Troy Campbell @ Republic Square Park (SIMS Foundation Health Fair)
“The former Loose Diamonds singer finds his voice on this atmospheric gem, easily the best work of his career. … Producer/guitarist Gurf Morlix is introspection’s best friend: where Campbell sometimes has a tendency to soar, Morlix keeps the sound bubbling under. Campbell, meanwhile, sounds forceful without sounding forced. “You still have your song/so true and clear/above this world full of tears,” is the line that keeps coming back. If Troy Campbell were on a major label, some publicist would be on the line heralding American Breakdown as a “career album.” But since he self-released this record that rolls on like the miles, I have to say it for him.” (Michael Corcoran, Austin-American Statesman)
No sign of blue skies on the morning of the first day of SXSW. Big, grey clouds promised rain, and sure enough soon after Troy Campbell started his short 20-minute set on the makeshift stage under a big tree it started to drizzle. The SIMS Foundation is a non-profit organization, which provides low cost mental health services for Austin area musicians and their immediate families. Troy’s performance was largely lost between the rain, people checking out the various information stands and children chasing the miniature ponies, but he did play a brilliant version of “Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory”.
Beaver Nelson @ Republic Square Park (SIMS Foundation Health Fair)
Beaver Nelson @ Opal Divine’s Freehouse Patio (Guitartown Party)
“The first thing that becomes glaringly apparent while listening to Beaver Nelson's Legends of the Super Heroes is that he's suddenly become as much a pure pop tunesmith in the vein of Freedy Johnston as he is a hard-scrabble roots man. […] With each album (this is his fourth) Beaver Nelson seems to cast his uncanny talent for great tunes and literate lyrics in a different light. With Legends of the Super Heroes, Nelson confirms the fact that he just may be one of the smartest, least predictable songwriters working the formidable expanses of Austin, TX, a town that has seen its share of that rare species.” (Erik Hage, allmusic.com)
A double dose of Beaver followed: first he played solo acoustic in the rain, however it was getting a bit too wet for me, and I made my way to the drier confines of the Convention Centre. When I arrived at Opal Divine’s later in the afternoon, Beaver and his band (Mark Patterson on drums, “Scrappy” Jud Newcomb on guitar and “Cornbread” on bass) were at work again, while the sun started to make a few cautious attempts to break through the clouds.
The second annual Guitartown party was held out on the patio of Opal Divine’s Freehouse this year, a big improvement from last year when a tiny upstairs room was used. Another great line-up, and the fun was only slightly flawed by less than perfect sound both on and in front of the stage, especially during the first sets of the day.
Loose Diamonds @ Opal Divine’s Freehouse Patio (Guitartown Party)
“Roots-rockers Loose Diamonds got their start in Dayton, Ohio as the Highwaymen, but changed their name after arriving in Austin, Texas, in the late '80s; the group, which consisted of "Scrappy" Jud Newcomb (guitar and vocals), Troy Campbell (vocals, harmonica and acoustic guitar), Mike Campbell (bass) and Ian Bailey (drums), blended influences including Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen as well as a wide range of blues, R&B and country musicians.” (Richard Skelly, allmusic.com)
For the traditional once-a-year Loose Diamonds reunion the band was expanded by the next generation of Campbell’s, with Nicholas Campbell strumming along on an acoustic guitar. While the set was not as outstanding as last years’, it is always good to see “Scrappy” Jud and Troy together on stage and to hear some of the old LD songs. Not to dwell too much on days past, but in my opinion the sum is still greater than the parts in this case.
Patty Hurst Shifter @ Opal Divine’s Freehouse Patio (Guitartown Party)
“Beestinger Lullabies serves up hard-hitting, textured anthems with plenty of space between the notes for the vivid scenes set by Chris Smith to sink in. […] True to the album title, the band can bite hard or burn slowly, bringing to mind big-beat outfits like the True Believers and late local heroes the Backsliders.” (Rick Cornell, No Depression)
The first big surprise of the day: Patty Hurst Shifter played a perfect mix of addictive melodies and crunchy guitar work. Imagine the Bottle Rockets jamming with Slobberbone and you'll get an idea what they sound like on stage. Brilliant!
The Silos @ Opal Divine’s Freehouse Patio (Guitartown Party)
“The Silos are a contemporary American band concerned with the best values in Rock 'n' Roll - solid, honest songs, and performances with as much heart as there is art in them. Their music is noted for its casual brilliance, its offhand catchiness, and as L.A. Weekly's Robert Lloyd waxes, "as straightforward, physically affecting and musically uncompromising as can be found anywhere in the American pop underground."” (SXSW Band Info)
The current incarnation of the Silos (Walter Salas-Humara, Konrad Meissner and Drew Glackin) has been playing together for a number of years now, and I don’t think that they could get any tighter as a band. The set consisted exclusively of recent material, four new songs and two from the current album Laser Beam Next Door, and got Beatle Bob dancing away merrily in front of the stage.
Watershed @ Venue
"Their songs are great. They're passionate about their music, and they sort of embody everything that's great about Rock and Roll" (Pat DiNizio, Smithereens)
The folks running the show at the appropriately titled “Venue” had the fog machines at full blast when I arrived, and together with the oversized light show it created an atmosphere somewhere between a Sister Of Mercy arena show and a Great White club gig. I had first seen Watershed in Chicago in 1995, when they opened for Chris Whitley. Around that time they released an album on Epic records, before being dropped shortly thereafter. The Watershed guys were too stubborn to give up and continued to release CDs and tour. Older setlists on their webpage show that they are as likely to play covers by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, AC/DC and Cheap Trick. All those good influences made for a really fun show, with the cover song of the night being “Gimme Shelter”.
