Dr. John at the Austin Music Hall - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by harrison davis - club kingsnake staff

Despite an underwhelming crowd presence at the Austin Music Hall, both Dr. John and the Neville Brothers turned in fantastic performances at the Austin stop of the Mardi Gras Mambo tour.

Dr. John was first up and his blend of Cajun, rock, and blues had the crowd moving right away. Dr. John himself only moved from behind his piano a few times during the set, but he stayed solid all night, especially when he picked up a guitar for a song. His band, The Lower 911, was probably the most impressive from Dr. John’s set. They were able to lay down a huge groove with every song and every solo they took was very impressive. It was clear that the highlight of the show for many was the most well known song “Right Place Wrong Time”.

The Neville Brothers set was dominated by the performances of two people, saxophonist Charles Neville and guitarist Makuni Fukuda. Both players blew the crowd away with solos, especially Fukuda. From his first solo early on in the set, I loved the surf funk sound he got out of his guitar. Charles Neville took longer to get into the show, as did all the Nevilles, but his solos on the slower songs were fantastic and left the crowd speechless. Aaron Neville did little more than just sing the songs and often left the stage during the extended musical breaks. All the energy of the show came from Art Neville who really got into some of the classics, which really got the crowd into as well and turned the first few rows into a dance floor. It stayed that way the rest of the night.

Neville Brothers at the Austin Music Hall - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

Chris Barker of Anti-Flag at Warped Festival - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

The San Antonio stop on the 2009 Warped Tour was, above all, excruciatingly hot. The 100+ degree temperatures and cloud free skies were not helped at all by the fact that the whole thing was being held in a huge parking lot which effectively became a giant reflector oven. Just dragging all the gear from the car and wandering around looking for our passes was an ordeal. After getting badged up and finding an area to use as shelter in between bands, I headed out to see the first band on the main stage, The Ataris.

I had heard of the band, but wasn’t sure if I had ever actually heard them. They turned out to be one of my favorite bands of the day. They had a great energy on stage, which could not have been easy given the ridiculous heat. The most important thing is that their songs were usually pretty catchy, especially their unexpected but strangely fitting cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer”.

It took only one half hour set for me to start feeling the heat, so for much of the day I watched the main stage bands and then hid from the sun during set changes. The next band up was Anti-Flag, one of the few bands I was familiar with. I’ve never thought of them as anything more than a generic punk band but they were surprisingly good. They showed a great amount of energy and were actually pretty good musically, which is not something you see often with punk bands. Bassist Chris Barker tried desperately to get the crowd to ignore the heat and actually managed to for a lot of the set, getting several large circle pits happening.

Roger Manganelli of Less Than Jake at Warped Festival - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

The next band on was Less Than Jake, a ska band who I had been a casual fan of for a while. They showed up and just played their show, they tried to put energy in the set but the day had clearly taken its toll. The music wasn’t bad it didn’t feel like the band wanted to be there, which is unfortunate because they much more talented than many of the bands that did.

In between some bands I took time to walk around the grounds and look at the different booths and things. Every band on the tour has a booth to sell merch at on the grounds and many bands hang out at their booth. The unfortunate thing about it is that bands have their booths put up even if they weren’t in town for that stop of the tour. It hurt me to walk by the Flogging Molly booth knowing they weren’t playing. There were other booths around for sponsors and vendors too, none of which I checked out. Walking around unfortunately meant seeing some of the side sage bands that I had no interest in. Every band sounded the same. Heavy guitars, double bass, and a combination of whining and screaming vocals. It was all terrible.

Frank Carter of Gallows at Warped Festival - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

The one band that wasn’t on the main stage that I did really enjoy was Gallows. I had been blown away by them at SXSW and was really looking forward to seeing them again. Just as he had done before led singer Frank Carter wasted no time in getting out into the crowd and getting things going. I never saw the circle pit slow down at any point. The best thing I heard all day wasn’t any music, but a piece of banter from Carter, who was greeted with a mixed reaction when he said that most of the Warped Tour bands were “terrible”. I was certainly one of the applauding ones. The action was nonstop the entire set and it was running at full speed. The band left the stage and realized that they still had time left to play another song or two, which they made full use of. They were hands down the best band of the day.

