Jesse Sykes & Phil Wandscher @ Tower Records
"Jesse Sykes has the perfect voice. It expresses longing, heartbreak, and existential loneliness with powerful understatement. Like Emmylou Harris in her Elite Hotel period with a half-a-pack-a-day habit or Cat Power's Chan Marshall on the right meds, Sykes has a silvery voice that frays in just the right places. Her noir-country on her excellent debut, Reckless Burning, is shaped with collaborator Phil Wandscher (Whiskeytown's best and most modest guitarist) and it carves out its own unique niche. […] Live, Sykes is a quiet storm, filling a room with her atmospheric songs and transforming the crowd.” (Nate Lippens, The Stranger)
Day 2 started at 1pm, and was off to a good start. Jesse & Phil seemed to be just as tired and hung-over as the majority of the audience, however their music did wonders for my headache. The songs obviously sounded a bit different than on the album, but it was great to hear them in the way they were most likely created by Jesse + Phil. I don’t think I have ever experienced Tower Records that quiet during an in-store; usually there is a lot of background noise from people browsing the shelves and staff ringing up sales. Maybe it wasn’t quiet, but if there was background noise, I didn’t notice, as I was completely mesmerized by the performance.
The Flatlanders @ Club DeVille (New West Records Party)
“When the Flatlanders' first (and for many years only) album finally received a proper release in America in 1990, 18 years after it was recorded, it was called More a Legend Than a Band. Three decades after those first sessions, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock, three of Texas' most celebrated singer/songwriters, finally made it back into the studio to cut a second album, and on Now Again the Flatlanders finally sound like an honest-to-goodness band - or at least full collaborators - in a way they never did before.” (Mark Deming, allmusic.com)
The New West Records Party is one of the “mandatory” events on Thursday afternoon. This year Club DeVille seemed to be more packed than ever. Last year, the Flatlanders gig was a bit of a disappointment for me because of the obvious lack of rehearsal, but I was pleasantly surprised this time. After spending a good portion of the last 12 months on the road they were really a band, not just a legend this time around.
Drive-By Truckers @ Club DeVille (New West Records Party)
“Somewhere between a Dixie-fried Ziggy Stardust and a tear-ass take on Randy Newman's Good Ole Boys, Southern Rock Opera is literate, compassionate, provocative and highly volatile - a dizzying work of improbable genius.” (SXSW Band info)
Almost unnoticed by a large portion of the party crowd, the Drive-By Truckers took the stage. Those in the audience who expected a full-frontal guitar assault were disappointed. This show was different, with all acoustic instruments, and the songs did stand the test of an unplugged set very well.
Slobberbone @ Club DeVille (New West Records Party)
“Spearheaded by singer-songwriter Brent Best’s raw-throated desperation, the group burns through the emotional terrain of each song as if their lives depended on it. This is straight-up, fiercely unabashed rock that has evolved far beyond the barroom without sacrificing any of that idiom’s joyful grit and squalor.” (Erick Hage, All Music Guide)
As in previous years, Slobberbone once again had the task of closing the party, and as every year they rocked. With the addition of a keyboard player (who seemed to be very sleepy/stoned) on some songs, they worked their way through some of their best material. They finished their set with a rousing rendition of “Cortez The Killer”, ending it all with a few minutes of pure and ear-splitting feedback.
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter @ Mother Egan’s
"...Sykes' longing love songs, embellished and enveloped by the haunted echo of Wandscher's guitar and Anne Marie Ruljancich's sweet, mournful violin, can fill a space simply by drifting through, tangible but untethered, like blue smoke passing through amber..." (Tom Phalen, Seattle Weekly)
When I approached Mother Egan’s well before 8pm, I could already hear the now-familiar voice of Jesse and got worried that I had somehow missed the beginning of the show. Luckily it turned out that they were playing Jesse’s CD Reckless Burning over the PA, and the show had not yet started. Odd. Anyway, a few minutes later Jesse and her band got up on stage, marking only the second time that Jesse performed standing up. It was wonderful to hear the songs from the album with full instrumentation (especially "Lullaby" and "Reckless Burning", as well as some new material ("Birds Over Water" and “Fuck Or Eat”). The tent in Mother Egan’s parking lot is a fairly large venue, but again Jesse managed to hold the substantial crowd spellbound. Although I probably liked the more intimate show in the afternoon better, this was nevertheless a fantastic and memorable set. Even the bums in the alley behind the stage hid their liquor behind a dumpster and started to dance. Oh yeah, and as soon as Jesse finished her set, they played her CD again. Seems like the folks at Mother Egan’s are big Jesse Sykes fans as well.
Leroy Justice @ Fox & Hound
“Alt-Country, bourbon rock band from New York City, centered around rock anthems and folk ballads of lead singer/guitarist Jason Gallagher. A high energy rock show is always guaranteed. "Skynyrd meets the Stones" says NY's Paper Mag.” (SXSW Band Info)
The next hour didn’t offer too many choices, at least not nearby, so I decided to head over to the Fox & Hound (located on the old Waterloo Brewing Co. premises) a bit early. Leroy Justice were okay in a Black Crowes kind of way, but nothing much to write home about. The singer did his best to put on a R.O.C.K. show, but his band was fairly static.
