SXSW 2007 Day 3

Let me start today be stating that Austin is not big enough for the waves of humanity that flood the city during the 2^nd weekend in March every year. People have been commenting for years that there is not enough room in town for this conference anymore. I tend to agree. When every hotel in a town the size of Austin is full, you have an issue. I don’t think that moving the event to a different city is the answer, but somehow the conference must limit the amount of people who come to town for SXSW. This year, the conference delayed the announcement of who was playing, this made it more difficult for there to be as many day parties, and thus limit the amount of non-badge or wristband holders in town.

Day parties are a nice way to start things out each day. They are a fun way to hang out, meet people, eat Texas BBQ, drink for free and see great live music. Today we started out by checking out New York garage rock trio, Oxford Collapse. The music was a little too generic for me but, they grew on me as they plowed through more songs. The boys played fast and loud, and packed a surprising amount of energy into their set despite it only being 3pm.

Up next was the Under the Radar party where Tilly and the Wall took the stage at around 4:15 pm. The band is of course known for using tap dancers in place of acoustic drums. Their brand of fun-loving, quirky indie-pop caught the ear of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, and he instantly signed them to his “Team Love” record label about two years ago. The sun was shining on Austin and so were Tilly and the Wall’s songs, the 200 or so people at the party really responded well, dancing and clapping along with the fun.

Continuing my party hopping afternoon, I took off immediately after Tilly and the Wall’s set to see “Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s” at the Jane Magazine party. The band is basically eight people onstage making a ridiculous amount of noise, pulling it all together and calling it a day. Grungy looking front man Richard Edwards moans his words as he leads his band through their songs, and keyboardist Emily Watkins adds fantastic harmonies. Unforgettable pop melodies spray from the trumpet or violin and keep each song interesting. The band’s main strength comes from its versatility. They can go from twangy and gloomy to aggressive and angry in the blink of an eye. The day party shuffle came to a nice end, when the band hit their final chord, and left the stage. It was now time to eat…

IHOP provided us with the nourishment necessary to continue on after a long, tough, afternoon in beautiful Austin. I decided on the cinnamon French toast plate that included hash browns, eggs, and sausage. IHOP is a special place, with some amazing food, and I am glad there is one within walking distance in downtown Austin.

With my belly full of a delicious breakfast, I launched into the evening by heading up to the 18^th floor of the Hilton hotel where a singer-songwriter showcase was going on, starting with Austin native, Dana Falconberry. The conference room, which contained about 25 people sitting down enjoying the music, with a breathtaking view of the Austin skyline at sundown, was in for a treat. The Petit twenty-something, floated through her set of somber songs of sorrow and defeat. Her songwriting and the way her phrases flowed, reminded me of the Decemberists’ Colin Melroy’s style. I know singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen, but tonight, overlooking Austin, Dana Falconberry had the perfect sounds for the setting.

Thanks to the Hilton’s speedy elevator, I arrived safely back on the ground level and was off to Stubb’s to witness Andrew Bird work his magic. He hit the stage promptly at 9:30pm, his scheduled stage time (something that has NOT been happening at all this week). When people talk about Andrew Bird they usually lead off talking about his whistling skills. Well, I am going to do just the same. When you first hear this man whistle, you get chills. I couldn’t believe such a perfect sound was coming from his mouth, it almost seems fake, surely nobody on earth can make THAT perfect of an audible noise! But he can, and all you can do is shake your head in wonder. Five of Mr. Bird’s six songs came from his divine new record Armchair Apocrypha, which comes out on Tuesday March 20^th. His band, a trio, counting himself, did what usually takes five people onstage. This is because he employs multi instrumentalists like Twin Cities native Martin Dosh, who plays drums, keys and Rhodes in the band. Andrew also cuts down the human count in his band by using live violin loops recorded onstage. Bird is a mad scientist onstage, flailing his arms around and running back and forth between instruments. He is the captain of his own ship, steering his epic, transient, dramatic songs through multiple peaks and valleys. Check out Andrew Bird live at First Avenue on May 11^th.

Bedroom Walls were next on my not-so-tidy schedule. The band is a dreamy rock outfit that isn’t afraid to get a little crunchy at times. They pass the “cute indie-pop band” checklist with flying colors; trumpet? Check! Glockenspiel? Check! Tons of tambourine? Check! Quirky keyboards? Check! Clichés aside, Bedroom Walls actually have a solid sound to them, but as the clock raced past midnight, you could tell that the room had a desire to dance, and the band simply couldn’t give them that. It’s too bad too, I think with a little more attention and a lot less crowd chatter, this could have been quite the special show.

For the last show of the night I walked a few blocks west towards The Tap Room to check out Beach House. I had heard many good things about Beach House prior to the show, but I was still unsure of what to expect. The band is a male and female duo from Baltimore. Victoria plays the keyboard and sings lead drenched in reverb while Alex sings backups and switches off from guitar and this enormous vintage organ. Hunched over their instruments, they play some of the eeriest electronic music I have ever heard. An iBook lays out spook bare bones beats for them to jam along with. Beach House is music to listen to as your lay on your back and watch the clouds go by on the worst day of your life. I can only imagine how this stuff must sound while tripping on Acid. When the band first started I found myself wanting to leave, it was creepy and I was ready to go home, but as it went on I became more and more attached to the music, and by the end of their set I found myself longing to fall asleep on the floor as the crowd swayed to the beat around me. The band embodied my favorite thing about SXSW, diving into music outside of your comfort zone, and walking out having your horizons broadened and being thoroughly entertained.