at Ginger Man, the band was joined by Peter Buck (R.E.M.), John Doe (X), Cotton Mather, Ian Moore, and others. 

At times, I could hear bits of what would later come from the 70's British glam I so dearly love.  Sometimes the music sounded like the missing Tom Petty song.  And I had absolutely no idea that the theme from "That 70's Show"—"Out in the Street"—was a Big Star song covered by Cheap Trick for the show. 

Gibby also introduced me to the first beer I've ever liked, a raspberry Lambic.  Normally, I like neither beer nor raspberry, but the Lindeman's Framboise was yummy girl beer. 

I talked to all these amazing people as I walked around Austin, and I walked for miles and miles each day.  It was the most kinetic I'd been since my surgery at the beginning of February.  I loved every second of it.  Every bar and club has a band playing from noon until two a.m., plus the stages and tents set up around town for parties and showcases.  There are street musicians on virtually every corner.  The only place to hide from the music was in my head, and my thoughts rushed in time to the cacophony that is SXSW. 

There were a lot of bands I wanted to catch, but there are just too many playing at the same time to see them all.  Many of the shows are so damn crowded that it's incredibly difficult to get in the door to see the set.  But you can often hear it from outside.  And it's cool to stand there, surrounded by the mayhem and smells and laughter from everywhere, hearing some song you may or may not know, from some band that you may or may not love.  You'd better enjoy it while you can, though, because something else is going to come quickly along and distract you from one moment, plunging you headlong toward the next. 

SXSW - Day 2

I haven't been sleeping much lately, which has carried over to Austin.  Maybe I'm finally getting old, or maybe I'm coming out of a growth spurt, but I just can't seem to sleep more than six hours or so as of late.  The first night in Texas was no exception.  I was up early and headed to the Convention Center by 9:30.

I met with a friend and was set to hit some panels when I decided to sit in on the keynote address for 2012 SXSW.  Bruce Springsteen was the keynote speaker.  I"m not historically a big Springsteen fan, but I figured I was there so I'd see what he had to say. 

It was amazing. 

He was funny and self-deprecating and talked about the music that had influenced him and why.  When he launched into an acoustic breakdown of "We Gotta Get Outta of This Place", I was overjoyed.  I have a deep, abiding love of Eric Burdon, and Bruce readily admitted to ripping off the Animals for his own work.  He talked about the unmitigated, abject sadness of Roy Orbison's songs, the genius of Dylan, and the importance of the Sex Pistols. 

He touched on something, briefly, that stuck with me all day, about the emotional depths of these artists.  He referred to the Animals as being ugly and emotionally frightening, and I ponder this everywhere I went. 

Great music is emotionally frightening.  There's something in the lyrics and music that can take your very soul to the precipice of despair and fear and love and joy in ways that you're not just hearing but experiencing as you delve into that song.  The gravity of the emotion is so overwhelming that it hurts to take yourself there for that three or four minutes, but it's so good that you want to go back there over and over--whether it's a repeat on your iPod or CD player, or rewinding your cassette tape while you drive to school, or even resetting the needle on your record. 

There are lots of songs with boundless emotion that simply look at something and comment on it.  They aren't great because they don't make you ache to be in that moment with the singer.  If the artist is afraid to look at that part of themselves, if they compartmentalize their own selves in such a way that even they can't face it, they'll never find the truths they need to take their audience to that unforgivingly beautiful place. 

I ended up winning one of the lottery tickets to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band last night at the Moody Theater.  I figured I had to go, having never seen him live.  There were less than 3,000 people in attendance, and it was strangely intimate, even with the huge band.  I only knew one of the songs he played during the first two hours of his set.  What impressed me was that it wasn't a show so much as it was Bruce and his friends having a party on stage and inviting the audience inside that inner circle.  I was within ten feet of Bruce and Stevie and Patti, and I watched the Boss crowd surf.  Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine joined him for a couple of songs, which was amazing. 

