by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

Despite getting only 4 hours of sleep the night before, I set out to start Day 2 of SXSW 2009 earlier than the day before in hopes of scoring a parking spot. After securing a spot and passing the absolutely ridiculous line outside of Emo’s for a full day of generic hardcore scene bands, I walked to the show I had been waiting for weeks for at Radio Room. The line was fairly long for and before the doors opened, but I was expecting that. I quickly found that pretty much everyone was there for the same reason I was, to see legendary local singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston.

The first band I saw was electro-pop duo New Villager. The songs weren’t bad but the band was a little sloppy. That was understandable though since they proclaimed proudly that it was only their second live show. I think they may be good in the future, but work needs to be done on their live set.

The next band was a last minute replacement for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and because of that The Wheel gave a very detached performance. Having just finished a set on the inside stage moments before they were told to play another show, you could see that they were just reliving the last ten minutes and were not having fun at all. However, I did really enjoy a couple of their songs enough to make me want to listen to some recorded material.

Bishop Allen was the nest band to perform. They were actually one of my favorite bands of the day. They had a great indie rock sound and a great energy on stage. My friend who attended the show with me said they were the best band he had seen all week. I disagree but I could easily see where he was coming from.

Finally the time had come. Any bit of exhaustion I was feeling was immediately replaced with sheer excitement. One of favorite songwriters of all time was about to take the stage. The crowd was first warmed up by the group was to be Daniel’s backing band for a few of his songs, The Hymns. They played some really great garage rock, but that stop me from fast-forwarding through their two song set. After the longest five minute set I’ve ever heard was over, Daniel Johnston finally took the stage. He clearly still has problems, which are well documented in the excellent film The Devil and Daniel Johnston, but since everyone knew this going in, it was never a problem.

There were essentially three parts to the performance. Daniel backed by the Hymns, Daniel on stage alone with a guitar, and Daniel singing while his guitar tech played for him. The Hymns were clearly excited to be backing such a legend which I really appreciated, but I wanted to see Daniel alone. After a few songs the Hymns left Daniel all alone on stage. The music wasn’t at its strongest at this point but it was a powerful image to see a man trembling with a guitar in his hands singing in an extremely unpolished voice some of the most beautiful lyrics ever written. When Daniel’s tech came out to back Daniel, it became one of the finest performances I’ve ever witnessed. Daniel Johnston standing ten feet away from me while singing “Life In Vain” will be something I don’t think I will ever forget for the rest of my life. Neither will any other member of the audience who silently sang along to his lyrics so as to not cover up a single noise coming from the stage.

After that incredible experience, I decided that I was finished with Radio Room for the day and I headed towards Red 7 in hopes that the place wasn’t already full of the many diehard Hold Steady fans that I had heard about. I walked in just as LA’s Fool’s Gold was finishing their sound check. I'd never heard of them before and didn’t even know that they were playing but I was really impressed by their combination of latin, funk, and pop music. The 8-piece band used a variety of instrument to create a very rich sound that many in the crowd found to be quite danceable. I picked up one of the 6’ singles the band handed out from the stage and upon listening, I found their studio work to be just as good as their live work, albeit slightly less energetic. It was really fun stuff.

While Fool’s Gold played to a relatively empty room, I had wondered where everyone in the huge line outside had gone. I figured it out the second I walked out the outdoor stage. The place was jam packed. The Hold Steady was setting up their gear when I walked out, which was good timing because less than 5 minutes later the doors to the outdoor were closed. I had been heard a lot about the Hold Steady recently, especially their live performance, and wanted to see what the big deal was. I had heard a couple of tracks off their recent album Stay Positive and enjoyed them but still didn’t get all the hype. The moment they walked on stage, I understood. The band came out with an incredible energy that I was not expecting at all. Even better was the crowd’s energy. The hold Steady does have some serious fans that were out in full force at Red 7, most of which sang along to every song. Despite the fact that this was one of a handful of shows the band was playing during the week, they didn’t hold back at all. The band was solid and having a great time through the whole set but things went to another level when they played 2008’s “Sequestered in Memphis” which had not just the fans singing along, but everyone in the building, which inevitably led to the song being stuck in my head for the rest of the week.

