The days before the festival...
Say ZuZu / The Silos / Slobberbone
@ Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, TX (11-March-2000)
@ Continental Club, Austin, TX (12-March-2000)
This neatly packaged line-up worked wonders against jetlag: three
great live bands playing two of the best clubs in Texas. Say ZuZu were
on first and impressed the audience more with their larger-than-life
sideburns than their Banjo-tinged Roots-Rock. They seemed to have a bit
more fun in Dallas than in Austin.
Next up was the Power-Trio version of The Silos - Walter is currently
joined by Konrad Meisner on drums and Drew Glacklin on bass. One hour
of "Greatest Hits" and new songs, delivered in a surprisingly full
sound, considering that
they are only a 3-piece. They were very well-received in Austin, where
they are almost considered
a local band, but largely ignored by the audience in Dallas, where the
crowd chatted while waiting for the headliner.
To quote Michael Bertin of the Austin Chronicle, Slobberbone are "colorful
-- redneck, white-trash, blue-collar colorful. And they light it up
like
the mid-Eighties country rock bands (that's what they used to call them
back in the day), bands like Jason & the Scorchers and Drivin' N'
Cryin' -- when they are drivin' and not cryin' that is. Take me down to
the trailer park city, indeed."
Well put. Unadulterated fun. Not an iota of fresh ideas, but a very
entertaining revival of Cow-Punk basics.
Tuesday, 14-March-2000
5th annual Swollen Circus @ Hole In The Wall, Austin, TXBy now the Swollen Circus has become THE thing to see on the
evening before the official festival starts. Especially for the
Europeans it's a good way to forget about jetlag and meet old friends.
The "Hole" had been upgraded for this years' SXSW: the backroom (much
bigger than the Hole itself, and usually full of pool tables) had been
equipped with a stage and a PA. Unfortunately, this area couldn't be
used for the Swollen Circus, and the good old "main" room was packed
tighter than ever. Even removing the tables didn't help much as more
and more people tried to get in.
Twelve sets were scheduled, with each act performing "3 concise Pop
Tunes"...
Tom Freund @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"Former Silo Tom Freund's last effort, North American Long
Weekend, was stunning in it's simplicity. Full of spaces and shadowy
melodies, Weekend showcased Freund's ability to strip arrangements down
and liberate them
from clutter, while lyrically it reaffirmed the notion that
self-discovery
is mostly bad news." -- Michael Bertin (Austin Chronicle)
After playing last in 1999, Tom opened the Circus this year. And a good
start it was! Setlist: "Bombshell", plus "Trondheim" and the
magnificent
"Business Of Knowing" from his 1998 masterpiece debut "Native American
Long
Weekend". Tom was backed by Konrad Meissner (drums), Drew Glacklin
(pedal
steel), and Bobby Memphis (bass).
Jo Carol Pierce @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"Pierce did not begin to take songwriting seriously until the middle of the 1980s, when Joe Ely and fellow Lubbock alum David Halley started encouraging her to become a performer. Friends and fans Michael Hall (formerly of the Wild Seeds) and Troy Campbell (of the Loose Diamonds, named after a Pierce song) began organizing the 1993 album Across the Great Divide: Songs of Jo Carol Pierce, a tribute LP compiling renditions of Pierce songs performed by musicians like Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Terry Allen, Darden Smith, and Kathy McCarty & Gretchen Phillips. In 1996, at the age of 51, Pierce finally made her own recording debut with Bad Girls Upset by the Truth , a semi-autobiographical performance piece drawn from her earlier absurdist musical comedy." -- Jason Ankeny (All Music Guide)
Legendary or just notorious? Strong lyrics, but a weak, whiny voice and very basic melodies. "Absurdist Musical Comedy"? Sounds about right...
Gurf Morlix @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"For years, Gurf was Lucinda [Williams'] guitarist. Now, he has done a solo effort and not surprisingly it's a rootsy affair that gathers together the sounds of soulful twang, lonesome country ballads and roadhouse rock. Toad Of Titicaca has an ingratiating charm that sneaks up on you." (Miles Of Music)
A solid, very unassuming Blues-Rock set, nothing more, nothing less. Excellent rhythm section with George Reiff on bass + Rick Richards on drums.
Hazeldine @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"In the increasingly crowded alterna-country landscape,
Hazeldine stakes a claim somewhere between Tom Petty's languid rock and
Whiskeytown's melodic melancholia. But unlike most of the twangsters,
Hazeldine shuns
the trappings of tradition and embraces rock-solid songcraft." -- John
Lewis (Oxford American)
They sounded very unrehearsed, but musical perfection is not what their
fans love them for. As always, they made up for it by their mesmerizing
melodies and harmony vocals. Drew Glacklin joined them on pedal steel
for a set that debuted some brand-new material.
Jim Roll @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"With a label whose roster boasts Stephen Bruton, Jon Dee
Graham, and Billy Joe Shaver (New West), a new album produced by
onetime local/forever Silo Walter Salas-Humara (Lunette), and local
management, Nashville's Jim Roll might as well live in Austin. He's
from Chicago originally, which is also where Jeff Tweedy is from, but
then Wilco always sounded like a River City band." -- Raoul Hernandez
(Austin Chronicle)
Jim didn't wait for his introduction, he didn't wait for the house
music to be turned off, he launched straight into a steaming-hot
version of "1955". The crowd just loved it. The band with Drew Glacklin
(guitar), Steve McAllister (bass) and Walter Salas-Humara (drums)
propelled Jim through this rockin' set. His new CD should be out by the
time you read this. Highly recommended.