After taking an extended break from the music, I figured I should get back outside even if there was nothing interesting happening. I decided that the lesser of all evils would be Thrice, who happened to be fantastic. I had them pinned as just another scream band cashing in on the current fads, but they turned out to be the most musically talented group on the tour. Lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi was fantastic. His playing was the only thing I ever got around to listening to really. His guitars had a very unique sound. He created an almost shoegaze sound, which sounded great against the heavy rhythm guitar. I have completely changed my mind about Thrice and look forward to getting into their studio output.

The last band of the day was punk legends Bad Religion. They were who they have always been, a good straightforward punk band. They played through much of their older work which everyone appreciated. They showed some energy, but in the end were just another band who was tired of the tour, albeit with a much better back catalogue than all the others. I tried to get interested since I enjoy a couple of their records but in the end both me and the band were too hot and tired to make it work. It wasn’t a bad show; it’s just that playing at the end of a festival where the real headliners have already played, it’s hard to keep the crowd interested.

Bad Religion at Warped Festival - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

The Willowz at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

As much as I like the Toadies, I was excited about their show at Stubb’s more because of the openers, The Willowz. I walked into Stubb’s as The Willowz were beginning their set up. The crowd seemed a lot more casual than most shows that I go to. That’s probably because Toadies are playing here all the time these days. The Willowz came on to some enthusiasm, but not much. The band however, was full of energy and they played just like any good garage rock band should, fast and messy. I loved it. While some of the more impatient members of the crowd started a Toadies chant, I didn’t want Willowz to leave the stage. I definitely want to see them again and I will definitely go and pick up a record or two of theirs.

I’ve never really been a huge Toadies fan. I’ve heard the first album like everyone else but never thought it was as great as some people claim it to be. Toadies came out and opened with one the hits, “I Come from the Water”, which, as expected turned into a huge sing along. The band continued to mix in the hits with cuts from their recent album, but those tracks went by without too much of a reaction from the crowd. The biggest reaction surprisingly wasn’t “Possum Kingdom” but my personal favorite Toadies song, “Tyler”, which was by far the high point of the show. It was over pretty quick, but it was a great show. I did put in Rubberneck for the first time in a long time after the show, so I guess they did their job.

The Toadies at Stubb's - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

Dope at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

I had no idea that Black Label Society had the kind of hardcore followers that they do. I walked into Stubb’s to a sea of denim jackets with huge BLS patches enjoying the end of Cycle of Pain’s set.

I only caught the last song or so of Cycle of Pain, but what I saw was awesome. The band’s groove metal sounded great and the audience liked it even more than I did. The keyboard player was unexpected as I had never heard the band before and just went on the assumption that a band called Cycle of Pain wasn’t likely to have keyboard. I really enjoyed the one full song that I heard and I’ll probably look into hearing their debut album.

Dope is a band that I had heard of but never really heard. I have a few friends are huge fans, but I never really got into them, mostly because I never really gave them a chance. Dope’s set was full of energy. I was immediately impressed by the drumming of Angel Bartolotta and spent most of the set watching him. Frontman Edsel Dope also brought a lot of energy to the stage, especially during a cover of N.W.A’s “F**k the Police” which came out of nowhere. I wasn’t really pushed to seeing them headline or listening to studio material, but it was a pretty good show.

Sevendust at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

It seemed to me like Sevendust had a difficult time getting the crowd, mostly because the crowd wanted Black Label immediately. Lead singer Lajon Witherspoon did everything he could to get the crowd going and while it worked temporarily, nothing really stuck. The band was good but not great. They were good at what they did, but I don’t have a particularly strong interest in them.

