SXSW 2009 Wrapup

SXSW was great. It's indie rock heaven, except it's not free, all your friends aren't there, and there's sometimes long lines (although the lines do a good job in moving you away from what you shouldn't be spending your time on). The closest thing I can equate it to is a very long Warped Tour that's not entirely outside, has better music, and isn't full of 12-16 year olds.

Best performances: Kittens Ablaze at Wave, Von Bondies at Vice, Cage the Elephant at Antone's, Ra Ra Riot at Parish, Local Natives at Central Presbyterian Church.

First Band: Future of the Left
Last Band: Ra Ra Riot

In between: We Were Promised Jetpacks, Harlem Shakes, Titus Andronicus, Nico Vega, Other Lives, Shout Out Out Out Out, Tigercity, Von Bondies, Decemberists, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, Mean Highway & Magic [apparently I have their name wrong], Great Lakes Myth Society, Megafaun, Henry Clay People, The Grates, Cold War Kids, The New Wine, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Amanda Palmer, Elvis Perkins, Local Natives, Bishop Allen, We Have Band, American Analog Set, Harlem Shakes, Cut Off Your Hands, Ra Ra Riot, Trail of Dead, Future of the Left, ?, Dressy Bessy, Bear Hands, Gringo Star, Greg Lacewell, Honey Sac, 13ghosts, Kittens Ablaze, Alice Russel, Still Flyin', ?, Mason Propper, Cursive, Starfucker, Local Natives, Afternoons, Happy Hollows, Cage the Elephant, Duke Spirit, Silversun Pickups

Show that made me the happiest: Great Lakes Myth Society. I've been wanting to see them (and/or their previous iteration The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love) for 7 years. Finally.

Brooklyn representing: Kittens Ablaze and Harlem Shakes (whose album just came out last week). I'm really excited to see what happens with these two bands over the next year. Maybe I need to move.

Bands I got to talk to: Kittens Ablaze, Great Lakes Myth Society (Tim), Dressy Bessy (Tammy and Rob), Local Natives (Matt).

Biggest surprises:

• Running into high school friends at Ra Ra Riot's daytime show at the Onion party.
• The small crowd loving Dressy Bessy. They deserve that.
• Liking Amanda Palmer's set.
• How friendly people are at SXSW.
• Cupcake truck. Mmm.
  

Disappointments:

• Peter Bjorn & John. They're dead to me.
  
• Beer. Cheap, but what a waste.
• Bands not identifying themselves often enough. I shouldn't have to ask people who you are after seeing the last 10 minutes of your set -- you should have told me already.
• How infrequently I needed my badge.
• Not seeing Oh No Oh My, Matt & Kim, The Morning Benders, Via Audio, etc.
• AT&T Wireless

Goals for next year:

• Attend no matter what (March 17-21, 2010)
• Talk to more people randomly
• Bring a real camera
• Save money and not get a badge (it's a $100+/day insurance policy), but then blow the savings on hard liquor.

Related Posts:
CER's SXSW Plans
CER's SXSW Videos