Woah

SXSW was the coolest fucking shit ever.
First of all, you only need a minimal amount of cash (once you make it to Austin, that is)
Free breakfast tacos, free pizza, free beer, free shows, etc... and then there are the showcases and the wristbands
I got one for going with Terror Pigeon and it gets you in to basically every single show happening, of which there are too many to count. In fact, you are guaranteed to miss something you want to see because 5 other things you want to do are happening at the same time. On the bright side, many of the bands play free shows and showcases so you get more than one chance.

Here is my list of best shows

1. Anathallo @ Mohawk

Yes, I love this band and I plug them hard, but it was awesome. They were so tight and true to the arrangements on record, but experiencing the performance in a packed room where everybody was singing along to a different harmony or melody is a really cool experience. Part of me also enjoyed just watching the interactions between band members as they scuttled around switching instruments. It was beautiful and everyone should go out and listen.


This was at a different show they played (where I saw Daniel Johnston & These Arms Are Snakes later)

2. Tera Melos @ The Music Gym

I saw TM about 45 minutes before Anathallo, and a short jog across town. Seeing them live explains so much to me about how they do what they do. The music is completely nuts and cerebrally on another level. They could go from a calculus-orgasm to shoegazey phase swirls and back again. I really like how the vocals are fitting into the music live. It gives a great energy and acts like a little crutch for those limping ahead/behind/distant from the beat. Thanks guys.

Nothing on youtube yet from this years sxsw for these guys. This has the new drummer in it at least and is a pretty awesome representation of what I saw.



3. Lucky Dragons @ Studio 501

I think this venue was some sort of video studio, with the bands playing on a soundstage. There were projections on the wall and floor that made me feel like I was inside the Predator's head. This set was short (maybe 10-15 minutes) with about 15 people sitting in a circle around the band (just two of them)
They started off playing kalimbas and tiny drums running through a laptop and a mixer and then started passing out treats. The show was about audience participation and I ended up with a big seed pod with an attached contact mic which I could shake, tap and generally just have fun with. There was also this awesome theremin like toy with a fixed arpeggio. The weird thing was, only the rocks they passed out seemed to work with it. It was super cool.



4. Dirty Projectors @ Parish

This was mindboggling. When I first heard their album Rise Above, I wanted to see it live before I decided if I liked it. Ironically, I traveled to Texas instead of Brooklyn to see them. Either way, it was amazing. They were doing things live that bands like Battles do with crazy effects and studio magic. Just watch some videos.



5. Nico Vega @ some bullshit myspace show

This show hapened for me by chance. I went to this venue to check out As Tall As Lions (You know that british trumpet player that droped out of Purchase? Yeah, he made the right decision)
I feel lucky to have seen this show with under 150 people around me. It was a really impressive performance and her stage presence is fucking huge. The band was Aja singing (like bjork and danzig had a baby) a guitarist with the right effects to play the bass too and a drummer. She should be famous now. This is awesome pop music that doesn't confine itself to what is already popular. Check it out before your friends.



Also, the VonBondies who were at this show were by far the worst performance I saw at SXSW.

6. Prince Rama of Ayodhya @ a cool thrift shop I forgot the name of but they're moving anyway, so I am told

This show was outside in the middle of the day way out on the east side of Austin. I saw most of my favorite free shows (and did the majority of my daytime hanging out in this area) but this one stood out. It was all drenched in reverb and really relaxing, but also engaging. There were four members, Taraka, Michael, Nimai and one other guy whose name isn't on their myspace (and the only member of the band I didn't talk to). Taraka handled most of the vocals, as well as auto harp, synth and being beautiful, with Michael playing synths and sequencers and vocals. Nimai and the unnamed dude played drums and kept everything moving along, almost hypnotically. At one point they blew the power and instead of just waiting until it was all turned back on, Taraka led the audience and band in a song about the ocean at an ice beach. I got to make ice cracking noises. They also passed out lots of little shakers and tambourines to us to play along with, which was awesome. I always want to play along, or in a band that I see and like and I got too. Plus, they were all super nice and gave me one of theyir amazing DIY EPs in exchange for one of my totally lame mixtape of my own songs.




There was lots of other stuff that was awesome, like drinking tallboys under bridges, getting free booze at the purevolume party, eating tacos, meeting travelers and bands, walking ten miles a day, JBCs, brick weed and other fun times.

I hope I get to play there next year.