Claire Holley @ Opal Divine’s Freehouse Patio (ComboPlate Booking Party)
“The Mississippi singer/songwriter's third album has an agreeable folk-based, gentle sound with tinges of country. It's hard to imagine that fans of Iris DeMent, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, and the like wouldn't enjoy Holley as an opening act. […] It's easygoing material with a strong narrative flair, whether first-person or third-person, delivered in a high and pleasant, if average, voice. The emphasis is on descriptive accounts that sound almost like on-the-spot reports of small towns or road trips, as with the scenes of a sleepy Sunday morning on "Heyward Avenue." It isn't all mellow folky fare, digging into some forceful folk-rock on "Sea Boy," and some lighter jazzy tones on "In My Garden."” (Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com)
It was sunny and warm on Day 3, which started for me shortly after 2pm at the ComboPlate Booking party. I mainly wanted to see Will Kimbrough but got there a bit early and was pleasantly surprised by Claire Holley's set. Claire was accompanied by a drummer / percussionist, and Michael Fracasso sang with her for a song as well. Not bad at all!
Will Kimbrough @ Opal Divine’s Freehouse Patio (ComboPlate Booking Party)
“[Will] Kimbrough's guitar work — which can also be heard on albums by Kim Richey, Matthew Ryan, Josh Rouse, Amy Rigby, and Jess Klein — is seamless, and his vocals, which lie somewhere between those of Neil Finn and Gram Parsons, are sweet and warm.” (Travis Drageset, allmusic.com)
I’ve been a fan of Will Kimbrough’s guitar playing since the days of Will & The Bushmen. He appears on a number of my favourite albums, and though I had seen him play guitar at many shows, I hadn’t yet seen him performing his own material. It was about time. Will asked Claire Holley’s percussionist to play with him, which worked out very well. His set was unfortunately a bit short, but he did play a couple of cool songs from both his solo CDs.
Tegan & Sara @ Caswell House (NXNE Party)
“Folk-rock duo Tegan & Sara first burst onto the Canadian music scene in 1998, when they earned the highest score in history at Calgary's "Garage Warz" competition; their quick rise didn't stop, for their melodic acoustics and charming stage personas led to a slew of dates with Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair that same year and a record deal with Neil Young's Vapor Records in April 2000. Natives of Calgary, these twin sisters transpired their music interests from the likings of their parents. Tegan & Sara began playing piano at age eight, and in their teens they were skanking around in their own punk bands. This Business of Art, which was produced by singer/songwriter Hawksley Workman, marked their debut in mid-2000 and summer tour with Neil Young and The Pretenders followed in July. Two years later, Tegan & Sara released If It Was You.” (MacKenzie Wilson, allmusic.com)
"There are acoustic moments on If It Was You; there are also full-on pop/ rock moments. The singing is the primary focus of the album, with both sisters carrying the weight of the vocal work. Going back to their punk roots seems to have helped, as many of the songs seem more raw than what one might expect from a formerly acoustic duo." (Kurt Morris, allmusic.com)
Sunny weather, beautiful location (an old mansion), free food + drinks, and great music - all the required ingredients for a perfect party were there. The best part was a very charming set by the Quin power-twins. They didn’t sound very “Folk-Rock” too me, but played a very enjoyable mix of infectious harmony vocals and Power-Pop chords. The show left me wondering how I could have missed them until now, and two more CD’s were added to my shopping list immediately. Highly recommended!
Michelle Malone @ Metropolis Apartments
“Michelle Malone is a busy gal. She founded SBS Records in 1992 as an outlet for her own work and has lived through a number of different musical incarnations including Drag the River and Band De Soleil. Just between 1999 and 2001, she released Home Grown, Lucky to Be Live, Strange Bird, Vol. 3, and Hello Out There. That's prolific by even the strictest standards. What's even more impressive is that Hello Out There is not a weak record. It doesn't sound at all rushed or thrown together. Tagging her style as "sonic roots rock," Malone captures her unbridled energy through the power of amps and drums. […] Malone's guitar is emblazoned with a single word that sums it all up — "Independent." That spirit permeates her songs and performances, and is certainly evident in the fact that she owns the label, too.” (Kelly McCartney, allmusic.com)
The Metropolis is an apartment complex which features “hand-stained concrete floors and cabinets, custom-blown glass lighting fixtures, glass block and stainless steel accents” according to the Apartment Brochure. Everything looked very hip and artsy, and they had bands playing throughout the SXSW weekend. It was a bit far away from the action downtown, so only about 20 people had found their way to the event by the time Michelle Malone and her band started their set on the “stage” overlooking the pool area. Michelle didn’t have an official showcase this year, so this was a welcome chance to see her play 40 energy-filled minutes.
Alice Peacock @ Driskill Hotel Ballroom (Aware Records Party)
“Alice Peacock's self-released debut album, Real Day, boded well for her as a new, young singer/songwriter who had some unusual twists on the age-old subjects of romantic love and the war between the sexes. The album attracted critical acclaim and led Peacock to a deal with Aware Records, which is distributed by Columbia Records, thus landing her on a major label the second time around. Her self-titled second album has some more impressive songwriting, even if it is somewhat loaded with guest stars and bits of trendy production intended to earn her a berth on Top 40 radio and MTV. […] The guests - and a bigger recording budget, no doubt - enable Peacock and producer Joel Sayles to add gimmicky percussion programming here and Beatles-like effects there, which may achieve the goal of getting her a hit even if they detract from her main virtues: her songwriting and her breathy, expressive voice.” (William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com)
Columbia/Aware Records threw this event and Alice Peacock was brought in to open the party. Being an “industry-event/party”, the place was filled with VIPs and very few fans, which essentially means that a lot of people will enjoy the free drinks and “network” instead of listening to whoever is performing. The constant buzz of conversations almost drowned out Alice’s songs. I've seen it happen so many times, but it still drives me nuts. Some folks have really mastered the “art” of chatting during shows: they talk during the entire song, but when it ends they stop, clap and wait for the next song to start before resuming their conversation. Anyway, Alice was joined by Danny Howes for this set, and alternated between guitar and piano. It was nice to hear the songs in a more organic, stripped down fashion, as opposed to the overblown arrangements on the album.
