SXSW2001 - Cold weather, traffic jams and 1001 bands

Friday, 16-March-2001

I decided to take it a bit easier today. I slept in, had good long breakfast, and listened to the KGSR session with Ryan Adams, who played a few rough mixes from his next CD, and talked about living in LA and about meeting Nikki Sixx in the hotel lobby (He claimed he told Nikki that his songs were like Mötley Crüe songs, but slower and sadder).

Not everything went as planned today: when I headed out later in the afternoon I tried to see Carolyn Wonderland , but she had changed to an earlier slot at the "Women In Rock Party", and The Groobees were stuck in traffic and didn't make it to Juniper Records in time for their slot.

Gillian Welch + David Rawlings @ Starbucks (24th & Nueces)

"Gillian Welch wears her influences on her sleeve, but that’s not a bad thing when your influences include the Stanley Brothers, the Delmore Brothers and the Carter Family. Welch and long-time partner David Rawling’s love of bluegrass, early country and Appalachian tunes is clearly evident in their singing and songwriting." (Amy Kincheloe, Pop Culture Press)

Only in Austin: even Starbucks held a show this year! Unfortunately the place wasn't at all adequate for this kind of music. It was on a very busy street corner near the university campus, with people sipping their Cappuccino or Cafe-au-lait as cars drove by. Very modern and urban. Gillian + David bravely played their pure, Bluegrass- and Country-influenced tunes, which immediately took you back a hundred years. A bizarre experience.

J Mascis & The Fog feat. Mike Watt + Ron Asheton @ Tower Records

"The ex-Dinosaur Jr. frontman finally crawled out of his fossil shell again last year, and brought with him More Light, an album as taut and focused as anything since Green Mind. The Purple One is never shy about bustin' out the classic Sludgefeasts of yore, and he'll be joined by classic punks Mike Watt (Minutemen) and special guest Ron Asheton (Stooges), so expect the original alt-guitar god to return to his hardcore roots." (Michael Chamy, Austin Chronicle)

Two blocks away from Tower Records I heard a drum solo. You can hear music in Austin at all times of the day and in all parts of the city, so I wasn’t too surprised. Upon closer investigation, it turned out to be The Fog drummer George Berz, who had set up his kit outside the Tower back entrance and worked the skins while the band waited for their turn to play.

Later, when they started to move their equipment onstage, this super-group of Rock veterans had a good chuckle about the rather small PA. In true punk-rock spirit, they moved Mike's second bass head + cabinet to the front and center of the tiny stage and Mike plugged in his microphone.

All Amps were cranked up to 11, and with Mike taking over vocal duties, they proceeded to play a 40 minutes Stooges-only set including "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "1969"," TV Eye", and a blistering version of "No Fun". The final word from Mike Watt: "You should have learned one thing today - start your own band..." Clearly one of the highlights of the week!

Kasey Chambers @ Waterloo Park

"While her nose ring and posing nude alongside her brother for an arts magazine have rankled a few feathers back home, here in the U.S., The Captain and Chambers' deep, sexy drawl have earned her a fast-growing following. Besides selling out club dates, Chambers recently taped a duet with Steve Earle for Austin City Limits, while Dwight Yoakam told Rolling Stone she's "stunning" and said he'd like to work with her. Lucinda Williams, Fred Eaglesmith, and Matthew Ryan did just that on The Captain's recently completed follow-up." (Andy Langer, Austin Chronicle)

About 7000 people had gathered for the free show at Waterloo Park on this cool night. By the time I arrived, Buckwheat Zydeco had already warmed up the crowd. I came to Kasey's show mainly because I was intrigued by the list of cover-versions this Australian gal often performs as part of her live set. She delivered on the cover versions ("Change The Locks" by Lucinda Williams and "Freight Train" by Fred Eaglesmith), and crossed all borders between Country, Pop and Rock. She was all over the radio in Austin, so quite a few of the 7000 (her biggest crowd to date) could sing along with Kasey's songs. All in all a very passionate welcome for Kasey and band, who told the audience at one point: "Stop screaming - you're scaring me!"

Shannon Moore @ Pecan St. Ale House

"Moore has a voice that's a gutsy, throaty cross between Chrissie Hynde and Johnette Napolitano and is a fierce, independent lyricist who refuses to back down." (Mac McDonald, Monterey County Herald)

Pecan St. Ale House is one of the worst SXSW venues, a watering hole where bands have to set up in a corner to play under a single (!) light. Shannon's MP3's I had heard sounded good, so I decided to check her out. Clearly more Pop than Rock, she played with a percussionist and a keyboard player, which underlined the catchy, yet relaxed feel of her songs. It might have been more electrifying to see her with a full band, but it wasn't at all bad.

Tom Freund @ Waterloo Brewing Company (Upstairs)

"Singer-songwriter Tom Freund is part Walter Salas-Humara and part Mark Eitzel, only he's a little safer than the former and a much less of a bring-down than the latter. By no means breaking new ground in the field, he is much better than average when it comes to the turn of a phrase." (Michael Bertin, Austin Chronicle)

It's not the full SXSW experience without a Tom Freund show. The band members always change, and songs are performed differently every time. This year Tom was backed by Michael Jerome (drums) and Drew Glackin (Bass, pedal steel), with J.P. Allen (harmonica) and Abra Moore (vocals) joining them for a couple of songs. Highlights included "Bombshell" from his brilliant new CD Sympatico and "Synagogue" from his debut North American Long Weekend.

