My SXSW report
Wednesday:
Wake up at 3:30 a.m., drive to Syracuse, catch flight to Austin. Arrive at
noon, check into Hotel, get badge at Convention Center, and walk down 6th St.
Immediately run into Hayseed (he’s hard to miss). We had dinner (I had just
interviewed him for a feature, now posted on the milesofmusic.com web site).
After dinner, leave restaurant, immediately run into Don Yates, in Walser cap
(not THE Walser cap, tho) and Johnny Dowd t-shirt, and Deborah Malarek.
Head to Liberty Lunch to see Jim Roll (excellent set), then mosey by Austin
Music Awards to catch Reckless Kelly, who are best described in two words:
Country Hootie. They made guest Joe Ely seem boring, which I thought was an
impossibility. (Joe sang two songs, You Ain’t Going Nowhere and one of his own
about Honky Tonkin, but the one from Live Shots).
Try to get into Jeff Beck’s show, get shut out, catch Rubinchik’s Orchestyr,
who played trad. klezmer. Head home, collapse with exhaustion.
Thursday:
Lucinda gives keynote address, advising persistance in the music biz. Also
reveals one of her early songs appeared on a porn movie soundtrack (All
American Girls in Heat, Pt II, for those keeping score), and plays several
solo acoustic songs. It was interesting to hear “Right In Time” in that
format.
Head to panel discussion on Hank Williams. Most fascinating aspect was
contributed by Greil Marcus, who talked about a movie that fancifully
described the last show Hank played. Bill Lister also told a funny story about
the making of Hank Jr.’s “There’s a Tear in My Beer.” Then to the songwriting
panel with Jim Lauderdale, Kelly Willis, Bruce Robison, and Jon Dee Graham.
Pretty good, but no revelations. Realize it’s too late to hit Cherilyn’s BBQ.
Bummer....
Thursday night, in midst of huge downpour, head to Broken Spoke to see
personal fave Monte Warden, who played most of the songs from his new CD out
on Asylum. He had a really good band, including guest James Intveld on
keyboards. After that, Barry and I headed to Continental Club in hopes of
catching Mike Ness. We stood outside in line while it rained and heard
Intveld’s fine set. We were almost in the door when they stopped letting
people in, so we left. We found out later that the fire marshalls had cleared
the club of everyone, and only let some people back in. Barry and I head to
Jazz Bon Temps, where we dined to the dulcet blues of WC Clark.
head upstairs to see Jon Dee Graham, then across the street to see Wanda
Jackson. Barry stays in line, I head back to catch Shaver (not a bad
alternative). Billy Joe looks like Nick Nolte. I stay for half his set
(leaving before those drum set problems) and head back for another try at
Wanda. Get in time to hear her and Henhouse do Let’s Have a Party. She’s still
in great voice! Head home, collapse with exhaustion.
Friday:
Arrive at Convention Center at noon. Am immediately shanghaighed by Stacey
Taylor, who needs someone to serve on the country demo listening panel.
Proceed to fill in for no-shows Dale Watson and Broken Spoke owner James White
(the latter had plumbing problems at home, the former just didn’t show up).
Most demos were competent and fell into one of the many existing country radio
formats-i.e., power ballad, rocker, etc. Stacey and I tried to say something
nice about each one, even though both of us don’t really like mainstream
country.
Head to Bloodshot party at Yard Dog, just in time to miss the Blacks (who I
don’t really like) and catch Neko Case (who I adore). Leave after Neko’s set
due to claustrophia induced by the awning over the gallery’s back yard. Head
to Continental Club for rumored Ronnie Dawson CD release party, which turns
out to have been the previous day. Instead, buy live Ronnie Dawson CD recorded
and sold only at the club. After that, it was couple more stabs at panel-
going, including the Sinatra discussion (Cristgau read his obit that was
published in Details last year).
Later walk to Waterloo Records to see Monte Warden’s instore set. Didn’t
realize store was so far from convention, but tired of paying cab fares to get
everywhere. Price: sore feet and shoulders.
Friday night:
Head to Liberty Lunch to see Guy Clark, who played an excellent set. My
hometown friends Donna the Buffalo was next doing their usual thing, although
they were nearly tossed off the stage for not ending their set on time
See some of Terry Allen’s set, then head out to see Kim Lenz and Lou Ann
Barton, return to Liberty Lunch just in time to hear Terry Allen had Marcia
Ball, David Byrne and Guy Clark join him onstage for Gimme A Ride to Heaven,
Boy (which I formerly knew as “Jesus Was A Hitchiker,” as covered by Joe Ely)
Tried to get in Lucinda’ show, but barred because I had a camera with me. Head
back to Liberty Lunch to catch Gatemouth Brown’s set. After that, my feet
finally gave out, causing me to miss the Pumpskully set. I was intrigued that
a band would name itself after lascivious act from the X-Files.
Saturday
As an early riser, I found myself wandering past the front of the Convention
Center at around 10:30 a.m. Seeing a line, and having time to kill I promptly
got in it, and subsequently found that it was for badgeholders to get Waits
tix. Twenty minutes later, I had one. (Please don’t hate me...)
After that, it was one more stab at panel-going: ie, the alt-country panel
(few revelations). Grant Alden had a good line: “There’s too much average in
alt-country: not bad enough to turn off, not good enough to turn up.”
Head to ND/MoM party at Broken Spoke. Hayseed and C-Drifters were great, and I
really wished Cisco played more. His guitarist rocked, despite his rubbery-
legged gyrations. Most memorable sight: Neil Weiss in a cowboy hat; perhaps we
should now refer to him as “Kink E. Weiss”
After, Barry, Roy and I head to UT in hopes of catching the Flatlanders at
Donald Lindley benefit, but leave when we realize they hadn’t even started
yet, and it be a couple of hours til the Flatlanders. Would’ve like to catch
Kimmie Rhodes, though.
Then head to Antone’s for end of Hank Dogs set, then to Liberty Lunch to catch
another home town favorite, Johnny Dowd, who played several songs from his
upcoming CD (I just got an advance, but haven’t listened to it yet). He was
good, and benefitted from the full house awaiting Reckless Kelly. Memorable
quotes from audience members: Neal Weiss, “I’m going to sleep with the lights
on tonight”; Neal’s wife, Colleen, “He reminds me of Dennis Hopper”
(presumably the Blue Velvet version)
After that, head to Paramount to get in line for Waits. Find out I have a
sixth-row aisle set, right next to Beatle Bob. Waits was awesome (the reviews
previously posted here are accurate), with further excitement generated by
Beatle Bob’s incessant chair dancing. Definitely a show to remember!
Sunday.
Get up to 75 degree sunshine; 13 hours later, arrive back in Syracuse to 8
inches of snow. It’s good to be home.
Jim Catalano
Ithaca, NY
PS: It was good to finally meet Roy Kasten, Amy, Wynn, Alex, Marie, and other
P2ers for the first time. Missed hooking up with Matt Cook, Cherilyn, CK and a
few others, though. All the more reason to give up NXNE in Toronto and to
attend Twangfest instead.