Just after Sevendust left the stage, a huge Black Label Society banner dropped over the stage and the crowd erupted. Unfortunately for them, there was still a wait until they graced the stage. The sound guy kept them occupied by playing many Pantera songs which almost always ended in a huge sing-along. When the curtain finally lifted, the band wasted no time in starting the show. At the beginning of the show, I found it difficult to concentrate on anything but lead singer/guitarist Zakk Wylde’s massive amp set up, which took up nearly the entire stage. The band fed off of the incredibly high energy of the crowd song after song. The show eventually slowed down for an emotional performance of “In This River”, a tribute to the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrel. Then the band took a break and let Zakk play a long and impressive stand-alone solo. The band sounded great the entire set. It was my first time seeing BLS, although I had seen Zakk play with Ozzy before, and I will definitely be seeing them again.

Black Label Society at Stubb's - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

Pennywise at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

Pennywise and Pepper are two bands that I had no idea were big enough to playing the outside at Stubb’s. I had heard of both but didn’t have a real knowledge of either outside of Pennywise’s 1991 debut so I had no expectations at all going in.

I walked in about midway through the Expendables set. They really sounded good; it kind of felt like one of Iron Maiden’s guitarists had joined Green Day and thrown in some ska for good measure. The band had the crowd so into it that I thought for a second that it was one of the headliners. It was very impressive to see that much command out of an opening act.

Pepper at Stubb's BarBQ - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

The crowd was very hyped for the whole show but they got most excited for Pepper. It was clearly Pepper who had pulled most of the crowd because the place was filled with girls that looked fresh from the sorority house and guys that knew they were going to be there. Apparently Pepper knew this as well.

The now California based Hawaiian ska band came out 0 for 3 on shirts, which the girls seemed to be very appreciative of, so much of so that some of the decided to lose their shirts as well, which the guys clearly appreciated. The music was nothing really special, but they completely owned the crowd, often taking requests because as they said several times, they don’t make a setlist. The show didn’t make me want to go out and buy all their records, but I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing them again sometime.

Pennywise is a great live act. They brought more energy to the stage that any of the other bands and did it sounding the best as well. While some the crowd had left after Pepper, the people that stayed were glad they did. The pit erupted almost immediately and the band fed off of the crowd’s high energy. I really enjoyed the music as well, better than I ever did on their records. The highlights off the set were probably “Land of the Free?” and their most well known song, “Bro Hymn” which had the whole crowd singing along with the chorus. The show was great but didn’t have the same power on record. I would see them again, but I doubt I’ll be listening to them any other time.

Pennywise at Stubb's - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

My Bloody Valentine at The Austin Music Hall - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by Harrison Davis - club kingsnake staff

Despite the fact that their latest release came out 18 years ago, My Bloody Valentine has managed to retain all the relevance they held back in their heyday in London, and managed to give an absolutely mind-blowing performance at the Austin Music Hall.

A big part of the legend of MBV is their sudden disappearance from music. They released Loveless, their second of two albums, in 1991, they played a few shows and then went right back into the studio for the third record. That was the end of it. The third record was never released and the band did not play together again until 2008, when they reunited for the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival in New York. They’ve played a handful of show since and Austin was lucky enough to be part of a 5 city tour following their appearance at Coachella.

Needless to say, I was beyond excited to see My Bloody Valentine. It was because of this that I really couldn’t remember much about the openers. What I do recall though, is that they were very good. The first band, Lift to Experience, had a shoegaze/bluesy sound that I really enjoyed. Then singer-songwriter Kurt Heasley took the stage. He played some nice little pop songs on a 12 string guitar, but I think the only reason I could hear was because I was close to the stage. The rest of the crowd was not into it at all and Kurt was mostly ignored through his set.

My Bloody Valentine quietly took the stage armed with massive pedal boards and wall of amps. Following an extremely short hello from guitarists Belinda Butcher, who was looking very good for her age, and Kevin Shields, the band tore straight into one of the many classic Loveless tracks, “When You Sleep”. For the rest of the show the band continued to hit the back catalogue hard, generally sticking with cuts from Loveless and the prior EP’s.

