SXSW
No, I’m not referring to the direction we headed on our first trip with Benny and the Jet.
That trip (although it was in that direction) went very successfully, with my pride in my husband being 100% justified. In fact, so spurred on by our successful maiden trip (albeit guided by Lee and Carolyn), we booked another trip as soon as we got back – going solo this time, and I’ll be writing about that soon.
What today’s blog is in fact about, is our one day trip to Austin, Texas. I’ve learned it’s important to put in the name of the state, because there may well be other Austins in other states! This Austin however is the Texas capital and is known as the “the live music capital of the world” because of the number of live music venues in the city. Actually it seems to me that title should apply to the whole of the state, because every town has a dancehall, with couples of all ages dancing the Texas Two step and some form of jive to live music every weekend.
But I digress.
Last Wednesday, Richard and I attended a free venue hosting no less than 19 musicians/groups as part of the annual South By Southwest festival. SXSW events run every March for about two weeks. SXSW Music is the largest music festival of its kind in the world, with more than 2,200 official performers and bands playing in over 100 venues. Since 1987, the year of its inception, the music event has grown from 700 to 12,000 registrants. SXSW Film (focusing on new directing talent) and SXSW Interactive (focused on emerging technology) events run at the same time and have also grown every year.
We were very excited to be able to go along with Lee and Carolyn’s son Daryl, his wife Angie and his daughter Regan. Their son Dylan writes his own songs and has just started up a band of his own.
The Dogwood Bar has been hosting bands during the festival, with free admission, for the last 15 years. It has a square tin roofed outdoor bar with a stage at the far end that can accommodate a six piece band fairly comfortably, and an indoor bar with a somewhat smaller stage. It’s located on 6th Street, right in the heart of the city, buzzing with bars and restaurants. From noon soloists and bands were appearing every half hour, on one of either of the two stages. All of them were singer songwriters, performing mostly their own songs. The music variety and talent was mind-blowing to us stay at home types who rarely heard bands that did anything other than cover songs, (apart from during our 7 month sojourn in Partick – thanks to the St Louis Café).
Most of the musicians playing that day were from Texas, but there were enough that were not. I caught 11 of the 18 acts, because I had to take time off occasionally to eat, drink, people watch and admire the western boots that everyone wears and that I lust for!
For each of these musician’s fans there is something unique about that band which appeals to them. For me, hearing these artists for the first time, personality, lyrics, harmonies, instantly catchy melodies… these are the features that made certain bands stand out for me. It wasn’t until I got back and googled some of the names, that I realized they are actually highly acclaimed recording artists.
James McMurtry’s new album Complicated Game was being lauded as an outstanding piece of work. Son of novelist Larry McMurtry who wrote the book Lonesome Dove; he even acted in a couple of the shows from the TV series that originated from the book.
James has been writing and performing since 1987, and collaborated with John Mellencamp. Three of his nine albums have bubbled just below the US top 100. His acoustic guitar gave the meaningful lyrics a clear and mellow sound. He lives in Austin and performs regularly at the Continental Club. From the numbers of performers who play there, I gather it is one of the more prestigious venues in Austin. You can follow this link to listen to McMurtry's greatest hit single Choctaw Bingo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWEJPqJtZsk
Jon Dee Graham turned out to be another regular playing at the Continental club. There was something familiar about him and I eventually figured out I had seen him in the Austin episode of the American TV documentary series created for HBO by Dave Grohl. It was made concurrently with the Foo Fighters' eighth album, Sonic Highways. Grohl took the viewers back over Austin’s music history and highlighted Graham’s association with the pioneering Austin punk band the Skunks.
Graham has played with the True Believers and other Austin bands and songwriters, including the New York originating band, The Silos. Graham's “Cowpunk” style rocking tunes had our toes tapping, and there might have been some slight head banging going on, but his gravelly voice was able deliver some gentler songs beautifully too, like the one you can listen to here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQVLVt1MCPI
The more I looked up on the web the more I realized that most of the bands that played that day collaborate musically. I suppose that is why The Silos were also playing.
Their sound reminded me of the Byrds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qiVqhtSWyw
It might be the music capital and boast a large music scene, but musicians, like writers, are pretty much one big family and support each other (#RRBC), even though the music critics like to categorize them into separate music genres. Another members of the Cowpunk family who played was Ray Wylie Hubbard
– whose hit Snake Farm went down a storm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89VR_lZehw4
Jimmy Lefave was another Austin based singer known for his folk singing inspired by Woodie Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Leon Russell. I personally found the set a little dreary, and wished he would have included a few rocking numbers. Yet, though I didn’t particularly care for his music that day (perhaps because I was flagging by the time he played), I could see his playing was masterful, and I am sure his fans enjoyed the show.
