SXSW 2013, Thurs.

The past two days have gone by in a blur. I have been at times exhausted and others inspired and exhilarated. I've seen legends and new acts, the beauty of SXSW. Thursday was one of those days where you just couldn't believe what you got to see. It started with the Dave Grohl keynote. Before Dave went on, the SXSW Music staff paid tribute to SXSW pioneer and inspiration Brent Grulke who sadly passed away last year. It must have been a difficult event for them to plan without him, and the film they showed demonstrated Grulke's profound mark on the festival.

That set an emotional tone for the day. Grohl's keynote was amazing. It was one of the best things I have seen at SXSW, including Springsteen's keynote last year. It was fascinating to learn of a young Dave growing up in Virginia, being inspired by his punk-rock cousin in Chicago and then ultimately ending up in Nirvana. When he spoke of Kurt, starting with a long pause, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

I just watched his Sound City film that he screened this week, and it is a beautiful tribute to the creative process.

    

That could have been enough, but then after growing impatient with a panel entitled "Silicon Valley Isn't the Enemy Anymore," I stumbled into a talk celebrating 50 Years of the Beatles. It featured Rodney Crowell, Ron Sexsmith and Robyn Hitchcock. I could listen to these guys talk about the Beatles forever. Legends talking about legends. So nice. 

The Day Stage in the convention center is the place to be (if you have a badge). You can see all kinds of acts in a comfortable, uncrowded space. Above is Cayucas, a band I had heard on Sirius/XM. I like their song High School Lover. And then I could have called it a day. But there was one more legend in the mix - an interview with Stevie Nicks. Her music both with Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist featured prominently in my childhood and teenage years. It was incredibly fascinating to hear about how she became a part of Fleetwood Mac and how her life changed after making Rumours. She is an incredibly gracious, smart, talented and inspiring person. 

At this point, I was a little overwhelmed with what I had experienced. I went home and didn't see any shows, hoping to save up energy for a big Friday. Stay tuned.

I got a little of the Dave Grohl keynote, but you really should watch the whole thing!
 

SXSW 2013, Wednesday

It's just beginning, but I've already had a great first night. I started with Billy Bragg at St. David's Church. At SXSW, we have shows anywhere, and if you can see an intimate set like this, I highly recommend. Billy has a new album coming out next week, but his new stuff rings of his classic, with songs about love and politics.

Next it was on to Bar 96 for Wake Owl and Royal Teeth. Both were good, high energy pop bands. Royal Teeth especially. They're as adorable as a team of Biebers and have really good songs. I saw them at ACL Fest and loved the song below "Please Pick Up the Phone."

So, that's it. Today has an early start with the Dave Grohl keynote, and then an afternoon of panels and parties. The week should hold some surprises...

Texas Tycoons/Superego - Hole in the Wall, Jan. 2, 2013

Well, it was a month ago, but I did start off my year right with a visit to one of my favorite places on earth, Hole in the Wall. This little dive on the drag has been the epicenter of Austin music for decades. And on this night, some of the characters who are responsible for this legendary status were on stage. Paul Minor, an Austin Music Hall of Famer, ran the Rock n Roll Free For All for years on Sunday nights, and has come back with some Wednesday Happy Hours. His groups Superego and Texas Tycoons often merge in terms of personnel, with Andrew Duplantis (Son Volt), Landis Armstrong and Kevin Pearson joining him for this set. They played old original favorites and legendary Texas tunes.


Before the show, I went to the delicious Uchiko for the first time with my good friend Monique Mehta. Check out some of our fabulous selections, a yummy hand roll and something called Fried Milk (no, it's not milk steak, for you It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans). What a great meal and night.

I need to get out there and see some shows before SXSW!

Year in Music 2012

Another year is over, and I love taking this look back at the shows I saw. Even though I didn't go to as many shows as I would have liked, I still saw some of my all-time favorites, including Wilco, Spoon, Lemonheads, Radiohead, Noel Gallagher, and of course, many Old 97's performances. I do need to try harder to see more local bands this year and not take for granted that I live in this wonderful Austin.

I went back and watched the video overviews I had done since 2008, and it's a great way to reminisce in just a few minutes. If you have a little free time, take a look at this brief tour through my year in music. I hope you had a great 2012, and here's to an even better, more fun, more prosperous 2013!