Ellington

Yesterday was sort of my SXSW warmup. A lot of people were just flying in on Wednesday, so everything was still a little quiet. I arrived at Red River (downtown's music district) around 5 and decided the hundred-person line to get into the Terrorbird party wasn't worth my effort.

I walked up the street to a day party at Mohawk and was inside within minutes. I arrived with enough time to scope out a good place and grab a beer before Akron/Family hit the stage for the afternoon's final show. Flanked by unwashed hipsters in v-neck shirts and a group of 30-something French industry types, I tried to get into the hippie-leaning rhythmic rock of the band onstage, but it wasn't quite working. The band, dressed in headbands, ratty wife beaters and tee shirts, bobbed around enthusiastically and on a few occasions tried unsuccessfully to stimulate audience participation. Unfortunately, aside from a few bearded men in pearl snap shirts and wife beaters dancing up front, most of the crowd was detached and motionless. Akron/Family's music lacks strong melody and strong vocals, and they need an energetic crowd to be in the moment and give life to their intricate polyrhythms. Even the raucous, jubilant "Ed is a Portal" couldn't inject energy into the crowd.

I'm hoping today, everyone has had their rest and will be more enthusiastic. I've got a full slate, attempting two separate day parties—where I hope to see the super-hyped noise man Wavves, Austin's prized garage rockers White Denim, and Fleet Foxer J. Tillman—and the Norwegian bands of the Oya showcase this evening.

Previous Comments

ID

144961

Comment

Lucky you!!

Author

kcaven

Date

2009-03-19T14:24:13-06:00