Jeff Klein @ Pecan St. Ale House

"Originally from New York, Jeff Klein has been quietly honing his craft in Austin for three years. You'll Never Get to Heaven If You Break My Heart may be his second release, but it sounds like the work of a grizzled veteran. It's a winning set that alternates between dark and light with remarkable finesse, with a variety of moods that flow naturally and always keep it interesting. Klein's vocals at times recall the rasp of Jon Dee Graham, other times the brooding of Son Volt's Jay Farrar. Some atmospheric pieces possess a rustic charm, like "Blown Away," "Song From the Tin Man," and "Black and Blue," while also making room for the massive roar of tunes like "Break in Two" and "Ballad of Big Red." Klein treads on deep emotional territory throughout. Songs like "Lower Down," "Black and Blue," and "Without You" bristle with electricity despite mainly acoustic settings. The rich and varied backdrops are provided by the strong production work of Mark Addison and some of Austin's best players, including Mike Hardwick, Scott Garber, and Nina Singh. The focus, however, is always on Klein, who shows unexpected capacity for writing haunting melodies and startling lyrics that are at times sarcastic, yet always intense and heartfelt. Klein may be a relative newcomer to Austin, but You'll Never Get to Heaven If You Break My Heart shows he's already one of the better singer-songwriters in town." (Jim Caligiuri , Austin Chronicle)

"Good evening Toronto, welcome to NXNE!" Jeff joked before launching into "5 Good Reasons" from his debut. The rest of the set mostly featured songs from You'll Never Get To Heaven If You Break My Heart, but most songs rocked out a lot more than on CD. His voice combines the rawness of Jon Dee Graham's and the intensity of Richard Buckner's. A short, compelling showcase from one of Austin's biggest talents. Another highlight...

Black Kali Ma @ Room 710

"Led by bear-in-human Gary Floyd, Black Kali Ma goes straight for the jugular with their blues rock, which is unabashedly reminiscent of Floyd’s past combos Sister Double Happiness and the Dicks." (Michael Toland, Pop Culture Press)

Because Jeff Klein's set was quite short I was able to run over to Room 710 and managed to see the last 15 minutes of BKM's set. Their set last year was fantastic and needless to say they were great this time around. The place was packed to capacity, BKM were loud, and the sound was crisp. Gary Floyd is one of the best Rock shouters around. A show just like the title of the last song they played: "Wonderful"!

Victims Family @ Room 710

"This happily blasphemous Sonoma County prog-punk outfit broke up in 1994 after a decade on the Econoline circuit and reunited in 1998. Together with new drummer David Gleza, original guitarist Ralph Spight and bassist Larry Boothroyd have been recording tracks for a new album to be released soon on Alternative [Tentacles]. This gig will be among their first in seven years." (Greg Beets, Austin Chronicle)

After a lengthy Jello Biafra rant, I felt like I was being "beamed" back 10 years. A punk-rock club, on stage a band playing fast, intelligent Punk with jazzy undertones. The Victim's Family were back, and it could have been 1991 all over again, just that everyone in the place looked a little older... Very old-school.

Amy Allison @ Waterloo Brewing Company (Upstairs)

"Amy Allison is the daughter of legendary jazz singer/songwriter Mose Allison. Billboard Magazine called her previous solo release, 'The Maudlin Years,' 'everything that New York country music ought to be: sharp, funny and smoldering with attitude.'" (SXSW Band info)

Old school as well, but an entirely different school. Amy played "against" the Brave Combo, who performed on the outside stage. Brave Combo were almost louder than Amy and her two guitar players. And then there were the barkeepers who, obviously not used to having music in their bar, noisily chatted amongst each other. Amy, one half of Parlor James, will have a new solo CD (featuring Neal Casal and Will Rigby) out soon. Her voice is similar to Victoria Williams' or Kate Jacobs, a voice you'll either love or hate. The songs were untainted and sweet. A complete change from the showcase I had seen before, but that was exactly what I had in mind. Pleasant.

Jeff Black @ Waterloo Brewing Company (Upstairs)

"Good luck finding a crack that Jeff Black can't slip through. For that reason, he could just as easily draw comparisons to Kevin Welch or James McMurtry as John Mellencamp and Jeff Buckley. Okay, maybe Buckley is a reach. Black's follow-up to debut Birmingham Road should be surfacing any time now." (Michael Bertin, Austin Chronicle)

The three songs I had heard the day before just weren't enough. Jeff played solo again (mostly acoustic, but also one song on electric guitar), but luckily his booming voice drowned out the sounds of the band outside. Someone told the barkeeps to shut up (they later apologized to Jeff, saying they weren't used to music and just hadn't realized how loud they were...), so it was a bit easier to concentrate on the music than during Amy's set. It was the perfect way to end the Friday: Jeff is simply one of the best songwriters around, and his songs are outstanding. Hopefully we'll get a release of new material from this guy soon.

Another exciting day that pretty much covered the entire spectrum of my musical interests, from the pureness of Gillian Welch to the raw power of Asheton, Mascis, Watt and Berz. From Hardcore legends Victims Family to the sweet voice of Amy Allison. This is what SXSW is all about.

Missed:
Kitty Gordon, Bare Jr., Kristin Hersh, Kim Richey, Tim Easton, Beaver Nelson, Will Sexton, Gary Stier & Buffalo Nickel, Kevn Kinney, Murder City Devils, Ryan Adams & The Pinkhearts, Jon Dee Graham, Blue Mountain, Ron Sexsmith, The Ike Turner Revue, TSOL, Lucinda Williams, John Wesley Harding, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, The Black Crowes, Slobberbone, Gas Giants, Bluebird

Show count: 53 ...  click here to read about the next day!