My Bloody Valentine at The Austin Music Hall - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

The two guitarists stood still on stage for most of the show, or when they weren’t changing guitars between every song, but the rhythm section gave a full out performance. Drummer Colm O Ciosoig and bassist Debbie Googe were high energy in every song, Googe practically strumming her bass to produce as much noise as possible.

There were clearly 3 hits with the crowd. The obvious one’s were “Only Shallow” and “Soon” from Loveless. Both sounded different than they did on record, but were just as good. In “Only Shallow”, Ciosoig’s snare didn’t have the effect it did on the album, but the song didn’t lose anything as a whole. “Soon” sounded the same on the surface, but held a different vibe with the audience, the opening making the place feel almost like a rave until Shields guitar tore the whole thing apart.

Finally, the band played their traditional closer, “You Made Me Realize”. The reason it’s the closer is because of the notorious noise freak-out known as the ‘Holocaust’, a solid 15-minute block of the most powerful noise that could possibly be produced. I was worried before that I would be bored by the ridiculous amount of white noise, but I wasn’t. It was one of the most incredible musical experiences of my life. The sound washed over the audience in a very oddly soothing manner, like new age music, but turned up to ear splitting levels. I loved every second of the show and hope that one day MBV goes for a full reunion tour.

My Bloody Valentine at The Austin Music Hall - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

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

Rhett Miller of the Old 97's at La Zona Rosa - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer

by harrison davis - club kingsnake staff

The Old 97’s show came at extremely late notice for me, so late that by the time I was confirmed to go, the openers were already on stage. Luckily, I had nothing to do and was able to make it down quick enough to catch Old 97’s full set.

I had heard that the band was great live; I have enjoyed a few of their records, so I came in with an expectation, not huge expectations but enough for me to comfortably say that the show wouldn’t suck.

I have never realized how many hardcore fans that this band has. The moment the seminal alt-country band came on stage the entire front section of the room erupted and their enthusiasm never faltered. They spent much of the show pogoing and sometimes going as far as moshing. Even the crowd not crammed up to the front sang along with nearly every tune they played.

The band itself was very tight. They didn’t exude very much stage presence, but they did sound great. I was immediately drawn to the playing of lead guitarist Ken Bethea. His playing was very upbeat and jangly and went nice with Philip Peeples straight backbeat drumming.

It took this show to make me notice just how good of a songwriter Rhett Miller is. He played two solo songs during the encore that I felt were among the best songs played that night.

I’m not going crazy wanting to see the Old 97’s again soon, but they were very good the first time around.

Beefcake the Mighty of GWAR at La Zona Rosa - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

by harrison davis
club kingsnake staff

GWAR
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
http://www.gwar.net
December 5th, 2008
La Zona Rosa
Austin, TX
Also: Toxic Holocaust, Kingdom Of Sorrow

GWAR has become an institution in thrash metal purely due to their ridiculous live shows and I had heard so many things about GWAR shows that I had to see it for myself. I am in no way a fan of GWAR’s music, but their show was one of the most awesomely ridiculous things that I have ever seen.

I showed up late to the show and not only missed the openers, but the first few songs from GWAR. I walked into the room just as a wrestling ring was being set up on stage. I knew that someone was about to die. I quickly discovered that the ring was there for there for the Intergalactic Wrestling Tour which, of course, was set-up for GWAR to award the rightful owner of the Frank Sinatra Belt of World Domination. The first match consisted of a green monster named Bonesnapper and presidential candidate John McCain.

As McCain was mutilated and dismembered on stage, sending blood flying throughout the whole room, I couldn’t help but completely forget the fact that the band was still playing. The band was entirely forgettable, but the show was anything but. I don’t remember a thing that GWAR produced musically at any point that night, but in this situation that just might be a good thing. I was busy having too much fun. Every note they played floated right past me as I thought about how cool guitarist Balsac the Jaws of Death looked with his massive head or bassist Beefcake the Mighty’s awesome gladiator outfit.

The audience represented a diverse GWAR following. Judging from the look on many faces, they were there for the same reason I was, because everyone has to see GWAR at least once.

