super special one off show

SXSW 2010 - Friends!!!

SXSW 2010 - Bands!!!!

With over 1900 bands playing in one tiny city over the course of 3 days it was impossible to see everything, or even a fraction of what was going on.

Maybe that's ok because I heard a LOT of shitty music leaking out of clubs and blasting through outdoor tents set up in parking lots.

But I did get to see a fair share of bands that I already knew I loved or was stoked on seeing for the first time. Only major disappointment was not seeing Lady Gaga, which was probably just a rumour, but still would have totally ruled.

Spoon @ Stubb's - turns out I like Spoon

Surfer Blood @ Club de Ville - high on my list of must see, especially after missing a sold out show here in Chicago last week. Met my expectations, these kids killed it!

Mae Shi is one of my favourite bands to see live, unfortunately they no longer exist. However Signals have taken their place (it's still just Bill, Jacob and John who were the only cool people in the band anyway).

Japandroids - obviously were awesome

after what felt like the worlds longest sound check - No Age
I wish I saw more than just this show, it didn't sound all that awesome and the place was way packed.

Jail Wedding from LA played after us @ The Velveeta Room

Local Natives @ Emo's - my first time inside!
They sounded just lovely :)

The Dum Dum Girls - I really like the one song I knew and it turns out all the songs sound just like it, so to be honest it was kinda boring. But they're super cute.
Mega Babes.

Maps & Atlases - Represent!

Joan of Arc: Power Trio @ Emo's - I only took photos at this show but did see them play 4 outta 8 times

Best surprise of the trip - Le Loup from DC played before Beach Fossils and blew our minds

Beach Fossils babies - are these kids even old enough to drive?
They fucking rocked though


ok so I didn't take this photo, infact I didn't even get in...but I did hear it. I snuck down by where they load in around back and could hear Miss World and Violet very well.
It was fucking amazing, I didn't think I would care, but it definitely made me very nostalgic.

Abe Vigoda @ former Ms. Beas

mother fucking Death Set @ Billboard stage
They played after Yacht which I thought was totally weird

Real Estate - they sounded nice

The moment I had been waiting 2 years for - BEAR HANDS!!!
I fucked up seeing them in Chicago and missed all their shows at SXSW, I didn't even know this one was happening I just over heard some kid say he was going and I asked them when and he said "Right Now!!!" so we took off and caught their last set of the weekend.
It was glorious - except I was freezing cold and it was 1pm and no one was there.

Polyvinyl Showcase @ The Galaxy Room
These are the Casiokids from Norway and I loved every second of it

I wish there was some magical way that I could bypass the lines at SXSW. It's kinda nice that it doesn't really matter who you are, you gotta wait in line, but it really deterred me from seeing bands like The XX, JJ, Band of Horses, She & Him, and forget about seeing any of the bands at the Pitchfork party - that line up was 100 miles long. But whatever, all those bands will pass through Chicago, a lot even in the very near future and I'm sure I'll see them then.

Last day of SXSW

Here I am - killing time in the hotel room before we head back downtown for the final Joan of Arc performance. It's so cold, I look like shit, I am exhausted. Everyone is, in fact they are all napping while I type this. But it's been such a fucking rad weekend and majorly worth all of it.

Also while I was killing time today trying to stay warm I compiled a list of totally rad band names.
Here they are in alphabetical order (I only made a list of bands I had never heard of before)

Awesome Color
Dances with White Girls
Freelance Whales
Chilly Gonzales
Kittens Ablaze
Nice Nice
Shitty Carwash
Smiles Davis
Summer Cats
Talk Normal
Trampled by Turtles
Turbo Fruits
Wet Hair
Wild Moccasins
Winter Gloves

I have no idea what any of these bands sound like, except Awesome Color, they were loud. I think Freelance Whales and Wet Hair totally win best band names of SXSW. Congratulations guys!!

Texas or Bust!

We leave tomorrow morning for SXSW - here's where you can find us!
All the shows are Joan of Arc and only one is Love of Everything

3/17 Dag Presents Showcase @ The Parlor Hyde Park (4301 A. Guadalupe St) - 10pm
3/18 Chronic Youth Party @ East End Tattoo (1101 Navasota St) - 4pm
3/18 SESAC Showcase @ Velveeta Room (525 E 6th St) - LOVE OF EVERYTHING -9pm
3/19 @ Liberty Bar (1618 1/2E 6th St) - 5pm
3/20 Coffee? No Pants! Day Party @ Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River St) -2pm
3/20 @ Domy Books Music Showcase KVRX Presents (913 E Cesar Chavez) -5pm
3/20 Polyvinyl Showcase @ Galaxy Room (508 E 6th ST) -12am

Great Chicago Bands

This weekend was insanely busy.

Friday night Bobby went up to the Beat Kitchen to see Follows, Pinebender and Pelican.
I went over to the Bottle to see great friends Pool of Frogs - who were being filmed for an episode of OBSESSED on A&E...seriously.
But what was totally awesome and surprising was how rad the band after them was. It was my first time seeing Chicago's Lasers + Fast + Shit. And they are for sure my new favourite band/band name.

Lasers and Fast and Shit

Then Saturday Love of Everything played at the Hideout as part of the SXSW Send Off party. There was like 10 bands and a million friends, but what was the raddest find of the night was the band Hollows. They totally fucking rule.

Hollows

Also on Saturday night Ted Leo played the Bottom Lounge - I only made it half way through the set before I had to leave..I was practically falling asleep on the steps that lead up to the stage. But I heard from Bobby this morning that Ralph from Jai alai Savant and Pat from Titus Andronicus joined Ted onstage for some really awesome Misfits and Black Flag covers - fuck I wish I could have stayed. Also wish I could have stayed to shake Ted Leo's hand, so I could say "I shook the hand of someone who shook the hand of Jimmy Fallon"

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

3 more days until we leave for Austin - holy shit!

getting through the winter in Chicago

It's Spring in Chicago!! The second worse season.....where Mother Nature loves to fuck with us. For the past few days it's been above freezing and nothing but sunshine, but I'm not getting my hopes up, next week it will probably snow or maybe we'll have a tropical storm? There is no way of knowing what March is going to be like.

But the itch to get out of the house and do as much as possible kicked in fully this Friday.

First stop - The Museum of Contemporary Art

all around amazing dudes Matt Clark and Jeremy Lemos have an exhibit on display this month!!
Go see it this Tuesday March 9th at 7pm - It's free and Disappears will be playing

art openings, for people who don't really like art, are popular
(this is actually from last month, but it was just as packed full of idiots)

Next I went over to Whirlyball to celebrate Mike Kinsella's birthday, while Bobby went to the Empty Bottle
Whirlyball is an imaginary sport that combines basketball, lacrosse and bumper cars and is surprisingly awesome

Then a sold out show at the Empty Bottle - I missed the first 2 bands but Bobby assures me they were awesome.
First up - Clovers!

Then Free Energy
which I believe everyone showed up to see
I'm stoked to get to see them at SXSW!

Finally Foreign Born!!
They were totally awesome
Our friend Scott from LA was on tour with them doing sound and ended up at mistakes with Bobby - oh Chicago and you're 4am bars. Danger.
I went to bed by 3 so all the gossip will have to come from Bobby - I hear it was a pretty rad night :)

Thanks Flickr and myspace for all the stolen photos..I need to start bringing out a camera again