From the onset of my journey to Austin,
my head had been swimming with all the possibilities – bands to
see, things to do, drinks to drink. I arrived Tuesday night but
didn't venture downtown into all the action until Wednesday. There
was an array of great bands playing a day party at Red 7 but since
they didn't have free beer we only stuck around for a few of La
Sera's songs. Katy Goodman, formerly of Vivian Girls, is as adorable
as you'd expect, with her sweet voice and long red tresses. She
brings assured pop sensibility to any stage, and the hooks kept
coming. But hunger and alcoholism won out and we haunted Jackalope's
for the next hour, guzzling free Coors and eating veggie burgers
topped with non-veggie bacon. There were bands playing inside but
they were not of the sort that was more interesting that sitting in
the sun on the patio.
A friend of mine really wanted to see
Lee Fields & the Expressions, and though I'd admittedly never
heard of the group, was happy to tag along. We crossed I-35,
stepping into a a completely different world from the chaos of
downtown. The East Side of Austin is full of quirky dives and
smartly dressed youths. Before heading over to Shangri-La's, we
stopped at a little booth just under the highway to try our hands at
a little knife throwing. This booth also enthusiastically sold shots
of whatever liquor you preferred, and only shots. Throwing knives
are not as sharp as you think they're going to be, and it's
surprisingly easy to get the hang of once you get your mind off the
fact that you are throwing a knife and just let it fly (the
shots really help with that). After a few tries I actually sunk one,
and found myself wondering if, upon my return to Brooklyn, I could
swing a set-up in the tiny cement patch I like to call a backyard.
Then maybe the awful neighbors in the building next to mine would
grow to fear me, and actually shut up when politely yelled at or stop
tossing their trash and human waste into my air shaft.
By the time we entered the dimly lit
dive of Shangri-La's most of my ass-kicking warrior visions had
subsided. Los Angeles band White Arrows were playing beneath green
fluorescent lights, their psych-tinged pop rippling through the tiny
space. Their new material seems to take a cue from calypso and
Afro-pop fusion acts a la Vampire Weekend, abandoning the overwrought
vocal-heavy dance funk that typified their self-titled 2010 EP. It
will be exciting to hear their full-length follow-up to the “Get
Gone” single, slated for release sometime this year.
Outside, The Expressions had already
begun to warm up with a few songs sans vocalist Lee Fields. After a
glowing introduction, he unassumingly walked on stage in baggy jeans
and a simple t-shirt, but the voice that issued from this man
belonged in the sequined jumpsuits of James Brown. He may not have
been one of the buzz acts of SXSW 2012, but Fields has been singing
since the 70's, having cut a few singles in that decade but never
releasing a full album until the late 90's when he hooked up with
Leon & Jeff of the Expressions. The recent interest in soul and
funk revival acts like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings led to the
recording and release of 2009's My World and his newest,
Faithful Man, out on Truth & Soul Records. Fields is a
versatile recording artist, swinging effortlessly between soul,
blues, and funk; his voice is timeless, powerful, and emotive. A
consummate performer, he had the audience dancing, chanting, and
clapping, but did so effortlessly, making it look easy as only a
veteran performer can do. Standout tracks included classics “Ladies”
and “Honey Dove” and the appropriately titled “I Still Got It”.
Yes you do, Lee, yes you do.
After the enlightening set it was time
to hunt down my fellow AudioFemme, who I spotted sitting on a grassy
knoll at 5th & Neches. We headed down to Club DeVille
for the Ghostly International showcase, catching the end of Chrome
Sparks' set. Chrome Sparks is the pseudonym of Jeremy Malvin, a
Philadelphia native studying percussion in Ann Arbor, where his path
crossed with Ghostly label founders. He looked every bit the college
boy, with his hair close-cropped and his snugly-fitted polo,
sheepishly blending vocal snippets and orchestral loops over gleaming
synths and quirky beats. By the time he closed with heater “Soul &
<3” from his self-produced debut My <3 (available on
Bandcamp) he had fully won over the audience.
Mux Mool (aka producer and DJ Brian
Lindgren) followed, exuding laid-back cool, confidently bobbing his
head to beats he knew would get the audience moving. The crowd
obliged with rapt attention to his technical mastery; with each twist
of the dials on the equipment before him it was as though he was
winding up the audience. Eschewing the glitchy effects of his older
material for the more expansive vibe present on recently released
Planet High School was a smooth move indeed, and well
received. “Mux” is a shortened form of the term multiplexing,
which describes the ability to filter multiple streams of information
through one channel, and that term perfectly captures the strengths
of Lindgren's compositions and their translation to a live stage –
he takes turns showcasing each element of a track, highlighting
chunky beats at once and then turning up synths, uninterested in the
dull habits of other beat-makers who simply allow the same loops to
build to frenzy and expect reaction based solely on the anticipation
of a drop you knew was coming from a mile away. It's the difference
between telling and showing – Mux Mool goes beyond narrator into
the realm of true storytelling, where the songs act as paragraphs
written in his own pulsating language.
After so much electronic stimulation,
it was time for a bit of a change. Choir of Young Believers provided
such, the group seven members large including a lovely red-headed
cellist. Their brand of moody, swirling dream pop was only slightly
cheered up for the showcase, hinting at a bit of folkiness but
drawing on the orchestral drama that gives their newest album, Rhine
Gold, its unique quality. Tied together by lead singer and group
founder Jannis Noya Makrigiannis's arcing, soulful vocals were
elements of big-band brass, soaring strings, mournful saxophones, and
glistening keys, each lending opulent vibes to the band's set.
Shigeto was up next. The stage full of
musicians was replaced by Zac Sagninaw, whose moniker comes from his
middle name and his rich Japanese heritage. While his recorded
material is delicate and introspective, his live shows are kinetic.
Not content with the removed rhythms of a drum machine, Shigeto
climbs behind an actual drum set and goes wild. It's hard to give
drummers their due; though they're largely responsible for the
listener's most visceral connection to a song they're tucked away
behind the rest of the band. Shigeto has found a way to remind us of
the importance of a thumping drum solo, and his skill with a kit is
mind-blowing. People around me were gasping as we watched his sticks
fly. I felt as though I was watching a hummingbird, trying to
freeze-frame wings that move so fast they blur and become invisible.
It was around this time that I received
a text from a friend notifying me that A$AP Rocky was playing at
Annex and despite highly anticipated sets from Tycho and Com Truise,
I knew I had to see the Mob's set. The line was surprisingly short
but inside it was packed with a pretty eclectic audience. There were
a dozen or so people on stage, most of them shirtless but for heavy
gold chains. A$AP made his influences clear, sampling The Diplomats
and Wu-Tang, and delivered his characteristically woozy verses with
youthful energy. His swag was in full effect as he flashed his
blinding grill and looked as if he was truly having a blast. The
audience was right there with him, raising hands and waving arms,
carrying performers as they dove from the stage and into the crowd.
It was an amazing end to my first night at SXSW; I emerged from the
masses covered in other people's sweat, helped myself to a late-night
cheesesteak from a food cart, and mentally prepared myself to do it
all again the next day.
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