The show remained consistently awesome until the very end. The sole complaint I had was with the Intergalactic Wrestling tour storyline. It started off with the killings of John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton (it’s the Electile Dysfunction Tour) but when it came time to actually fight for the Frank Sinatra Belt of World Domination, GWAR’s manager Sleazy P. Martini brought out two monsters that I had never seen before. It was a letdown after the previous bouts. In the end we walked out happy, covered in blood, and wondering what exactly just happened.

Peter Iwers of In Flames at La Zona Rosa - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

by harrison davis
club kingsnake staff

In Flames
Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden
http://inflames.com
November 29th, 2008
La Zona Rosa
Austin, TX
Also: Gojira, 36 Crazyfists

The In Flames tour came to Austin like a metal United Nations. No bands from the continental United States makes for a great night of metal. We’ve struggled with the whole metal thing ever since Pantera ended, but the Europeans still know what they’re doing, and they showed us.

The first band on actually was American, but from Alaska so I’m not sure it counts. 36 Crazyfists was a decent, but not incredible band. Their metalcore style was good for what it was, but in the end it wasn’t anything that I haven’t heard before. That said, 36 Crazyfists put on a killer show, really getting the crowd into it. When they first started their set singer Brock Lindow tried to get the crowd into it, but ended up with limited results. Things really got going when Lindow got the 4-way Wall of Death going. The Wall of Death is of course when a mosh pit is split down the middle and then, upon the singers command, they charge at each other. I’ve been in a few Wall of Deaths but this was by far the best. From that point on, the band completely had me.

Mick Whitney of 36 Crazyfists at La Zona Rosa - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

France’s Gojira was the only band that I had seen before and they have really improved sinceI first saw them back in February ’07. A big part of the improvement came from the setlist. Back then they were still supporting the From Mars to Sirius record, this time they were supporting one of my favorite metal albums of the year, The Way of All Flesh. With their expanded catalogue, the band ripped through a killer set. The show was undoubtedly less calm than 36 Crazyfists but the music was fantastic here. Even though the band generally stood still for the entire show, I found myself really getting into the music.

The band kicked off with the killer opener from Way of All Flesh, Oroborus. Right from the start I was extremely impressed by drummer Mario Duplantier. The set only got better as it went on as the band continued to showcase its excellent blend of death and progressive metal. The crowd agreed with many calling for an encore as the band left the stage. The numbers calling out for one more song showed that Gojira had nearly as many fans present as In Flames did. Pretty impressive for a band that’s only been around for a few years.

In Flames is one of those metal bands that doesn’t get the credit it deserves from the general rock community simply because they are a metal band. They formed in 1990 and have been the leading name in melodic death metal ever since. In Flames is one of the most influential death metal bands in the short history of the genre.

Highlights of the nearly 2 hour set were fan favorites Take This Life and Satellites and Astronauts but the set covered both old and new material. It was a fantastic show. The only complaint I have is that it did run a little long. Many in the crowd began leaving well before the show had ended. The extended set was understandable due to co-headliner All That Remains cancellation but it was still a bit much. I was never bored enough to leave, but I did lose some interest around the 90 minute mark. Fortunately, the band picked it right back up again for the last few numbers and really brought it home for me. Few people look as cool headbanging as In Flames vocalist Anders Fridén does with his insanely long dreadlocks. The Swedish death metal legends had no need for an encore as they got everything they cover in their main set, but had they decided to play a few more, the crowd absolutely would have been down.

Joe Duplantier of Gojira at La Zona Rosa - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

Herman Li of Dragonforce at Stubbs BarBQ - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

by harrison davis
club kingsnake staff

Dragonforce
Hometown: London, England
http://www.dragonforce.com
November 19th, 2008
Stubbs BarBQ
Austin, TX
Also: Powerglove, Turisas

Some bands have a problem with taking themselves too seriously. That was not the case when Dragonforce came to town. This was a show that had two out of three bands in costume and a band whose rise to popularity came from a video game. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it sure was a whole lot of fun.

