Chiodos performing “Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered” Live at the La Zona Rosa at South By Southwest 2008 in Austin:

Jim Ward of Sparta and At The Drive-In fame showcased his new side project Sleepercar at the Belmont last night. My associate James Barone and I sauntered down just in time to grab a quick video interview with Jim (check out Synthesis‘ YouTube channel for the goods very soon) and to check out the show. Unfortunately for Sleepercar, the venue they were playing was cast in the shadows of both the Chase Tower and the Comerica Bank building, which we should have known would be a sure sign that no one who frequents this bar, SXSW patron or not, was going to pay attention to anything but Red Bull vodkas and looking slick. And I feel bad for them.

Sleepercar is a much more subdued side of Jim Ward’s potent songwriting. Speckled with bits of Americana, roots, folk and country, Ward augmented his usually edgy rock experiments with bits of harmonica, and beautiful melodies. Maybe it was just that nobody knew who they were, or that the guy with the nautical tattoos on his hands singing and playing guitar was a part of one of the most influential bands of all time, and is currently in another highly esteemed band. Or maybe free drinks in the financial district just brings out the lame in everyone.

The album drops on April 22nd. Learn about it.

Kudos to you, Sleepercar!

Since I was nothing but a wee boy, I’ve sat and worshiped at the altar of ALL. And more notably, their second singer Scott Reynolds has been one of my favorite vocalists of all time. So when I was tipped to a showcase on Friday at Headhunters featuring Reynolds and his new band The Steaming Beast, I pretty much dropped everything and walked myself in circles searching for the venue.

This turned out to be basically the best decision I’ve ever made (although upon typing that, I’m suddenly realizing that I’ve said that about a lot of SXSW-related shenanigans). Headhunters was a tiny little dive on 7th and Red River with a tiki ambiance and a small stage at the back. Reynolds stood playing guitar and crooning with his gruffy voice, with a simple ball cap and his trademark bulging biceps (an imposing physique that belies the tender nature of his songcraft).

I was just simply rocking out for a while, bouncing to and fro, one hand in back left pocket, one leg bending at knee to the beat. But then he had to go ahead and play “Traci Hardman’s Cheek” off his band’s new album Adventure Boy, and it all fell apart. Upon the first notes plucked, I felt a wash of heat ascend up from my heart organ to just below my eyeballs. When the first words were sung - “Patent leather shoes, rain that smells like dirt and driveways, how midday’s purple shadows haunt the hills…” - not gonna lie, started to well up. BUT, I was able to hold it back…barely. It’s pretty amazing when you realize that no matter how much music you listen to, a simple song of love or longing can still tug at your heart strings and transform your face into a geyser.

Full disclosure report, live from Austin, Texas. I’m gonna go try and figure out why the Four Seasons charged my bank card for shit I didn’t get… Oh and, try the veggie burger from room service…only 22 dollars. YUM!

“Only two things come from Texas, son, and that’s steers and queers. And I don’t see no horns on you boy.”

Texas is a land of machismo. Oil wells. Cattle. Cacti peppering the dusty plains, where men chew gravel and spit out asphalt. Or maybe my mom just watched too much Dallas when I was a kid. I don’t know, but I certainly have an impression that it’s a manly state.

Still, the place is not without its more leftist lifestyles, including a healthy contingent of homosexuals. When I noticed the Gay Flag on a bar a block away from the hotel I thought, “well bless their hearts. The roughnecks haven’t driven the gays from the streets of Austin.” And yes I know Austin is the most liberal places in the state, but still.

The thing I noticed most about this gay bar was that it was full of regular old people watching rock ‘n’ roll bands. And that’s what Austin gay bars have in common with the countless UT frat bars that line the 6th street corridor: during SXSW their clientele is pretty much the same: industry people and hardcore music fans getting fucked up and watching hundreds of bands. Together. As One. Ommmmmmm…..
Rock Music: the great equalizer.

(UPDATE: I apologize for the brief all-caps diatribes about broken cameras and hating internets, which I have since deleted. I was drunk and shit was not uploading and Brit and Matt were telling me to hurry. It was an intense and frustrated moment. No offense intended.)

“What am I going to see tonight?” It was a tough decision to make, which is what happens at SXSW every night. Friday’s question was, “Do I go see NERD or The Clipse?” I ended up going with The Clipse and I’m glad I did since they completely killed Emo’s. Cool Kids, A-Trak and Kid Sister. More photos of the rest of the show coming later - the whole evening was EPIC.

More sick photos after the jump. (more…)

I awoke to try and get some work done down in the plush lobby here at the Four Seasons hotel, bar, grill and bath house, when I happened upon an absurd amount of people milling about. I thought it might just be another wave of tanned and fattened Hollywood hipster types (which makes up roughly 98 percent of the temporary populace of this gem) fresh off the plane, but it turns out that while we were all up in good ol’ room 508, the BMI Showcase was happening down on the grassy knoll banks of what we finally found out is called Ladybird Lake. An ocean of people were down, wincing in the sun, drinking free booze, enjoying free breakfast buffet (the good kind) and watching Kaki King perform. Wish I’d have known so I could take some pictures, but the point I’m trying to make here is that THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE! I know my last blog said something about if you’re not here, fuck you, or whatever, but seriously, some of you should get the fuck out of here. I can’t breathe…

All I’m sayin’ is that if there’s a walkway, don’t stand on it to chat with your friend about your new rad tat or compare the jeans you got for free from the Fader Fort; there are people behind you, baking in the heat and trying to get water. I saw five waiters become forced to spill their trays of glasses due to beligerent scenesters (who, um, by the way…what are you doing at the BMI showcase. That’s a real cred stacker…). Me, I think I’ll stick to downtown…

Plus…you should eat here if you’re downtown. Cheap, but quite delicious.

And don’t ever eat the pizza here. Ever.