Brother Eye @ Buffalo Billiard’s
“Brother Eye is a dynamic rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania. Option called them a, "stripped down, garage-band version of The Cure," but the band also draws inspiration from artists like Cheap Trick, The Pixies, and The Replacements. Brother Eye is a modern-day 'pop' group in the best sense of the word. [Their] new record - All the Pretty Girls Get The Triangle - was produced by Dave Fridmann, […] they hate the Vines and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and they're from eastern Pennsylvania. (SXSW Info)
This show was proof that all the “right” influences, the “right” producer and even a song named after Inger Lorre (of Nymphs-fame) do not automatically make for a good and exciting show. Nervous and senseless in-between song banter, and worst of all the big SXSW no-no: ignoring clear signals from the stage manager and playing much longer than their allocated 40 Minutes. Unprofessional, uncool, and unfair towards all the other bands scheduled to play after them.
Neilson Hubbard @ Buffalo Billiard’s
“On [Neilson Hubbard’s] new album Sing Into Me, the Delta’s answer to Mark Kozelek employs everything from lyrical love songs, to 18th century hymns set to the sounds of Galaxie 500, to even a completely un-ironic take on the Velvet Underground classic “Jesus” to examine the state of the soul.” (SXSW Band Info)
Neilson and his band played very quiet songs, which required the audience to listen and focus on the show, something which was very hard to do in place like Buffalo Billard’s. Needless to say, the people in front of the stage got it, the ones chatting at the bar didn’t.
Ronny Elliott @ BD Riley’s
“An insurgent country singer/songwriter in the vein of Guy Clark or Townes Van Zandt, Tampa native Ronny Elliot had been a working musician for over 30 years before he released his solo debut.” (Erik Hage, allmusic.com)
Went to BD Riley’s to catch Chris Knight’s set, but when I got there Ronny Elliott was still playing. I had seen him with his band a few years ago and wasn’t overly impressed at the time. This time he played solo, a style which seemed much more suited to his songs. Disappointingly, Chris Knight was a “no-show”, so it was time for Plan B…
John Price @ Momo’s
"After years of playing Texas country-rock stuff, [John] Price has dived into more melodic-rock territory. Hints of country are still there, but anyone who listens to [Little Pieces of a Little Piece of Something Small] will probably have a hard time connecting the Price of yesterday, who cut his teeth at venues like the Electron Lounge, the Aardvark and Caravan of Dreams, to the Price of today, whose music now runs the gamut of rock, pop and folk.” (Malcolm Mayhew, Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
I couldn’t find out much about this guy, but the MP3 on the SXSW page sounded appealing enough. The Country look was still there, but the music was firmly in Pop territory. Think Jackopierce or Toad The Wet Sprocket, with three guitars ensuring a rich and full sound. Not bad.
American Mars @ Mother Egan’s
“Postpunk Americana from Detroit. Current record No City Fun (2002) was voted one of the best records made in Detroit behind the White Stripes and Variac. Sometimes compared to Richard Buckner, Dream Syndicate, and the Gun Club.“ (SXSW Band Info)
The write-up sounded interesting, the MP3 wasn’t bad either, and the line-up with stand-up bass and pedal steel looked right, but somehow the show failed to make a big impression on me. While far from being bad or annoying, the band seemed somewhat detached and failed to connect with the audience.
Reckless Kelly @ La Zona Rosa
“Since 1997, Reckless Kelly has delighted audiences here in hometown Austin and nationwide with their driving brand of rockin' country. Their music is full of sleek harmonies, ringing electric guitars, and lyrics that reflect life beyond the band members' relatively young age.” (Jim Caligiuri, Austin Chronicle)
The last time I had seen Reckless Kelly, they were a bunch of young guys sitting on a bench at Gruene Hall playing Steve Earle covers and old Bluegrass numbers for the line-dancers. That was in 1998. Five years later, I saw seasoned professionals perform to a La Zona Rosa full of frat boys and sorority girls. Although their sound is much more Rock these days, they still pick the right covers (Jon Dee Graham’s “Laredo”), and while their own material might not be the most original, they are veteran live performers who know how to put on a good show. Very enjoyable.
Grand Champeen @ Mother Egan’s
“Not afraid to wear their influences on their grimy sleeves, Austin's Grand Champeen take the snotty brilliance of the Replacements and meld it to the perfect pop of Cheap Trick for a sound that packs a mighty wallop. A major coup for the band was the recent placement of one of their songs on the soundtrack to the new Kevin Spacey/Kate Winslet flick, The Life of David Gale. (Jim Caligiuri, Austin Chronicle)
They did sound like Slobberbone after listening to too many Replacements records, young guys with plenty of energy jumping around onstage. Beatle Bob got to dance onstage for a song. After 20 minutes the whole thing became a bit to monochromatic for me so I moved on.
Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash @ Opal Divines’s Freehouse (Parking Lot Stage)
“Nope, they don't share any blood ties with the Man in Black. It does say a lot, however, that Cash himself is fine with their moniker. The BSOJC play country with enough outlaw edge to fit in with any and all outlaws. Their latest is Distance Between on Ultimatum Records. (Jerry Renshaw, Austin Chronicle)
The Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash sure got the crowd dancing at 1:30am, especially when Jesse Dayton joined them for a couple of songs at the end of their set. A great performance, just a bit too honky-tonk for me.
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All pictures (c) Steffen Paulus 2003