If your grandpa was a drunken Japanese crowd surfer in yellow tights, he would be in . Photos by Laurie Scavo.
The Denver Post asked various people throughout Colorado’s music scene to write about their experiences at the South by Southwest music festival.
Laurie Scavo is a photographer extraordinaire and regular contributor to Reverb (see her work at ). She sees more rock shows than makes sense for any sane person, so going to SXSW seemed a perfect fit for her tireless soul.
By Laurie Scavo
I think the “three-songs, no flash” rule that most large music venues around Denver enforce on photographers is turning me into an impatient music fan. Especially when it comes to music festivals like South by Southwest.
Because I have become so accustomed to hearing three songs, shooting photos, and then moving on, my attention span is short and to the point. If a band doesn’t hold me after the first eight-to-ten minutes, I have no problem leaving my strategic front row position (the spot I fought hundreds of sweaty fans to get to in the first place), and moving onto something better down the road.
While this newly-formed habit enables me to document a ton of shows everyday at a music festival (54 bands in three days at this year’s SXSW — thatap like 18 shows a day), I can’t say that more than a dozen or so bands inspired me to stick around for an entire set. Was it the “three-song” rule subconsciously nudging me onward to see if something better waited at the venue next door? Or was it just a lackluster performance?
Whatever the case, the opportunity to see so many different bands over the course of three days was like a giant tasty buffet. Sample everything, but only indulge in the best.
Here’s my list of indulgences at this year’s SXSW festival, in no particular order, with photos followed by text:
While I couldn’t get in because the line was down the block, we all made our own dance party in line on the street, and watched Cut Copy tear it up on the patio stage through holes in the fence. I couldn’t stop shooting photos through the chain link — one hand pulling down the green plastic fence protector, while the other held the lens steady enough to capture the beauty that is Cut Copy. I was enthralled. I’ve played that CD into the ground over the last year. Seeing them live — even through a chain link fence — was magical.
I had heard Blitzen Trapper remixed before, but was not really familiar with their songs. Another great discovery on my quest to find new music at SXSW, this band kept me up front and center. Be sure to catch them live April 14 at . You will like.
A golden female bass player is the focal point of Film School. Radiating new Hollywood, but with an underlying vintage charm, she is as engaging as is her stunning voice. Taking the stage with her hair in a bun, a few songs later she let her blondie locks free, head bobbing, bass pounding. The entire time, all I could think was, “I want to make music like this.”
Taking the stage with no set list and discussing with his band at length what they should play, I thought, “Oh, great, he’s so not going to be into this.” Fortunately, the lack of planning meant impromptu passion galore. A giant man-boy, Thurston Moore is electric to watch. The set was beyond tight, and topped off with three encores. THREE!
Colorado totally represented at this show. I recognized pretty much the whole front row from the Denver music scene. My first experience seeing Slim live, I was blown away by their provocative interaction with the audience — and each other. It was a fiery revival of rabid sound, the whole room bouncing in unison, hands raised, begging for more dirty American rock.
Imagine seeing your Grandpa covered in beer, crowd surfing like a champ. Welcome to the Japanese action comic punk band known as Peelander-Z. Led by a balding old man with long stringy tufts of grey hair, and decked in a yellow jumpsuit, this troop of Japanese superheroes has mastered the art of crowd surfing while simultaneously directing the audience with cue cards on what lyrics to shout out next. “Buy DVD – for your Mother.” “Buy CD – for your Health.”
With the crowd inside at sweaty capacity, the line to get into their show was insane. During the entire performance I kept asking myself, is this gray old man really surfing the crowd? Did the guitar player really just run up two flights of stairs to the top patio railing and rock her instrument unplugged? I couldn’t stop laughing.
This is a big band, with a big sound. The six piece group packed the stage with a string section to die for, along with keyboards, all kinds of vocals and movement, and a surprise performance by ?! Hmmm….
The name alone drew me to the back patio of for this show. What does Pissed Jeans from Allentown, Pa. sound like? I don’t really know. I was so enthralled with the manic facial expressions and energy coming from the lead singer, that the music ran down my leg like, well, warm pee.
Having just seen British Sea Power the week before at , I had to go back for more during their outdoor show on the patio at . I love these boys. Like their Hi-Dive show, they played a long set, but no band members jumped into the crowd to surf. That incredible experience was reserved for their Denver show.
Of fame, Peter Moren was so adorably nervous and shy on stage, at one point he even forgot the words to a song. Covering his eyes with his hand, he quickly recited the song until he caught up to the point he forgot, and then launched back into tune, all the while smiling, embarrassed. It was one of those moments where I wanted to run on stage and give him a hug. That adorable.
The name fits, as boys messing with buttons on boards spilling out of suitcases on a makeshift stand sure can crank some @#*% sound. At one point, a continuous monkey-like chant spewed from the singer as he bounced rabidly like a caged beast, turning the darkness of into an ominous jungle of painful, exotic noise.
Taking the day stage at , indie pop darling Jens Lekman had his work cut out for him. The tent was loud, hot and crowded, the beer flowing non-stop, and yet he managed to reel everyone in with his quirky tunes. Like Peter Moren, he was cute — I-want-to-hug-you cute.
Unfortunately, I wandered into this show a bit too late and only caught the last two songs. Big miss on my part. I totally wanted more. I can only hope they come through Denver soon.
You’re a wolf, literally, Sea Wolf. Running a good hour behind schedule and putting the sweaty crowd through an excruciatingly long soundcheck well past midnight on the last evening of the festival, Sea Wolf got a little testy.
“Play already!” someone shouted from the middle of the packed room above a massive billiards hall. This did not sit well with Sea Wolf’s Alex Brown Church, who shouted back venomously, “Then don’t listen.”
Later on in the set, he apologized for his outburst, but really, the whole experience tainted the “condensed” set that never really found its legs until the last few songs. A shame, since I wanted my last show at SXSW to be an amazing experience with one of my favorite bands. I did stay to the end though, and all was forgiven by the last song.
Feet blistered beyond belief, I stumbled down Sixth Street for my last nocturnal meal, wishing that it wasn’t time to go back home. I could have stayed another week. Easy.
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