On the whole, our SXSW experience this year rocked. The past week was composed of a solid compilation of incredibly talented bands (33 to be exact), lots of high-quality free alcohol options (Lagunitas, Boulevard, Titos, Thirsty Planet), no broken technology, and an in-the-moment approach — not a single photo shot at a show — which was a departure from what every other person in the crowds decided upon.
Here’s a recap of who we saw this year, and how we felt about them. Key = ***breakout, **really awesome, but expected to be thus.
Monday:
The Sounds. Great live show.
Big Boi. A 40 minute medley of all Outkast’s biggest hits was about as un-exciting as you could have imagined from a solo-rapper, dj, and other random guy waving around a towel and grunting periodically.
Tuesday:
***Admiral Fallow. Scottish Snow Patrol meets Mumford and Sons live. Thought they sounded really excellent and was super stoked to check out their album, which is not as exciting, haha. Still pretty good, just not as epic. Lots of slow tracks.
Esben and the Witch. Apparently this was a big buzz band this year, but I was afraid of them. Think cult-like convulsions and ambient noise i.e. The Exorcist, but with a tiny chick from England and a large dude that sings through his hair like Cousin It. I can’t say I wasn’t captivated, but not sure if that’s because it was terrifying or interesting. Good horror movie soundtrack potential.
Pulled Apart By Horses. NOT good. Not to the female portion of this blog, anyway. Screamy English guys who aren’t too keen on lyrics. Someone said they were the brightest band out of the U.K. right now, and if that’s true, I feel sorry for that person, because they are obviously delusional.
The Boxer Rebellion. Not overwhelmingly awesome, but definitely a solid show.
Wednesday:
**Civil Wars. This show was one of the ones I was most excited for. I am in love with this couple for so many reasons. The set was great — their vocals meld so well together it gave me chills at many points. Was looking forward to Barton Hollow, which they had to play acoustic because the sound guy killed their instruments. Ass. Felt a little blueballed.
Olof Arnaulds. Yeah, NOT the same as Olaf Arnolds. A weird little chick singing instrumental parts solo, kinda wild looking. Not good. Went out to the back patio to listen to the Riff Raff, which sounded great through the fence.
Augustana. Sound issues made this show kind of a let down.
DeVotchka. Sounded great! Want to see a full set.
**Flogging Molly. I don’t think this one needs a description. I haven’t let loose at a show like this in a long long time. Dancing with Guinness in hand to Flogging Molly as the clock struck midnight and St. Patrick’s Day rolled in, was priceless.
Thursday:
Oh Land. Slightly weird chick, but decent tunes. Not highly recommended, but maybe worth checking out. Electronic.
***California Wives. Absolutely one of the breakout bands of the fest. These guys have a bright and sunny California flavor, reminiscent of early Killingtons, even though they’re actually from snowy Chicago. Excellent live, and excellent recorded too.
Kyle Andrews. Not gonna lie. Not great.
Andrew Belle. Sounds just as good live as he does recorded. Venue was jam packed, thanks to the mis-management of badge/wristband holders this year, so we didn’t stay long.
Ellie Goulding. One of my most anticipated shows, and one of the bigger let downs. Ellie Goulding has incredible vocal skills. She’s slightly breathy but had a warm round and adorably English sound, and we’ve been rocking out to her electronic jams for years. Imagine the disappointment to have caught her acoustic show. Was it quality? Yes. Was it fun? No, not really. I wanted to dance, and she didn’t muster up enough energy to leave her bar stool perch until the last song.
**City and Colour. This was the third (or fourth?) time we’ve seen Dallas Green stretch his vocal chords in public, and this was definitely the best and brightest performance to date. Helped that it took place in a church, which gave it both a semi-blasphemous, semi-holy atmosphere. Green was spot on with his quirky commentary, and made me misty eyed with his soulful solo songs.
Friday:
Kitten. High energy, spunky lead singer who looks kind of like a flat-faced cat rocked this show. Her little squeals and spasms were captivating, but didn’t take away from an overall tight musical performance. Mew! Mew! Mew!
Eisley. Frankly, boring. Mix wasn’t great, vocals weren’t interesting. Bleh.
The Good Natured. Really enjoyed the playfulness of lead singer Sarah McIntosh as she tranced around the stage and rather empty floor at ND Studios. Her quirky fashion and vocal stylings perfectly fit her band’s electro-pop sound.
Noah and the Whale. A pleasant burst of energy was a welcome sight from this normally reserved folk collective. But, that might’ve just been the whiskey.
**Gayngs. I had no idea there were so many people in this band. The layered choral vocals and amalgamation of noises brought an otherwise solid album into a show bursting with life and color. You could tell everyone was genuinely enjoying themselves, which always helps too. Unique and unusual sound. And you can’t beat Justin Vernon rocking sunglasses and autotune.
Chromeo. This show was (unsurprisingly) one of the most upbeat and fun dance parties I have ever witnessed. You know most of the time, people stand around and try to look cool at live shows? Not this time — everyone was breaking it down Chromeo-style. Well played, sirs. Not disappointing in the least.
Saturday:
**Conditions. Unfortunately we caught 15 of the 20 minute set from the line outside of Emo’s indoor stage. The two minutes that we watched from indoors were some of the hardest rocked all week. They are so high-energy, tight sounding, and energetic it was impossible to not dance and fist pump during the one song we got to see firsthand.
***Scars on 45. Part of the Chop Shop portfolio, this U.K. band were one of the most promising acts we witnessed, with an almost flawlessly executed and great sounding show. Sounded as if they’d been playing that same set for decades, but still authentically humble and appreciative for the support.
Republic Tigers. I’ll admit we listened to this one from the edge of the venue, hungover and grumpy. Sounded good from where we were though. Ha.
***Joy Formidable. Another part of the Atlantic Records/Chop Shop party. We barely made it through the entire set without feeling nervous about the lead singer’s intense stare. That being said, the music was excellent, and one that we quickly sought out at home before the fest officially ended. Patsavas obviously has an excellent roster up her sleeve, with this one as s shining gem.
**A Silent Film. These guys rocked just as hard if not harder than the recorded album. Solid through and through. Surprised at how much they sound like Coldplay live.
**Barcelona. Big crowd for this long-time favorite. Most of the set was new material, which sounds just as solid and exciting as old classics. Andrew Belle was in the audience, and he appeared to be rocking out as well. Always a good sign.
**Swimming with Dolphins. Frontman Austin brought a band with him this year. Although the sound mix was fairly bad (couldn’t hear most female vocals), this addition really helped make his live show a true dance party. New songs sound…interesting? Not sure about that one, will have to wait for the record to release. With such a shitty sound mix, it was difficult to tell.
The Limousines. I wouldn’t classify this show as a highlight. It was…interesting. There’s obviously some talent in the electronic duo, but the repetition and lack of interesting lyrics didn’t keep us around for long. Maybe it was because everything else was so stellar. Maybe it’s better recorded. Check em out and decide for yourself.
The Almost. A far cry from Underoath but still as exciting, this show was one of the highlights of the festival thanks to lead singer Aaron Gillespie’s ability to win the crowd and throw one hell of a party.
Posted on March 21, 2011 by aninterlude
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