Even though I was really enjoying it, I decided to leave the Hold Steady early so I could catch the noise rock duo No Age on the inside stage. No Age played a very quick and very loud set. There was an extreme amount of energy coming the drummer who was fun to watch as he hit the drums as hard as possibly could during long segments of feedback from the guitarists. The songs were indistinguishable from one another and it was over in about 20 minutes but I still had a really good time.

After a quick break to let the day show crowds clear out a little bit, I walked to the Central Presbyterian Church to see a few baroque pop bands and to enjoy sitting in an air conditioned room. After waiting in a long line full of Grizzly Bear fans, I was able to catch the second half of the set from San Francisco’s Girls. My first impressions from the show wasn’t even caused by the band, I immediately noticed how great the church was for a concert like this. Every note echoed beautifully with the high ceilings and washed over the crowd. Girls was a trio that played really textured music that sounded great in the church setting. While the music sounded fantastic, the band itself was content just standing and playing their instruments which became boring after a little while. I would listen to some of their recorded material, but with their name they’re just too hard to google.

The next band was difficult to pronounce, but great to listen to, Rural Alberta Advantage. An indie folk trio led by singer-songwriter Paul Banwatt who sang songs that were, as you might expect, about living and growing up in Alberta, Canada the band was average on their own, but sounded great when behind the great songs. I loved the way the soft melodies came out and bounced around the room. I thought that the band was great, but the rest of the crowd thought even better, giving the band a standing ovation at the end of the set.

Finally the baroque pop troop from Brooklyn called Grizzly Bear took the stage. Once again, the venue provided the perfect set for such a band. The vocal harmonies sounded fantastic floating around the room. The band itself was extremely tight and the crowd treated the show as a kind of hushed spectacle with complete silence during the songs, and very enthusiastic applause at the end of them. I thought that the show was quite beautiful, but I needed something a little more harsh so I left about halfway through Grizzly Bear, I do want to see them again, but not on a night where there are plenty of other shows for me to be at.

I left the church and walked back to Emo’s once again. I was surprised to see no line whatsoever and entered quick enough to see yet another indie band, Wild Light. Wild Light had a very energetic set but they music was very forgettable and unremarkable in a day so full of bands. They had a sound reminiscent of other indie bands with a bit of a punk influence, like a sped up Tokyo Police Club. It was decent, but nothing great.

New Zealand’s Cut Off Your Hands was the next band. They had a similar effect as Wild Light in that while I enjoyed it at the time; I now find them quite forgettable. I did like the music which sounded like a more straightforward Bloc Party. I’ve been told that they’re fantastic on record so I may give that a try, but I found them a little generic, although that could easily have been exhaustion and the fact that they were the 11th band I had seen that day.

Boston’s Passion Pit was next. They came in extremely hyped and were the first to play to a full house at Emo’s. Passion Pit is a dance pop band that featured three keyboard players, a bass player, and a drummer. I didn’t really see what the big deal was with the band, but everyone else in the crowd went completely nuts for them. I didn’t really enjoy the music at all, which to me sounded like something you hear on the radio every ten minutes, the only difference being that this was a band and not some solo artist. When the singer started going I felt like I was listening to Geddy Lee being produced by T-Pain. It was really unsatisfying for me, but once again, it could have been exhaustion. I was so exhausted at that point that I left without seeing Peter, Bjorn, and John, a decision that I regretted later on, although my body would have punished me severely had I stayed.

Blind Pilot at SXSW 2009 - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

I had always heard how exhausting SXSW is and all of my past experiences being limited to the day shows, I always just assumed that those people were just whining. They were not. It is rough, but it’s also an incredible experience.

My day started with Portland based indie folk band Blind Pilot. I caught them completely by accident and they really impressed me. They were a primarily acoustic band with one keyboard. I really enjoyed the use of a vibraphone to create atmosphere. The keyboard played also brought out his trumpet several times, and every time he did it really reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel.