I couldn’t get over how alike he looked to Richard’s brother Don, whom we shall visit soon in Arkansas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9IjvSGdVq8
So on to my favorite two bands from the day – both out of towners. Sorry Austin.
American Aquarium hail from North Carolina, and were promoting their new album Wolves. They were a six piece band and their style was alternative country.
Their look was more clean-cut than any of the rest of those I saw that day. Does that say something about North Carolina or is it related to their age? I thought their lyrics were great and the lead singer and songwriter BJ Barham was totally charismatic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTQVRYMNa8k
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is a three piece band which originates from Indiana. Their style is roots and country blues, and they were highly entertaining to watch and listen to.
Reverend J. Peyton (guitar, lead vocals, and principal songwriter) plays a rusty 1930 steel bodied National guitar, a 1934 wood bodied National Trojan Resonator guitar and a 1994 reproduction of a 1929 Gibson acoustic. He has recently added a 3 string cigar box guitar to his stage collection. He is a noted proponent of Fingerstyle guitar, playing the bass line of songs with his thumb while simultaneously playing the melody. The sound is amazing.
His wife "Washboard" Breezy Peyton plays the washboard using golf gloves, to which thimbles have been attached. Her aggressive and sassy playing style often results in setting fire to the washboard and the band sells fragments of broken and burnt washboard at the merchandise table at their concerts.
Their music is very danceable and kind of swampy sounding (is that a proper phrase?) I mean it reminds me of Polk Salad Annie by Tony Joe White.
There are loads of videos of them on U tube and you can listen to the Reverend playing his various guitars ( the cigar box guitar is interesting) but I chose this one because it shows they are a real crowd pleaser and were definitely worth seeing live! Thank you Reverend for a memorable set!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ra0DsbiNs0
Oh by the way, we ended the day by eating at one of the street food truck/trailer areas that are so popular here – if you have seen the film Chef you will know what I am talking about. The best shrimp tacos I’ve tasted so far, followed by the largest donut I have ever seen. Gourdoughs is an Austin original. Here is the menu: http://gourdoughs.com/menu/gourdoughs-donuts-trailer
and this is what Richard and I shared:
Oh My Goodness! Blood sugar level went sky-high - if I had been close to Breezy's Peyton's washboard when it went on fire, I would have turned into caramel!
That trip (although it was in that direction) went very successfully, with my pride in my husband being 100% justified. In fact, so spurred on by our successful maiden trip (albeit guided by Lee and Carolyn), we booked another trip as soon as we got back – going solo this time, and I’ll be writing about that soon.
What today’s blog is in fact about, is our one day trip to Austin, Texas. I’ve learned it’s important to put in the name of the state, because there may well be other Austins in other states! This Austin however is the Texas capital and is known as the “the live music capital of the world” because of the number of live music venues in the city. Actually it seems to me that title should apply to the whole of the state, because every town has a dancehall, with couples of all ages dancing the Texas Two step and some form of jive to live music every weekend.
But I digress.
Last Wednesday, Richard and I attended a free venue hosting no less than 19 musicians/groups as part of the annual South By Southwest festival. SXSW events run every March for about two weeks. SXSW Music is the largest music festival of its kind in the world, with more than 2,200 official performers and bands playing in over 100 venues. Since 1987, the year of its inception, the music event has grown from 700 to 12,000 registrants. SXSW Film (focusing on new directing talent) and SXSW Interactive (focused on emerging technology) events run at the same time and have also grown every year.
We were very excited to be able to go along with Lee and Carolyn’s son Daryl, his wife Angie and his daughter Regan. Their son Dylan writes his own songs and has just started up a band of his own.
The Dogwood Bar has been hosting bands during the festival, with free admission, for the last 15 years. It has a square tin roofed outdoor bar with a stage at the far end that can accommodate a six piece band fairly comfortably, and an indoor bar with a somewhat smaller stage. It’s located on 6th Street, right in the heart of the city, buzzing with bars and restaurants. From noon soloists and bands were appearing every half hour, on one of either of the two stages. All of them were singer songwriters, performing mostly their own songs. The music variety and talent was mind-blowing to us stay at home types who rarely heard bands that did anything other than cover songs, (apart from during our 7 month sojourn in Partick – thanks to the St Louis Café).