The Thorns @ Driskill Hotel Ballroom (Aware Records Party)
“It was good timing that brought the three of them together in the spring of 2002, good timing and a shared desire to stretch out after being turned inward for so long. Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge had just finished typically intensive solo album projects, while Shawn Mullins had recorded a sizable batch of demos for his next Columbia album. [Pete] Droge has a theory about what makes the Thorns sound so distinctive—and so breathtaking: “With a lot of great harmony bands, people would individually bring songs in and they’d work up their harmonies—CSN, Fleetwood Mac, etc. I’m not really aware of a band that has been this focused on the harmonies from the conception of a song. On our demos, very often the vocals were identical to what ended up on the final record because, as we were writing the songs, we were tailoring the melodies for the three-part harmonies".” (Band webpage)
It took a couple of songs, but then the attentive portion of the audience had finally shushed the chatting portion and it was possible to fully enjoy the sweet harmonies of Pete Droge, Shawn Mullins & Matthew Sweet, collectively known as The Thorns. And it is all about sweet harmonies, CSN for the new century. You will find yourself humming along at the first chorus, I guarantee it. Extra points for a well chosen cover version, too - The Jayhawks' “Blue”.
Jeff Klein @ Cactus Cafe
“With a haunting muse that at times recalls Jay Farrar or Jon Dee Graham, upstate New York native Jeff Klein made his way to Austin, TX, to make his mark. The singer/songwriter's critically acclaimed 2000 debut You'll Never Get to Heaven if You Break My Heart prompted CMJ Magazine to list him as one of five "Must-See Austin Acts." […] In 1999, he made the move to the songwriters' mecca of Austin, TX, finding friends and allies in such local vets as Jon Dee Graham, Will Sexton, and Alejandro Escovedo. After the critical acclaim of his 2000 album, Klein set to work on the 2002 effort Everybody Loves a Winner, which was produced by Nashville songwriter and alternative country star Matthew Ryan. The effort featured guest appearances by Jon Dee Graham and Patty Griffin, the latter of which happened to be Klein's landlord at the time.” (Erik Hage, allmusic.com)
The Cactus had a fantastic line-up on this evening, which very much justified the drive north from 6th street. As always Jeff's set was very enjoyable, covering the full sonic spectrum from very slow songs with Brian Standefer on cello, to the full guitar-driven assault during the final (new) song called “Stripped”. The only complaint I have is that he again didn’t use the full 40 minute timeslot, leaving the stage after 30 Minutes.
Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 @ Cactus Cafe
“Although best known for his work in the Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn has since released nine albums on his own and two as a member of Gutterball. 2001's Here Come the Miracles garnered worldwide acclaim and is the best work of his career. Its European follow-up, Static Transmission, features more compelling guitar rock.” (Jim Caligiuri, Austin Chronicle)
With the Cactus Cafe at full capacity, Steve Wynn and The Miracle 3 took the stage. Although the room is not necessarily made for loud shows, the band worked their way through a rocking set, which prompted several standing ovations from the (seated) audience. Starting off with “When You Smile” from the first Dream Syndicate album, Steve worked his way through his 20+year career, ending the set with “Amphetamine” from his latest CD.
Grant Lee Phillips @ Cactus Cafe
“After a long struggle with Warner Bros., Phillips disbanded the much-loved Grant Lee Buffalo and struck out on his own. His solo debut, Mobilize, struck in 2001, and Rounder just released the earlier-recorded Ladies' Love Oracle. Phillips continues making lovely, aching, and sometimes-political Americana-rock. (Melanie Haupt, Austin Chronicle)
While the line in front of the Cactus kept growing longer and longer, the lucky ones inside got a total change of pace. Grant Lee Phillips played solo and acoustic, which made for a change in volume but not in intensity. Just like Steve Wynn before him, Grant Lee started his set chronologically (with “The Shining Hour” from Grant Lee Buffalo’s debut) and immediately built a rapport with the audience full of fans. He was joined by John Doe for a fantastic rendition of “Honey Don’t Think” and finished his set with another GLB favourite: “Lone Star Song”. Wow, this was very impressive.
Sand Rubies @ Ego’s
“Unbelievable as it was, the Artists Formerly Known as Arizona's Sidewinders actually played the Hole in the Wall [in 1997]. Rocked it actually, just like the old days - the Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall days. And "Witchdoctor." God bless 'em, they played "Witchdoctor," Dave Slutes screaming into the mike as Rich Hopkins bent over his guitar trying to wring every last distorted note from it. Amazing. Sometimes you do get a second chance. (Raoul Hernandez, Austin Chronicle)
Although not part of the official SXSW festival, Ego’s had an appealing line-up that night: Austin’s Walter Tragert was followed by two acts from Tucson, Arizona, Greyhound Soul and The Sand Rubies. By the time I arrived, the Sand Rubies had already started to rock the joint, and kept the dance floor busy all night. It’s about time that Dave Slutes and Rich Hopkins get their act together and start working on some new material. They made up a Velvet Underground-like song as the encore, jamming until long after 2am. A great way to end a perfect day, with not a single weak act all day.
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All pictures (c) Steffen Paulus 2003