We Were Promised Jetpacks at SXSW 2009 - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

The next band I saw was We Were Promised Jetpacks from Glasgow, Scotland. They were a fantastic indie band that I think was the best I saw in the day. Their catchy hooks and high energy had the crowd going just about immediately. I’m hoping I catch them again later this week.

After those two bands in the Emo’s tent, I walked over to the outdoor stage to see one of my favorite local bands, The Strange Boys. I walked in about midway through their set and found that they had really tightened up as a band. Their punk blues sound was clearly impressing out-of-towners who had never heard of The Strange Boys. It was my third time seeing them, and I still want more.

Deer Tick at SXSW 2009 - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

After Strange Boys, I went right back to the tent that I started at to catch the second half of the Providence, Rhode Island band Deer Tick. I had heard a considerable amount of hype for the band before the festival so I was really looking forward to seeing them. I felt that they were a little sloppy live, but I suspect that they’re fantastic on record. They had an interesting sound that combined several genres of music including rock, folk, country, and blues. I hope to see them again after they’ve had some time to tighten up a bit.

The last band I saw during the day shows was New York’s Easy Star All-Stars. They are dub bands who specialize in covering rock songs. It was amusing to hear Pink Floyd and Radiohead as dub songs, and I wish there had been more, but this set focused on covering The Beatles. The reggae Lovely Rita was cool, but the complete lack of original material was disappointing. They are a very talented band; they just need to branch out a little.

Gallows at SXSW 2009 - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

After taking a short break, I was ready to start the night shows. The first band was London punk band, Gallows. It was absolutely the best show of the day, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being the best show I see all week. The singer barely made it through the first chord before he jumped off-stage and sang and jumped right in the middle of the crowd. He desperately tried to get a pit going but it never really worked out. He expressed his disappointment in the crowd several times, making fun of ‘industry’ people for not being able to let loose. His disappointment in the crowd was certainly not returned to the band. The crowd may not have moshed, but they loved every second of the show.

The next band was HR Band. They are the solo project Paul Hudson, best known as the front man for legendary punk band Bad Brains. The crowd got into him very quickly just based off of who he was. He gave a very mellow, reggae based. HR didn’t move around much, but he sounded great. The crowd didn’t move around much either, until HR closed with the Bad Brains classic “Pay to Cum”. The moment the song started, the crowd erupted into a massive pit. It was pretty awesome to see, and even better to be a part of.

We then went from one punk legend to another. The Circle Jerks had the crowd from the very beginning as they stormed through their many hardcore punk classics. The pit that Gallows had tried to get was in full force for The Circle Jerks. The band tore through an incredibly high energy with such force that you would never be able to guess that they’ve been doing it for years. The set list included several hardcore punk classics like “Wild in the Streets” and “Behind the Door”. The crowds energy was at its highest point of the night through the whole set. It was fantastic.

The Circle Jerks marked the end of the punk part of the night. The next band was LA’s Juliette and the New Romantiques. Fronted by actress/musician Juliette Lewis, they were easily the band that I was least excited for that night. The band was nothing special but I didn’t hate it. I felt that it was generic, forgettable rock. From what I heard in the crowd, most were just as disinterested as me.

Then the night’s headliners took the stage, seminal ‘80’s post-punk band Echo & The Bunnymen. The band was extremely well received from the second they took the stage opening with the classic 1980 track “Going up”. The band continued to drift through their vast catalogue in an extremely tight fashion. The band sounded fantastic through the whole set, the highlight of which was “Killing Moon”, one of my favorite ‘80’s songs. By the time the band went back on stage for their encore, I was completely exhausted so I left a song or two short of the finish of the set, hoping to grab a couple hours of sleep before another full day of music the next day.

Echo And The Bunnymen at SXSW 2009 - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

Slipknot at Freeman Coliseum - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

I wasn’t expecting much going into the Slipknot show at Freeman Coliseum. I wasn’t impressed the first time that I had seen Trivium, and was not what would be called a fan of either of the other bands playing, so all had something to prove.