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I was a little disappointed to skip the Low Anthem to see Springsteen but was overjoyed when they were the first opening act.  I'd seen them open for Mumford & Sons last June and was excited to see them again.  Apparently Bruce was, too.  Alejandro Escovedo was the second opener.  Bruce had played with him briefly the night before, so it was a no-brainer that he would be invited to perform.  I'd never seen him live, either, and loved it.  He was like Leonard Cohen and Joe Strummer's illegitimate Latino son. 

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And I met Casey Reed from Fight the Quiet.  I told him I'd be sure to mention them when I wrote about my day.

 

 

Finaly, Adam Taylor told me to go the Ginger Man and catch Loretta Bilieux.  Adam's bassist from the Rain Dogs, Michael Giblin, was backing Loretta.  "She's a good friend of mine and a Lancaster local... and will be your new idol.  She's a power woman with some fuckin PIPES."  OH MY GOD!  Adam was right--isn't he always?--I loved her.  I will most certainly be writing more about her in the very near future. 

I had my picture taken with the lifesize Fleshlight.  I drank a beer that didn't suck (Thanks, Gibby!).  I saw Bruce Springsteen twice in a day.  (I told him hi for you, Tiff.  He says he misses you.) 

And I still didn't sleep much, so I'm up and at it again.  Be sure to follow me on Twitter (twitter.com/stephqj) for my Instragam pics throughout the day.  I have no idea where I'm going today, but I'm sure it'll be an adventure.  And I'm positive I will smell the 21-year-old musicians coming before I see them. 

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SXSW - Day 1

I'd been planning for weeks to be at this year's South by Southwest Music Festival.  There were some glitches earlier in the week, but I managed to drag myself up at 6:00 this morning and be on time for my 10:00 flight from Atlanta to Austin.  I went straight to the hotel, where my ass-freezing room was thanfully ready--otherwise I'd have been dragging my stuff around Austin all day.

I got my badge and wandered around, spotting a couple of people I knew.  I was planning to sit in on a panel mid-afternoon and had some time to kill.  I ended up catching We Were Pirates and the Young Rapids.  (Dan from Young Rapids, I'm sorry I couldn't stay and see the rest of your set!)  I did the panel (nothing really useful for me) and caught the end of a day set from Alabama Shakes. I had a nice chat with Boston-based musician Kat McGivern.  Hopefully we'll meet up tomorrow for the free Tito's in the Registrant's Lounge.

Before the night was up, I ended up at a glorified college house party (unofficial SXSW party) to see WhySoWhite.  It's a 9-piece, all-white, hip hop band from Chicago.  Turns out the now-grown twins sons of my boss from pre-Mommy days front the band.  They were awesome!  And not just because I knew them when.  They really were so much fun and high energy and great to watch.  That house fucking shook from it all.  They may end up being the best thing I see while I'm here.

That kind of crazy, small-world coincidence is exactly the kind of thing that happens to me every day of my life.  I'm a witchy little thing sometimes, and this was one of those bizarre moments that could seemingly only happen to me. 

 

I wandered around downtown for a while tonight, just feeling everything out.  I wanted to see Alabama Shakes or Cage the Elephant, but I'm tired.  There's so much to see the next few days, and I have to pace myself.  This will be the longest I've ever been on my grown-up own, as well as the longest away from my boys.  I know we're all safe and secure enough in our love that we'll be okay.  We'll all miss each other but know we're just a FaceTime request away from each other. 

I walked miles and miles today, and it felt amazing.  It's the most I've done since pre-surgery, and Iit feels fantastic to be kinetic again.  My Big Girl panties didn't get to me in time for this trip, but it turns out I don't need them.  As nervous as I am about being on my own in a strange city, I can see myself as tall and brave for the first time in a long time.  I'm okay with the solitude, which lets me soak in this experience in a completely different way than if I were with DH or anyone else for these days.  I'm meeting great friends tomorrow, and I'll be happy to see them. 

But tonight, I'm looking forward to crashing in the big, cold bed all by myself and going into it all again tomorrow. 

 

 

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