Powerglove opened the show and walked onto stage all wearing video game inspired outfits and ready to play what the band called video game metal. They started with a bang, one of my favorite video game songs of all-time, Tetris. It sounded fantastic. The band definitely had fun with the material as I definitely had fun listening to their set. The best song of the night may very well have been their blazing performance of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I loved it.

Olli Vänskä of Turisas at Stubbs BarBQ - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

Turisas has a very interesting sound. They came out decked out in Viking clothes and with a 6-piece band that included both a violin and an accordion. I was interesting to hear a metal band that was driven by a violin rather than a guitar, but I enjoyed it. The band had traveled all the way from Finland and it made use of their time here by playing a very energetic set. It may have been the weakest set of the night, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Dragonforce is a band that clearly loves to play their music. They came out with all guns blazing into the opening cut. They are a band known for their incredibly technically proficient guitar playing, and deservedly so. The rest of the band was clearly capable of playing their instruments, but it was clear who the real stars were. Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman really owned the show. They spent the entire gig spitting out blazing fast machine gun solos. It was more than impressive. It really seemed like the whole set was one big 90-minute guitar solo. It was a whole lot of fun watching them go. I went into the show not expecting much, but I left really hoping to see Dragonforce again one day.

Dragonforce at Stubbs BarBQ - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

Dead Confederate at SXSW 2008 - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer

by harrison davis
club kingsnake staff

White Denim
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
www.whitedenimmusic.com/
November 8th, 2008
The Mohawk
Austin, TX
Also: Dead Confederate, Apollo Sunshine ,

White Denim may have been the headliner, but the show belonged to Dead Confederate. The Athens, GA natives destroyed any and all expectations with their epic, sweeping, shoegazer sound. As good as White Denim was, they just couldn't handle following the immense beauty of Dead Confederate.\

The evening stated with an energetic set from Apollo Sunshine. They came out sporting an interesting sound that blended psychedelic and funk. The nice bass grooves got the crowd moving early in the show, and when the bass was dropped for a keyboard, the bongo player kept up the fun atmosphere. For me, the highlight of the set was the extended closer which featured everything from a four man drum solo to some very Jack White esque guitar work.

As soon as Apollo Sunshine was off the stage it became clear that not everyone was there for White Denim as Dead Confederate's name was shouted repeatedly by audience members. Their enthusiasm was very understandable. Dead Confederate wasn't much of a show visually, but sonically, it was one of the finest performances that I have ever heard. They stood on stage very still for much of the show, with a smoke machine going in the background. The combination of the smoke machine and the stage lighting made the place look exactly like the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' music video, and the comparisons to Nirvana don't stop there.

Dead Confederate stand right at the crossroads of shoegaze and grunge. The sound of the rhythm guitar player's echoing slide guitar work cut through the heavily distorted lead guitar beautifully. As emotional as the music was, the vocals came through with the hollow sensibilities that I often associate with grunge singers. The soft and subdued vocals created a remarkable contrast with slow moving epic slide guitar work. I had heard some of Dead Confederate's work previously but I was in too much of a daze to recognize any of it. I was left with the feeling that the only way to fully experience this band would be to close my eyes and the sounds devour me. It was one of the most majestic experiences of my life.

At this point everything completely changed gears. We went from the elegant sounds of Dead Confederate to White Denim's harsh garage rock. As they took the stage, one thing became immediately clear, these are thorough, talented musicians.

The drum kit itself was remarkably small, yet surprisingly loud, and the drummer knew what to do with it. The guitar work was nice, effect-driven, blues rock that would have driven the band had the bassist not been so good. For me, he was the star of the show. He missed more than a few notes on some of his obviously tough bass lines, but when he hit, he really hit. Musically, the trio locked in very tight and it was clear why this band's stock has been rising so rapidly recently. It's worth noting that the guitar player has one of the best singing voices that I have heard in a while. It had the roughness necessary in garage rock but with that roughness came a pretty impressive range.

I really enjoyed the show, maybe even more than I should have since it was the first time I had actually caught them after many attempts dating back to SXSW. It was worth the wait.