SXSW 2007 Day 2

Whee! The first "full" day of music for me - I had to work Wednesday and didn't make any of the day parties.

Most Rock and Roll moment so far in the festival: Earl Greyhound playing S.O.S. Least Rock and Roll moment so far: This Kiss by Faith Hill on the Spaghetti Warehouse muzak system.

Started off at Antone's with Dirty on Purpose at 1:20. I don't think any of us were awake yet. I wasn't so hot on the song they released this year, but the ones they did for SXSW 2005 and 2006 both made my top 40 best of.


Dirty on Purpose @ Antone's

2 PM caught the last of Headlights' set (who have a great song called TV) at Flamingo Cantina where we just missed them (the club not the band) giving away free shoes.

2:45 saw Earl Greyhound in the "patio" of Mugshots. I have to say that band's rhythm section is fan friggin tastic, and very nearly overshadows the main dude half the time. If they can come up with a couple more songs like S.O.S. they could be to the Zeppelin side of 70s music what Lenny Kravitz was to the T-Rex side. And I mean that as a compliment.

Earl Greyhound @ Mugshots

4 PM saw Badly Drawn Boy at Cedar Street. I liked the soundtrack to About a Boy but was underwhelmed by the rawk set they played.


Badly Drawn Boy @ Cedar Street

The rest of the afternoon was kind of a bust for music, but we finally tracked down Tally Hall and forced them to sell us a couple of their CDs.

Stalking Tally Hall

8 PM saw Say Hi To Your Mom at Buffalo Billiards. I'd never been there before and it's a great place for live music. The band was a little more Emo than I expected after the single they posted, but they were still great to see. I think maybe they had a lineup change at the last minute because there was a girl playing keyboards whereas three dudes are in their publicity photos. Said girl did not look especially happy to be there.

Say Hi To Your Mom @ Buffalo Billiards

9 PM saw Apollo Sunshine. WARNING: do not go see this band. For some reason they are bent on releasing sunny little pop songs (like this one) but then at their shows play an awful screeching cacophonous racket that bears no resemblance whatsoever to their recorded material. Plus, they switch instruments between (and sometimes during) ever song as if they are each Steve Lukather and only specialized, unique instruments are capable of producing the various nuances they're trying to connote. Avoid at all costs.

Plus at 9:30 I could have been seeing Trances Arc who don't appear to be playing any day parties. AAaurrrrgggghh!!! Curse you Apollo Sunshine!

10 PM we punted and went to see Midnight Movies set at the Ritz. Capable shoegazer material and performance, nothing to write grandma about. Besides they were really just a warmup for... (drumroll)

11 PM OFFICE. I wanted to see them for a while and they were solid. They have the look, they have the sound, they have the stage presence. I'd just like to see more songs like the one they released last year than the one they released this year.

12 AM The line to get in to Stubb's was insane, so no Bloc Party for us. Instead we cabbed it on down to Molotov's and caught the end of some punk band and then...

1 AM Peelander Z. Well what can you say, you've either seen them or you haven't. Insane Japanese punk rockers with a Japanimation comic book character theme who give the audience instruments to play along with. The moshing ends up on the stage by the end of every song. I'm surprised nobody got hurt.

NOTE: Updates to come with pictures as soon as the camera recharges.