SXSW | ROLLING-BLACKOUTS

380/ SXSW / PENGUIN PRISON

2011_03_18

After getting some tacos with fellow photog / sometimes DJ NARK, birth name Kevin Kauer, I headed over to Friends on 6th to catch Penguin Prison. Given all the buzz surrounding them they were amongst my top “must see” acts this fest; though that list tends to be more along the wish I’d seen lines, I was fortunate this go ’round. The hype surrounding them was quite warranted. I had fun, and even danced. The dancing in itself was quite the miraculous feat given how much my feet were aching at this point in the day. A listen to their current EP Golden Train is highly advised.
Post Penguins I skipped Datarock and headed home before turning into a sleepy pumpkin; got to catch them on Saturday for a sec so it all worked out.
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377/ SXSW THURSDAY

2011_03_17

Thursday evening’s events include a stop over at Stubb’s to check out a set by Foster The People. Having been hooked since first listen to “Pumped Up Kicks,” I’ve eagerly been anticipating an opportunity to see them live, and though I was a little late walking in I was more than satisfied with their performance.
Then after some wandering I nearly missed The Kills at the Domino Records showcase. I seem to have this difficult luck concerning them, given that I’ve been in love with them for years but have somehow managed to miss seeing them in the flesh and most every opportunity. “Night Train” is still one of my favorite songs, period. This can likely be correlated to the fact that I am late for everything. Post Kills, I hung for a minute to check out a little of Cass McCombs. I mean when in Rome. Along the way I encountered some colorful characters, it wouldn’t be SXSW without them.
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44/ GAY BI GAY GAY

After being out and about until the wee hours of the morning, I slept in a bit on Sunday. And though SXSW was officially over, there were still parties going on. Grabbed some lunch with CT & Snug and hit up a great comic shop, Austin Books. If you’re in the area, I would recommend checking it out, they have a great selection of graphic novels – yes, I’m a nerd.
After some R&R I headed over to the house party on Kitty Avenue known as Gay Bi Gay Gay. Though I wasn’t 100% sure of the line up, as not too much about this party is posted online I was assured by my friend Matt that the energy at this event would be too great to pass up. Matt just happened to be right, thankfully. The bands were fun and there was electricity in the air, it felt like everyone who was here for the festival was finally able to let their hair down, and they did. A lot of people brought in their own booze and food, though there were some excellent vegan options available for purchase – I indulged. The event ran all afternoon and into the night. A highlight was the band all dressed in slightly too small mariachi suits – what can I say I love mariachis! Looking forward to this again next year.

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43/ SHE&HIM DEUX

So yeah, I saw She&Him again Friday night at the Filter/Dickie’s house. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Karin & I had a blast. Earlier I was able to witness BRMC’s set during the day – 2 Filter parties with great bands leads to me being quite the happy boy. Broken Bells & Surfer Blood were pretty great too! & the house itself was an amazing venue, taco truck included. Evidence below:

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42/ SHE&HIM / WINTER GLOVES

After shooting the first day of the Onitsuka Tiger Lounge at the Filter Party @ Cedar Street Courtyard I had the distinct privilege of getting to see She&Him at the Rhapsody party. If you don’t know by now, I LOVE their music and have a soft spot for Zooey Deschanel. It really was a SXSW highlight for me – she was massively adorable & M.Ward was amazing as always. Couldn’t really take too many pictures, but I managed to snag a few. Also, a very special thank you to CT & Rob the owner of the venue who walked me through the artist entrance – very appreciative here.

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40/ FOOL’S GOLD

First night in Austin, after wrapping up some work I hit up the I AM SOUND party which my good friends in We Are the World were playing. Though I sadly managed to make it there just as they were walking off the stage, it was still good to get some face time with them in a different locale. Nina quickly thought to escort me through the back entrance – it’s always nice to get snuck in the back through the VIP section. Sat in with them for a while catching before before making my way in to catch Fool’s Gold‘s set. They were all that I’ve heard and more, it just figures that I the first time I would see them was outside of LA. Check the photos below – you should definitely catch their next show if possible – NOT to be missed. Btw, a highlight of the night that must be mentioned was that the MC was a drag queen, who during set changes would entertain by teaching the audience how to curse in Hebrew – AMAZING!

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09/ SHOUT OUT GBH

So my favorite showcase of the week was at Webster Hall for the GBH/AM ONLY showcase. I heard about the parties, and I was only too happy be shoot this event. Got to catch Shout Out Out Out Out this time around, whom I missed at SXSW. The show was fun, and it got the young folk dancing away.
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