Features | Festivals
SXSW 2007 -- Day One: Tour Diary
By Craig Eley | 4 February 2008
Good sign or bad sign? In our first SXSW experience, Andre and I walked in, mid-song, and interrupted the Mountain Goats' Daytrotter session. The sound engineer turned to Sean Moeller and asked, "Are these guys staying?" Umm, awkward. But then we sat back on the couch, opened a beer, and listened to John Darnielle croon unreleased songs and a Peter Tosh cover. South by Southwest had officially begun. It's noon.
On Sean's recommendation, we next headed to a club called Friends to check out a Dutch duo called About. Only guitar and laptop, the male/female band play computer punk like nobody's business. Marg van Eenbergen rocks out on guitar and vocals, one part Mick Jagger and one part Karen O, while Rutger Hoedemaekers also sings and plays the hell out of a Midi controller and MacBook. It's all a wicked and noisy affair, though the two sing pop hooks on top of it all, adding some sugar to the spice. Plus someone gave me a copy of a DVD called The Dutch New Wave, which is just awesome.
After that, it was time to wiggle our way into a VIP show for which we weren't on the guest list. Using secret passwords, handshakes, and Andre's silky smooth voice, we managed to get into Red Eyed Flys as Octopus Project was taking the stage, but the whole spot was buzzing for the next band, Peter Bjorn and John. At this point we're already pretty buzzed (it's about 3:30), and I decide that I need to walk across the street to Mohawk's to see Architecture in Helsinki. Andre's report from the PB&J front was that they should really tour with a fourth member playing keyboards and guitar. That being said, Andre also noted that they achieve real beauty in their three part harmonies, compelling tightness, and all-around dirty punk attitude that they bring to their pop songs. (Yeah. So maybe Andre should be writing these updates.)
At Mohawk's, after surviving the line, I was treated to a lovely set by Melbourne's Architecture in Helsinki. Watching that band is a joyous and dizzying affair, as everybody seems to switch instruments after every song. But it all sounds great, and is delivered with the perfect mix of exuberance and seriousness. The band played a ton of new material, as well as nailing old favorites like "Wishbone" and "Do The Whirlwind," which featured a rollicking meo-middle-section.
Dinner break for fish tacos at Wahoo's, and, of course, more Lone Star and Tecate. Then we headed to La Zona Rosa for the Free Yr Radio party, where we scored some free corn on the cob and even more Lone Star (note: they just give you beer at SXSW hand over fist. For free!). Around eight o'clock the Pipettes took the stage, all choreography and polka-dots and beauty. They romped through 35 minutes of their hit songs, and while their backing band leaves a lot to be desired, their throwback girl group style is captivating and cheeky and fun. I would be as pervy as the guy in front of me (who took no less than 50 photos) if I wrote more about the three variations of their polka dot dresses. I've got a dirty mind, just don't know what you're gonna find.
But the real story of the party was the Rapture. The crowd jammed the huge room and surged toward the stage as soon as the Pipettes walked off, and the excitement and energy was flowing like the Lone Star. They came on around nine and blew things up from the first note with "Get Myself Into It." The songs the bass player sings, like "Sister Savior," are a bit weaker than the rest, but there is just no stopping the fury that is "House of Jealous Lovers." As expected, the songs from the new record sound much better live than they do on CD, and "W.A.Y.U." energized the middle of the show. This was a full-on hour-long affair, skipping the cursory encore break for the freak out jams that close their set. Exhausted, we stumbled back into the Austin night air.
After trying and failing to get into the 4AD showcase, we retired to the bar to discuss the merits of the Pipettes (Andre: there are none, me: there are), but that is a whole different article. See you tomorrow.
On Sean's recommendation, we next headed to a club called Friends to check out a Dutch duo called About. Only guitar and laptop, the male/female band play computer punk like nobody's business. Marg van Eenbergen rocks out on guitar and vocals, one part Mick Jagger and one part Karen O, while Rutger Hoedemaekers also sings and plays the hell out of a Midi controller and MacBook. It's all a wicked and noisy affair, though the two sing pop hooks on top of it all, adding some sugar to the spice. Plus someone gave me a copy of a DVD called The Dutch New Wave, which is just awesome.
After that, it was time to wiggle our way into a VIP show for which we weren't on the guest list. Using secret passwords, handshakes, and Andre's silky smooth voice, we managed to get into Red Eyed Flys as Octopus Project was taking the stage, but the whole spot was buzzing for the next band, Peter Bjorn and John. At this point we're already pretty buzzed (it's about 3:30), and I decide that I need to walk across the street to Mohawk's to see Architecture in Helsinki. Andre's report from the PB&J front was that they should really tour with a fourth member playing keyboards and guitar. That being said, Andre also noted that they achieve real beauty in their three part harmonies, compelling tightness, and all-around dirty punk attitude that they bring to their pop songs. (Yeah. So maybe Andre should be writing these updates.)
At Mohawk's, after surviving the line, I was treated to a lovely set by Melbourne's Architecture in Helsinki. Watching that band is a joyous and dizzying affair, as everybody seems to switch instruments after every song. But it all sounds great, and is delivered with the perfect mix of exuberance and seriousness. The band played a ton of new material, as well as nailing old favorites like "Wishbone" and "Do The Whirlwind," which featured a rollicking meo-middle-section.
Dinner break for fish tacos at Wahoo's, and, of course, more Lone Star and Tecate. Then we headed to La Zona Rosa for the Free Yr Radio party, where we scored some free corn on the cob and even more Lone Star (note: they just give you beer at SXSW hand over fist. For free!). Around eight o'clock the Pipettes took the stage, all choreography and polka-dots and beauty. They romped through 35 minutes of their hit songs, and while their backing band leaves a lot to be desired, their throwback girl group style is captivating and cheeky and fun. I would be as pervy as the guy in front of me (who took no less than 50 photos) if I wrote more about the three variations of their polka dot dresses. I've got a dirty mind, just don't know what you're gonna find.
But the real story of the party was the Rapture. The crowd jammed the huge room and surged toward the stage as soon as the Pipettes walked off, and the excitement and energy was flowing like the Lone Star. They came on around nine and blew things up from the first note with "Get Myself Into It." The songs the bass player sings, like "Sister Savior," are a bit weaker than the rest, but there is just no stopping the fury that is "House of Jealous Lovers." As expected, the songs from the new record sound much better live than they do on CD, and "W.A.Y.U." energized the middle of the show. This was a full-on hour-long affair, skipping the cursory encore break for the freak out jams that close their set. Exhausted, we stumbled back into the Austin night air.
After trying and failing to get into the 4AD showcase, we retired to the bar to discuss the merits of the Pipettes (Andre: there are none, me: there are), but that is a whole different article. See you tomorrow.