I’m having a hard time getting it together to post my SXSW recaps, so I’ve decided to go in reverse order with the most recent event first. We’ll start with Saturday and work backwards to Sunday. I’m sure to confuse myself in the process.
After our showcase Friday night at Habana Calle 6, we had a day gig at Trophy’s for Whoopy’s Second Anniversary Day Party. The band before us was It’s Over from Kansas City. They reminded me a bit of early Beatles. I googled them this afternoon and found an amusing mention of their lead singer.
Our gig went pretty well other than the two drunken, young skells who got a little out of hand. I suppose it wouldn’t be a Trophy’s gig without having to deal with some sketchy characters. I stuck around for The Woogles, who I’d heard rocked the house at Habana the night before at the inside stage while I was outside watching The Cynics. They definitely didn’t disappoint. They’re faithful to the 60’s garage and really get things pumping (think The Sonics).
Check out the short video I shot with my camera. I wanted to stick around and check out Peelander-Z from Japan, who I’d heard of before and who were up after The Woggles, but I had to get my stuff back to the rehearsal space and get home.
After a quick run home for dinner, I took my son to the free show at Auditorium Shores to see Mastodon. It was very different seeing them on a large stage outdoors than at a small venue like Emo’s in October. The big video screen made it easy to stay at the back and watch. Whoever was directing the cameras had a definite fixation on Brent Hinds
and Troy Sanders. They hardly showed Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher at all. I love watching bands at Auditorium Shores at night with the city skyline lit up behind it. The weather was great. They played almost all of Blood Mountain and finished with “Blood and Thunder” and “Hearts Alive”. We ran into some friends who scored VIP passes somehow (I think they said in the concession line?) and got my son one of the free posters for the night, courtesy of the sponsors and Obsolete
Industries.
After Mastodon, my wife picked up my son and I headed downtown to check out Presidents of USA at Maggie Mae’s Rooftop. I got there a
little early, fearing that I’d be turned away if it got too crowded. They were only admitting people with wristbands and badges when I arrived at 10:30. I’ve never set foot in that part of Maggie Mae’s before and I think I’ve only been in the smaller bar once on my 21st birthday, many moons ago. I was underwhelmed by the two bands before PUSA and amused myself by watching the St. Patrick’s Day / SXSW thongs below. I don’t know what was going on at the Ritz, but they had a huge line by 11:30. I managed to maneuver
my way near the front of the crowd before PUSA went on, so I got some pretty good photos. They played most of their hits and did a cover of “Video Killed the Radio Star” and “Superstition”. The size of the crowd combined with all of the pogoing had me wondering whether the rooftop deck was going to hold. I could see the headlines: “SXSW Tragedy at Maggie Mae’s”. Luckily, the roof deck held and the show went without incident. I got a text message from SXSW about 15 minutes before PUSA finished their show saying
that a free show with Perry Farrell’s new band was starting at La Zona Rosa. The Statesman SXSW blog had a commentary on the wisdom of announcing a show at the last minute. I briefly thought about running over there, but decided it wasn’t worth it. I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought that.
One Response to “SXSW Saturday: Trophy's, Mastodon and PUSA”
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We went up to see the Presidents and were also a bit worried about the whole thing collapsing – ended up back to the Alternative Tentacles showcase to see Akimbo – and then the Saints across the street at the Ritz – which might have been that lineup you saw…