Most of the musicians playing that day were from Texas, but there were enough that were not. I caught 11 of the 18 acts, because I had to take time off occasionally to eat, drink, people watch and admire the western boots that everyone wears and that I lust for!
For each of these musician’s fans there is something unique about that band which appeals to them. For me, hearing these artists for the first time, personality, lyrics, harmonies, instantly catchy melodies… these are the features that made certain bands stand out for me. It wasn’t until I got back and googled some of the names, that I realized they are actually highly acclaimed recording artists.
James McMurtry’s new album Complicated Game was being lauded as an outstanding piece of work. Son of novelist Larry McMurtry who wrote the book Lonesome Dove; he even acted in a couple of the shows from the TV series that originated from the book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWEJPqJtZsk
Jon Dee Graham turned out to be another regular playing at the Continental club. There was something familiar about him and I eventually figured out I had seen him in the Austin episode of the American TV documentary series created for HBO by Dave Grohl. It was made concurrently with the Foo Fighters' eighth album, Sonic Highways. Grohl took the viewers back over Austin’s music history and highlighted Graham’s association with the pioneering Austin punk band the Skunks. Graham has played with the True Believers and other Austin bands and songwriters, including the New York originating band, The Silos. Graham's “Cowpunk” style rocking tunes had our toes tapping, and there might have been some slight head banging going on, but his gravelly voice was able deliver some gentler songs beautifully too, like the one you can listen to here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQVLVt1MCPI
The more I looked up on the web the more I realized that most of the bands that played that day collaborate musically. I suppose that is why The Silos were also playing.
Their sound reminded me of the Byrds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qiVqhtSWyw
It might be the music capital and boast a large music scene, but musicians, like writers, are pretty much one big family and support each other (#RRBC), even though the music critics like to categorize them into separate music genres. Another members of the Cowpunk family who played was Ray Wylie Hubbard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89VR_lZehw4
Jimmy Lefave was another Austin based singer known for his folk singing inspired by Woodie Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Leon Russell. I personally found the set a little dreary, and wished he would have included a few rocking numbers. Yet, though I didn’t particularly care for his music that day (perhaps because I was flagging by the time he played), I could see his playing was masterful, and I am sure his fans enjoyed the show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9IjvSGdVq8
So on to my favorite two bands from the day – both out of towners. Sorry Austin.
American Aquarium hail from North Carolina, and were promoting their new album Wolves. They were a six piece band and their style was alternative country. Their look was more clean-cut than any of the rest of those I saw that day. Does that say something about North Carolina or is it related to their age? I thought their lyrics were great and the lead singer and songwriter BJ Barham was totally charismatic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTQVRYMNa8k
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is a three piece band which originates from Indiana. Their style is roots and country blues, and they were highly entertaining to watch and listen to.
Reverend J. Peyton (guitar, lead vocals, and principal songwriter) plays a rusty 1930 steel bodied National guitar, a 1934 wood bodied National Trojan Resonator guitar and a 1994 reproduction of a 1929 Gibson acoustic. He has recently added a 3 string cigar box guitar to his stage collection. He is a noted proponent of Fingerstyle guitar, playing the bass line of songs with his thumb while simultaneously playing the melody. The sound is amazing.
His wife "Washboard" Breezy Peyton plays the washboard using golf gloves, to which thimbles have been attached. Her aggressive and sassy playing style often results in setting fire to the washboard and the band sells fragments of broken and burnt washboard at the merchandise table at their concerts.
Their music is very danceable and kind of swampy sounding (is that a proper phrase?) I mean it reminds me of Polk Salad Annie by Tony Joe White.
There are loads of videos of them on U tube and you can listen to the Reverend playing his various guitars ( the cigar box guitar is interesting) but I chose this one because it shows they are a real crowd pleaser and were definitely worth seeing live! Thank you Reverend for a memorable set!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ra0DsbiNs0
Oh by the way, we ended the day by eating at one of the street food truck/trailer areas that are so popular here – if you have seen the film Chef you will know what I am talking about. The best shrimp tacos I’ve tasted so far, followed by the largest donut I have ever seen. Gourdoughs is an Austin original. Here is the menu: http://gourdoughs.com/menu/gourdoughs-donuts-trailer
and this is what Richard and I shared:
Oh My Goodness! Blood sugar level went sky-high - if I had been close to Breezy's Peyton's washboard when it went on fire, I would have turned into caramel!
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