Freeloader @ Fox & Hound
“NYC rock & roll band with a southern voice. Critically acclaimed debut Custom/10 (Oct 2001, Redeye Distribution) supported by national touring and grassroots radio/retail promotion. Seeking a release deal for new material produced by David Lowery (Cracker, Counting Crows), Brian Paulson (Wilco, Beck), and Eric Ambel (Steve Earle, Del Lords).” (SXSW Band Info)
With such a list of top-notch producers helping with new material, I had high expectations, but I can’t say that I was particularly thrilled by Freeloader’s performance. It was obvious that they had a lot more gigs under the belt than the previous band, but a lot of the band’s energy evaporated in the large gap between the stage and the audience.
Kathleen Edwards @ Antone’s
“Gifted with a voice that tunes in both the swagger of Lucinda Williams and the clean, even breathiness of Sarah McLachlan” (Christopher Hess, Austin Chronicle)
“The daughter of a diplomat, Kathleen Edwards spent most of her early life living in Seoul, South Korea, and Geneva, Switzerland. During this time, she studied classical violin from the age of five until returning to Canada in 1997. In 2000, she teamed up with fellow Ottawa singer/songwriter Jim Bryson to release her debut EP, Building 55. In 2001, Edwards returned to the studio and recorded a heartfelt album similar to efforts by Stacey Earle, Gillian Welch, and Lucinda Williams. In 2002, Failer was released to a large amount of national press and international rumblings of stardom. In 2002, she also performed at the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival.” (Jason MacNeil, allmusic.com)
Jason MacNeill didn’t get all the facts right. Although Failer was initially released in 2002, it was only AFTER her 2002 SXSW showcase that it was picked up by Zoe/Rounder and was re-released in 2003. I was lucky enough to have seen the showcase at a small Indian restaurant last year (incidentally the same place where Norah Jones had her showcase). And I knew that things had changed right after arriving in Austin. I left the airport in my rental car and the first song I heard on the radio was “Six O’Clock News” from Failer. It was also obvious from the long line in front of Antone’s. After contemplating whether it might be wiser to return to the Fox & Hound to see Rich Robinson’s (Black Crowes) new band Hookah Brown, I decided to stick around and was lucky enough to get in just before showtime. “This Mike smells like puke” were pretty much her first words to the audience, before “National Steel” started a set that contained most songs from Failer, plus a great cover version of AC/DC's "Moneytalks". One of the best shows of the week.
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers @ Cedar Street Courtyard
“Singer/songwriter Roger Clyne first made a name for himself while fronting the modern rock outfit the Refreshments during the post-grunge heyday of the '90s. "Banditos" was their biggest hit and an inviting cheeky pop anthem across mainstream and college radio during the summer of 1996. Success fell short for the band; after three albums, the Refreshments called it quits in 1997 and Clyne retreated to his Southwestern abode in Arizona to reflect. Soon, he and several musicians grouped together for Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers. Embracing his reflective side, which is both self-conscious and ambitious, Clyne molded a new musical creation. […] Sonoran Hope & Madness, which was released in February 2002, combined a sultry mix of country and folk while sifting through Clyne's darkest work yet.” (MacKenzie Wilson, allmusic.com)
If the latest CD does contain darker material, it wasn’t obvious from this show. The first rows were very filled with fans eager to party, who were constantly shouting requests for old Refreshments songs. The show turned into one big sing-along - it was just old-fashioned “let’s-have-some-fun” Rock’n’Roll, but nevertheless quite entertaining.
Pete Droge @ 18th Floor at Crowne Plaza
“Seattle-based singer-songwriter Pete Droge combines sleek pop aspirations with hints of homegrown twang and lighthearted philosophizing. In addition to his 1994 almost-hit, "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)," Droge had a bit part in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous. Droge's fourth full-length, Skywatching, is just one of many projects he's working on.” (Greg Beets, Austin Chronicle)
After the party-atmosphere of the Peacemakers show I decided to end the night with something quiet. Pete Droge played a solo-acoustic set in the top-floor bar at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. He not only performed songs from two of his three albums, but also three songs from his upcoming Skywatching release, a Thorns outtake (“Blue As You”) and “Electric Green”, a co-write with Kim Richey, which is on her latest album. Plus a couple of songs which appeared on soundtracks. A busy man indeed.
Mary Lou Lord @ 6th Street at Brazos
“SXSW's perennial Sixth Street busker will no doubt be attracting her usual crowd for several days prior to her actual showcase, but the ever wily Salem singer-songwriter will doubtless pull out a few unique, sweet-voiced slayers for her official gig.” (Raoul Hernandez, Austin Chronicle)
On the way back from the Crowne Plaza I found Mary Lou Lord at her usual spot, where she played until almost 3am, with a small crowd sitting at her feet, while drunks stumbled past, cars and motorcycles cruised by, and the street cleaning crews worked their way through. A very nice way to wind down after a long day of music. At the end of her set, an officer from the APD approached Mary and while I thought he might write up a ticket, all he did was purchase a CD.
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All pictures (c) Steffen Paulus 2003