The Brooders @ Hole In The Wall (5th
annual Swollen Circus)
The Brooders is Michael Hall's not-so-new project (they had played last
year as well). A super-tight Rhythm section, a well-coordinated
two-guitar
attack (Randy Franklin, who appears on a few of Michael's solo CD's,
played
lead) combined with high-class songwriting. Awesome! Apparently a new
CD
is nearing completion - can't wait to hear it!!!
The Silos @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"With Heater, the Silos last release, Walter Salas-Humara
stepped farther away from his roots of roots music to make one of the
more innovative Americana albums to date. By grafting an alluring
VU-cum-Parsons core to
earlier Silos efforts, the New York based Salas-Humara made an album
full
of never-ending subtleties awaiting discovery." -- Michael Bertin
(Austin
Chronicle)
Just a short set by The Silos tonight, including the brand new "I
Believe", a terrific textbook anthem complete with sing-along chorus.
Jon Dee Graham @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"Best known for his stint as a member of the acclaimed Eighties
roots-rock band the True Believers, singer/guitarist Jon Dee Graham was
also a longtime fixture of the renowned Austin, TX music scene. He
joined the True Believers in 1984, and although the group quickly
emerged as a major critical favorite they were dropped by EMI in the
wake of their self-titled 1986 debut, disbanding soon after. Although
Graham's gifts as a composer blossomed during his stint in the True
Believers, he chose not to pursue a solo career in the wake of the
band's collapse, instead relocating from Austin to Los Angeles and
collaborating with X frontman John Doe on his solo debut Meet John Doe.
Subsequently working with everyone from Michelle Shocked to Patty
Smyth, Graham earned a reputation as a much sought-after sideman and
writer before leaving the west coast in 1995 to tour Europe with
blues-rocker Calvin Russell. Upon returning to Austin the next year, he
was by now so disenchanted with the music industry that he accepted a
construction job; singer Kelly Willis ultimately lured Graham back to
performing, however, and in 1997 he also began work on his long-awaited
solo debut Escape from Monster Island. Summerland followed in 1999." --
Jason Ankeny (All Music Guide )
I have seen Jon Dee many times, but his exceptional voice and
song-writing skills never fail to amaze me. Jon Dee was accompanied by
Walter Salas-Humara on drums. He closed the set with "Airplane", one of
the best songs from
his debut CD "Escape From Monster Island".
Ryan Adams @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"If you've seen any of Ryan (Whiskeytown) Adams' solo shows
over
the past six months, then you know he's sitting on a phenomenal batch
of
new, as-yet unrecorded songs. And if you haven't, well, you need to.
Adams
has always been one of the best songwriters around -- and now, his
singing
and playing are at the same level." -- David Menconi (No Depression)
Ryan was clearly the star of the evening. He appeared later than
planned, along with his guitar/sound tech (a new concept at the Swollen
Circus) and sat down on the tiny stage. Then it happened: as soon as
Ryan started his set of three new songs, the room went quiet. Real
quiet. Church quiet. Usually the crowd is noisy + chatty at the Hole,
but everyone was just mesmerized. Tonya (Hazeldine) added some sweet
harmonies on the last song, after he played the first verse so she
could learn it. A memorable performance, so much better and intense
than any of the drunken Whiskeytown shows I have seen...
Tammy Faye Starlite & The Angels of Mercy @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"Outrageous, outlandish, and audacious -- these are just a few
words to describe Miss Tammy Faye Starlight. The "fundamentalist" Tammy
Faye is the alter ego of NYC-based singer/performer Tammy Lang, who
exhibits a real love for country music and for taboo breaking (how else
do you classify someone who sings "God Has Lodged A Tenant In My
Uterus"). John Conquest, in his four
star Third Coast Music review, called this disc [On My Knee] "evil,
twisted,
sick and totally wonderful." Eric "Roscoe" Ambel produced this record
that
definitely isn't for the easily offended." (Miles Of Music)
Ryan Adams was a tough act to follow. But Tammy Faye Starlite was up
for the job. A female version of Mojo Nixon, backed by a tight band of
"Musicinaries" she spread the "gospel" until her voice gave out... Pure
epiphany, but outrageously funny and entertaining...
34 Satellite @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"34 Satellite is, essentially, Marc Benning. With a high, reedy
voice that’s a bit Tom Petty, a bit Bob Mould, Marc created a
collection of songs around adulthoods sobering realities, the longing
in the lyrics buffered
by the slow burn guitars. For his latest record, So Enough About Me,
Marc
enlisted the production and drumming help of Walter Salas-Humara. Drew
Glacklin
on several instruments, Kirk Moore on drums, and Dwight Bement on
organ,
helped fill out the sound, and Shawn Barton (Hazeldine) sang background
and
played a bit of acoustic guitar. ‘A broken heart is better than
nothing,’
Marc sings in "Molasses", a tensely confessional rave-up that draws you
onto
its back roads and sends you spinning with the tautly delivered chorus,
‘you’re
sweet molasses every day’. (34 Satellite Web page)
Drew Glacklin was back on stage again, this time with 34 Satellite.
Three songs are not a lot to judge a band by, but what I heard sounded
good, in particular the first song. I haven't heard the CD, but it's on
my shopping list now...
Beaver Nelson @ Hole In The Wall (5th annual Swollen Circus)
"It took the better part of eight years for once-upon-a-time
teen hotshot songwriter Beaver Nelson's debut, The Last Hurrah (Freedom
Records), to see the light of record store halogens, but that story is
more about
the soul-torturing industry politics than Nelson's tortured-soul
songwriting
skills. The latter are too straight up, too sincere, and too evocative
not
to be heard, making the first hurrah worth the wait." -- Michael Bertin
(Austin Chronicle)
Despite the late hour (2am), with house lights on and waitresses
collecting the remaining beer bottles (and there were many...) he
continued bravely
on and kept the attention of the audience, finishing the evening off
with
the great "Forget Thinkin'".
Show count: 18 ...