End of Silence

Here’s the bands I’m going to attempt to see tonight. Barring discovery of my own personal time machine before then, I won’t make them all, but I like to have options. Or I may just stay at Beerland for most of the night.

Bad Rackets – 8pm – Beerland (duh)
Talib Kweli – 10:15 – La Zona Rosa
Curt Kirkwood – 11pm – Capital Place 18th floor (the hotel on the sw corner of 6th and I-35)
Belle and Sebastian – 11pm – Stubb’s
+/- – midnight – Friends
Goblin Cock – 12:45am – Habana Calle 6 (with a name like that, how can you not see them?)
Mogwai – 1am – Stubb’s

Here’s the list of Austin bands you should check out if you’re from out of town. I’m less inclined to see them during SXSW since I can see them many other times during the year for a longer performance and smaller crowds.

Knife in the Water – 10pm – Spiro’s
Tia Carrera – 11pm – Spiro’s
Quien es, boom! – midnight – Red 7
Octopus Project – midnight – Emo’s Jr.
Crack Pipes – 1am – Velvet Spade
Gorch Fock – 1am – Spiro’s (that’s two shows for Jason Morales since he’s in Tia Carrera as well)

(Sorry about the crappy formatting, no time)

Like many other restaurants and bars around town, Home Slice Pizza is featuring bands on their back patio starting this Thursday and going through Saturday as an alternative to the SXSW showcases. You can check out the schedule for yourself. Neal Pollack mentioned Home Slice in a recent blog entry about his appearance at the Velvet Spade last week. Their pizza’s better than the average sixth street crap, so check them out if you have the chance. All you gen-u-ine New Yorkers can tell us if it’s the real thing or not.

The Wife and I hit the post screening party for Before the Music Dies last night at Austin Music Hall. Initial reports had Branford Marsalis joining the all-star lineup, but he’s not on the flyer that I linked and wasn’t there last night. I’m not sure if he had to bail or if the initial reports were incorrect.

It was cool to see Correo Aereo getting some more attention. We used to see them at Curra’s around 2000. They had a regular gig there. I didn’t realize they’d moved to Seattle. We considered asking them to perform at our wedding, but it didn’t work out.

Ephraim Owens was ribbed as the “Before the Music Dies Poster Boy” throughout the gig. His playing was featured in Blaze, a local jazz group that includes the amazing Brannen Temple on drums. He also fronted the Ephraim Owens Quintet and played in the all star jam with Funksway. Good stuff as always. You can catch most of those guys at regular gigs at Elephant Room.

Things I learned last night:

• Wendy of Wendy & Lisa (you know…from the Revolution…as in Prince and the) has a twin sister who also sings
• ?uestlove is The Man. I mean, I knew he was a great drummer, but the guy directed and kept everything together last night. You couldn’t really hear DJ Jazzy Jeff throughout the jam and ?uestlove made sure that he had a featured segment at the end of the last song of the night. Once he cut loose, it was amazing.
• Andy Dick looks as out of it in person as he does on television. We saw him being led outside by an older dude as we entered and later saw him with a hot blonde girl.
• Austin Blues Rock still just doesn’t do it for me. Doyle Bramhall Jr. is a great guitar player, but I can do without his singing. And what’s up with the rooster hairdo? The Wife thought he was going for Prince circa 1985. I’m not so sure.
• James Poyser, the man on keyboards last night along with Lisa, is also featured in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party with ?uestlove.
• Bass player, Mike Elizondo, writes and produces with Dr. Dre, Eminem and many other hip hop artists.
• Erykah Badu and Ephraim Owens went to the same high school in Dallas. I’m guessing it’s the same arts magnet that unleashed Edie Brickell on America. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
• We spotted Waterloo Records owner John Kunz in the audience sporting a Les Amis t-shirt.

Hollywood Bitchslap has an interview with the film’s director. There are two more screenings this week if you want to catch the film yourself.

Amanda’s post reminded me that I forgot to post about this…

Gallery Lombardi is having a Randy “Biscuit” Turner retrospective during SXSW. Sadly, I didn’t make the opening party last night, but it runs until March 25th.

For you out of town kids, Gallery Lombardi is a block south of the big ass Whole Foods at 6th and Lamar, the only grocery store anywhere near downtown. Just walk down the street that borders the east side of the store (Bowie?) until you hit the railroad tracks, then turn right and follow the tracks. The gallery faces the tracks and is the first building you’ll hit (it shares the same structure with Tambaleo, but they have different entrances).

If you’re at a loss for something to do tonight (and my operatives are already telling me that traffic and parking downtown is a nightmare), Rat Fink’s Revenge: The Custom Monster Collection opens at Continental Club tonight at 8pm. Vinyl Pulse has the details.

I’ll be picking up my badge, eating at Mongolian Grill with the Austin Bloggers and then heading to the Buzznet party. Perhaps I’ll see some of you lovely kids there. Check the Flickr stream for photos as I go (suppose that should be a Buzznet stream, shouldn’t it?).

Update: Yep, Buzznet stream.