The first band on was Orlando’s Trivium. The problem that I have with Trivium is that they are constantly trying to fit into one particular mold, whether it’s the generic metalcore found on 2005’s Ascendency or the Metallica sound-alike band they became on 2006’s The Crusade. That’s not to say however, that they don’t have a few good songs in there. The band tried to get the crowd into their show, but it really didn’t work. The crowd was there for Slipknot. Their general apathy towards the openers could be seen in the emptiness of the arena compared the massive lines at the merch booths. Trivium tried, and I think there show has improved considerably, but it wasn’t quite enough.

Next was the Nyack, New York prog band Coheed & Cambria. I was only vaguely familiar with the band, but had not heard very many good things. The band opened with their most well known song, “Welcome Home” and continued to flow from one song into the next after that. The music was clearly extremely difficult to play, as most prog is, but the band let that get in the way of their performance. While the band did sound good, they pretty much just stood and played for the entirety of the set. I think that it would have been a better show had it been in a more intimate venue.

When the lights finally went down for Slipknot to take the stage, the crowd went crazy despite the fact that the stage was hidden behind a red curtain. As the curtain slowly rose to the instrumental loop track 742617000027 from the debut album, the band was already in their places and ready to go. For the first half of the show, the band completely had me with their stage show. Much of the actual show quality of it was created by the two percussionists, who don’t seem to actually play very much percussion and exist more as hype guys. Both Chris Fehn and Shawn Crahan spent time walking around in the pit, causing much havoc wherever they went. Even more impressive was that Crahan’s setup was built on an elevator. He would rise about 20 feet above the crowd and then spiral down. While that was awesome the first time, it lost its appeal pretty quickly as did all the other gimmicks they threw out in the first few songs and repeated for the rest of the show. The show went better than I had expected and I found somewhat of a new appreciation for Slipknot, but I doubt that I would go see them again.

Slipknot at Freeman Coliseum - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

Flogging Molly at Stubb's BarBQ, Austin, Tx - more photos... photo by jaime butler - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

I was surprised that I had gotten into Flogging Molly’s show at Stubb’s for a few reasons. First, it had been sold out for weeks and on top of that I got confirmation of my ticket just two hours before showtime.

Partially due to the late notice, I walked in about halfway through the set of openers The Mighty Stef. The Dublin, Ireland natives played a set of good, solid rock that was clearly a product of their home country, sounding a little like a slightly heavier version of The Frames. I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw and wish that I was able to see more.

Next was the Los Angeles based ska band, The Aggrolites. They tried desperately to get the crowd moving to what they called their ‘dirty reggae’. While nobody broke out into full on dancing, the entire crowd was bobbing their head to music. They even managed to work up a giant sing-along to their great closing cut “Don’t Let Me Down”.

On the other hand, Flogging Molly had absolutely no problems in getting the crowd moving. Straight from the opening number, the entire crowd was bouncing and singing along with the L.A. based Celtic folk-punk band. I had heard a lot about Flogging Molly’s live show and didn’t think that it had a chance to live up to the hype, but it did in every way imaginable. They played with incredible energy and got the same back from the audience. The set focused on both 2008’s Float and 2002’s Drunken Lullabies, but touched heavily on their 2000 debut, Swagger.

It was a great set that included many fan favorites. The highlight of which was an incredible performance of “What’s Left of the Flag”. They also definitely weren’t slouching in songs like “Drunken Lullabies” where they had full mosh pits going, a strange thing to see while listening to a banjo on stage. Lead singer Dave King had the whole crowd following everywhere he went. Even the acoustic section in the middle of the set went over quite well. I will absolutely see Flogging Molly again given the chance, and I’m pretty sure that chance will come in about a year with next year’s Countdown to St. Patrick’s Day tour.

Flogging Molly at Stubb's BarBQ, Austin, Tx - more photos... photo by jaime butler - staff photographer