(All photos taken by me)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: fest season. And after another successful 35 Denton, it was time to turn my attention to Austin once again for my seventh SXSW. I had a list of about 18 must-see bands, but the real gold is found when you stumble into an abandoned yurt off South 1st street and find your new favorite band playing to a crowd of seven.
Highlights from Thursday:
The minute he posted his cover of the ” target=”_blank”>Foo Fighters “Learn to Fly” on Soundcloud, I knew there was something special about Gallant. I was definitely right. Easily one of the best performances of the entire fest.
Got to chat with Jones during what was her first visit to the states. Unfortunately, most of the audio from the interview is unusable because I’m an idiot and should not be trusted with recording technology. But we’ll always have this ‘gram.
Oh hi John Legend.
Nope, that’s not the DJ from your cousin’s wedding. That’s Baio.
Bayonne is an absolute delight. He’s a one man show and can create loops like nobody’s business. This was the only good picture of him I could get because he’s a damn athlete on the stage and I’m not that good with a camera.
Chairlift is one of those bands that’s been hit or miss for me over the years. Their newest album is definitely a hit. And you know how I feel about saxophones.
From there I needed to haul ass across town through a sea of beards and jogger pants to the number one on my must-see list. A guy that I’ve listened to since I was little. A guy that just doesn’t play very much anymore these days. The great Dion. Luckily I was able to finagle my way into an incredibly packed ballroom at the Driskill Hotel to find the man himself playing with Jimmy Vivino! Conan’s Jimmy Vivino! This was a bucket list show that I can finally check off.
After that, I could have said “shut it down, let’s go home.” But no, there was a pretty much confirmed rumor that Ryan Adams was the “special guest” after The Avett Brothers showcase. Those dudes are so good, but there was no Ryan Adams. We later came to find out that he had a little too much to drink at the Pee Wee Herman party and just didn’t make it. Classic Ryan Adams.
Bands seen on Thursday:
Gallant
Turnover
Porches
Baio
Bayonne
Loretta Lynn
Chairlift
Dion
The Avett Brothers
Charlie XCX
