Monday, March 17, 2008

SXSW 2008 - Day 2

Day 2 started with an excellent lineup with the Under the Radar & Team Clermont day show at Flamingo Cantina. The sponsors gave out free issues and subscriptions of Under the Radar and copies of Image Comics Pop Gun, Volume One.

Elf Power (12:45pm) - The Athens, GA band started off the day for me, and they played a solid set featuring several tracks from their new CD In a Cave which will be released on March 25.

Fleet Foxes (1:35pm) - This Seattle, WA band filled the venue with three part harmonies and melodic indie rock. Their debut EP, Sun Giant, will be released on April 8. Luckily they had copies for sale, and I predict I will be playing it regularly over the next month. Check their myspace page and give the song English House a listen.

Akron/Family (2:25pm) - This band did not work for me on Day 1, but the rest of the day's lineup was a must. Flamingo has a rooftop so we headed up there to escape the sounds of Akron/Family.

The Helio Sequence (3:15pm) - I first saw this Portland, OR duo at last year's Sasquatch Festival. I enjoyed them even more this time. Drummer Benjamin Weikel was impressive and Brandon Summers easily captured the audience's attention with his vocals and guitar. I'll be picking up their new CD, Keep Your Eyes Ahead now.

Rogue Wave (4:05pm) - The California band played several tracks from their latest CD (like Lake Michigan) and also played Bird on a Wire and Publish My Love from Descended with Vultures. The band keeps things exciting by mixing things up on their songs. Always a band worth seeing.

Shout Out Louds (5:00pm) - I had only heard the song Tonight I Have to Leave It which although catchy, it still sounded like a band trying to be The Cure. Luckily, the band is not just a rip off band. They put on an energetic and entertaining show.

Night Shows

Li'l Cap'n Travis (Bourbon Rocks, 8:00pm) - The evening shows started with the popular local band who deftly mix country and rock.

The Evangelicals (Mohawk Patio, 10:00pm) - After Li'l Cap'n Travis, it was off to Mohawk to get a place for the 10pm show plus it's one of the better places to relax and enjoy the city and music. Unfortunately things were running 30 minutes behind so I saw the end of Brooklyn band Phosphorescent which included a Leonard Cohen cover, but not much else that interested me. They were followed by Bodies of Water which interested me even less. Finally at about 10:30pm The Evangelicals took the stage and kicked into their psychedelic rock reminiscent of fellow Oklahoma natives, The Flaming Lips.

Chatham County Line (The Continental Club, 11:00pm) - Prior to The Evangelicals ending it was time to catch a taxi to head to The Continental Club. The reason was for the midnight band, but it was a nice surprise to see this acoustic bluegrass band. Also in attendance was Mike Mills of REM.

The Sadies (The Continental Club, 12:00am) - G and I were able to snag a spot in front of the stage right in front of singer/guitarist Travis Good. I had seen The Sadies one other time when they opened for Neko Case a few years ago. Their blend of alt-country, spaghetti western, surf rock is a joy to see and hear. The Good Bros. are impressive guitar players and keep things lively with their gusto to perform. Video courtesy of G.

Black Mountain (Mohawk Patio, 1:00am) - This Canadian band can really rock. Their new CD In the Future has already been getting some regular playing time from me, and I was a fan of their debut as well. Things were still running late at Mohawk so they didn't start until 1:30am so it was a shorter set than I would have liked. I hope to see a full set from these guys sometime in the future.


Favorite of the Day: The Sadies
Favorite New Find: Fleet Foxes

No comments: