SXSW 2008 – John’s Wednesday Night Highlight: The Playing Favorites My third showcase of the night on Wednesday was when I struck gold for the first time “officially†this year, and I knew it almost as soon as the Playing Favorites began their set. The Playing Favorites are a supergroup of sorts, featuring members of […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Wednesday Afternoon Highlight: Matthew Ryan
With apologies for the tardiness of the appearance of this, the beginning of my 2008 SXSW highlights reel, we’re off to the races now. This post is the first in a nine- (possibly ten-) part series which will be coming your way regularly over the coming days, so please don’t be shy about chiming in […]
Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles, On the Run
A short stay in Austin for SXSW 08 didn’t afford me the opportunity to catch any performances by Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles but we did catch up briefly at the Guitartown party at Mother Egan’s on the first day of the music festival. This is one of the hottest acts around. Do yourself […]
SXSW 2008, Tom’s Tally
6 days and over 34 bands later my Sat-Fri stay at SXSW proved to be even better than the previous year. Keeping up with Mayer is a feat in and of itself. You better be prepared for a brisk pace from venue to venue and you better be open minded about who you’re gonna see. […]
SXSW 2008 Saturday Night Preview
If you’re still walking by Saturday night by far the best showcase will be by Bloodshot Records and our friends at Hearya.com (Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands, Ha Ha Tonka, Justin Townes Earle, Deadstring Brothers, Firewater and Waco Brothers @ Red Eyed Fly). Also worth checking out should be the Barsuk (Jim Noir, David […]
SXSW 2008 Friday Night Preview
It may be “silly season” in politics but that’s not to distract the party which will be in full swing by Friday night of the SXSW Festival. If you’re not checking out the Americana Roots Showcase at the Waterloo Icehouse (Les Poisson Rouge, Modern Day Drifters, Drew Kennedy, Wrinkle Neck Mules, Whipsaws, Mando Saenz and […]
SXSW 2008 Thursday Night Preview
Each night the lineup for SXSW gets richer and richer and I start getting poorer and pourer. Here’s some more previews from musicians and bands playing on Thursday night. Highlights include showcases by Undertow (Aaron Robinson, Caleb Engstrom, Magnolia Summer, Glossary, Monahans, Christian Kiefer, J. Tillman @ Habana Calle 6 Patio), NPR (The Whigs, Yo […]
SXSW 2008 Wednesday Night Preview
Its that time of year again. The ole SXSW Festival is right around the corner and if you’re like me, you’ve been checking out the songs posted by bands that will be in the great town of Austin, TX during the second week of March. I’ll be sharing some songs from bands that have made […]
SXSW 2007: Say What?
“I’m not officially open but I don’t want to deny a man his beer. That’s just treason.” ~ a bartender who earned my eternal gratitude “This song goes out to what’s her name wherever she is.” ~ Steve Earle, introducing his song “Now She’s Gone” “Same girl, different harmonica..” ~ Steve Earle, introducing his next […]
SXSW 2007: The Sounds, Part 2
Low Stars – Some of the best SXSW moments occur when you randomly stumble across a surprise performance, such as finding the Low Stars playing a low-key club show late Saturday afternoon. The band is made up of four singer-songwriters, each with a distinct voice, mining the glories of southern California roots music in the […]