weds. march 15, 2006

my brother suggested spending the week focusing on sxsw. when i moved to colorado for college and realized it was less than a days drive away, it became a yearly ritual for me to head down south to catch the festival and take in one of my favorite cities in the country. i went four times and each trip was filled with amazing stories, great bands i may have not seen otherwise and great food. the best part, however, may have been the week before i'd go when i'd sit down and make a list of every band i'd go see. you never end up sticking to that list, but it's still fun.

i managed to see my first great show of the year on friday. i went and saw austin natives Voxtrot and yes they are every bit as good as everyone says they are. they opened for my favorite local band, the Hot IQs, who were debuting their new music video. the other compelling newness would be the new Voxtrot ep, which they are pre-selling on their tour. talking to some members of the band after the show got me nostalgic for austin and so i'm submitting to my brothers sxsw fixation and i'll be using the next five days to plot out what i'd (want to) go see over the five days of the music festival, which begins weds. march 15th, if i was going this year.

8:00 pm
the Apes @ Club de Ville organ-driven, dc-based rock
Emily Sparks @ Tambaleo highly recommended voice
Say Hi To Your Mom @ Habana Calle 6 (Patio) an A4D favorite from my ny days

9:00 pm
Voxtrot @ Emo's Main Room playing every day and is worth seeing twice
Jose Gonzales @ Eternal bound to be packed
the King of France @ Red 7 it was the end credits of The Baxter that led to this regal discovery

10:00 pm
Field Music @ Emo's Main Room british pop like they don't make anymore
Annie @ Eternal the ferver has died down, but i still love that album
Knife in the Water @ Spiros another austin local worth visiting
Erin Roberts of Porlolo @ the Pecan St. Ale House i am going to recommend several denver bands, this being the first

11:00 pm
Frog Eyes @ Habana Calle 6 (Patio) saw them last year and loved it
Jedi Mind Tricks @ Red Eyed Fly i do love my hip hop when it's good
Laura Veirs @ Caribbean Lights some unwinding before you catch your second wind

12:00 am
Julie Doiron @ Copa former Eric's Trip gal has quietly released several great albums
the Octopus Project @ Emos Jr. texas rock meets the digital age
Of Montreal @ Emo's Main Room actually seen them fourteen times already
the Plimsouls @ Exodus your underground legend selection of the night
the Ponys @ the Parish my punkish rock for the night
Irving @ the Velvet Spade great pop that we covered a week ago

1:00 am
the Adored @ Blender Bar la's next band to be hyped and then disappear?
Saturday Looks Good to Me @ Emo's Jr. one the best current pop acts
the Go! Team @ Exodus at one am they'll make you dance off all your remaining energy
Friends of Dean Martinez @ Oslo the local band i'd always go see when at sxsw
Art Brut @ the Parish the show i'd most want to see


*i purposefully didn't include the matador show at stubbs with New Pornographers, Belle and Sebastian and Mogwai because i always avoided the one show every night that you knew would be way too packed.

Emily Sparks "Down in Virginia"
Irving "Jen"
Porlolo "Scratch My Back"