Phew, so I am back from SXSW and all I can say is "thank god that's over" and "when can i do that again????" What a crazy experience, I swear if I didn't have a camera I wouldn't really be able to piece together most of it. SXSW is exhausting. I mean, I live in a "walking city" and my feet were still DYING by the end of every night, despite my trying to drown myself in free margaritas to numb the pain. I'm going to attempt to recap some of what I saw over the next few weeks/days. But let me first say that I don't want to see a taco again for a loooong time.
The first day I got to Austin I basically dropped off my friends at the convention center to get their swanky badges and hauled ass over to Emo's where the Metro party was going on with a lot of my favorite hometown bands on the bill. I walked in just as the Changes were about to go on, and yelled out something to their singer Darren who spotted me in the crowd and made me come hold his hand briefly before they launched into their set.
For all the MANY MANY MANY times that I have seen this band (the first time was actually almost TWO years ago!), they never fail to blow me away. The band has been on the road with acts like Tally Hall, Dios Malos and Spinto Band and the constant touring has really paid off for them as far as their live shows are concerned -- they are tighter and more polished than ever. Darren was more confident as a frontman than I have ever seen him before, dedicating songs to the venue bartenders who gave him whiskey and encouraging the crowd to move closer (and they did). They actually played a song I've never even heard before, and I will have to ask them about it tonight at their show at Pianos as they kick off the second leg of their US tour.
Here are the dates, and my little sister will probably be at the Canopy Club show so go say hi to her.
CHANGES TOUR DATES:
East coast tour with The Colour
3.20.07 - Pianos - New York, NY
3.21.07 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
3.22.07 - Northstar - Philadelphia, PA
3.23.07 - Lizard Lounge - Lancaster, PA
3.24.07 - Recher Theatre - Baltimore, MD
3.26.07 - Casbah at Tremont - Charlotte, NC
3.27.07 - Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC
3.28.07 - Front Street Music Hall - Wilmington, NC
3.29.07 - Village Tavern - Charleston, SC
and then in the midwest...
3.31.07 - Alchemize - Cincinnati, OH
4.5.07 - M-Shop - Ames, IA
4.6.07 - Mojo's - Columbia, MO
4.7.07 - Canopy Club - Urbana, IL
The Changes - On A String
After the Changes and a quick pop into the Austinist BBQ to talk "blog" shop with Dodge and Chris, the Gostation took me to the Fader Fort where I drank some wacky soco drink with Rachael and we saw this band called Hot Club de Paris that was Central Village's favorite discovery apparently. I liked them a lot too. Sounded a lot like Futureheads. And seriously, look. They have songs called stuff like this:
Hot Club De Paris - Sometimesitsbetternottostickbitsofeachotherin
eachotherforeachother
I mean.. WHAT?
Yep. Okay I have some work to do but more coming later.
The first day I got to Austin I basically dropped off my friends at the convention center to get their swanky badges and hauled ass over to Emo's where the Metro party was going on with a lot of my favorite hometown bands on the bill. I walked in just as the Changes were about to go on, and yelled out something to their singer Darren who spotted me in the crowd and made me come hold his hand briefly before they launched into their set. For all the MANY MANY MANY times that I have seen this band (the first time was actually almost TWO years ago!), they never fail to blow me away. The band has been on the road with acts like Tally Hall, Dios Malos and Spinto Band and the constant touring has really paid off for them as far as their live shows are concerned -- they are tighter and more polished than ever. Darren was more confident as a frontman than I have ever seen him before, dedicating songs to the venue bartenders who gave him whiskey and encouraging the crowd to move closer (and they did). They actually played a song I've never even heard before, and I will have to ask them about it tonight at their show at Pianos as they kick off the second leg of their US tour.
Here are the dates, and my little sister will probably be at the Canopy Club show so go say hi to her.
CHANGES TOUR DATES:
East coast tour with The Colour
3.20.07 - Pianos - New York, NY
3.21.07 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
3.22.07 - Northstar - Philadelphia, PA
3.23.07 - Lizard Lounge - Lancaster, PA
3.24.07 - Recher Theatre - Baltimore, MD
3.26.07 - Casbah at Tremont - Charlotte, NC
3.27.07 - Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC
3.28.07 - Front Street Music Hall - Wilmington, NC
3.29.07 - Village Tavern - Charleston, SC
and then in the midwest...
3.31.07 - Alchemize - Cincinnati, OH
4.5.07 - M-Shop - Ames, IA
4.6.07 - Mojo's - Columbia, MO
4.7.07 - Canopy Club - Urbana, IL
The Changes - On A String
After the Changes and a quick pop into the Austinist BBQ to talk "blog" shop with Dodge and Chris, the Gostation took me to the Fader Fort where I drank some wacky soco drink with Rachael and we saw this band called Hot Club de Paris that was Central Village's favorite discovery apparently. I liked them a lot too. Sounded a lot like Futureheads. And seriously, look. They have songs called stuff like this:
Hot Club De Paris - Sometimesitsbetternottostickbitsofeachotherin
eachotherforeachother
I mean.. WHAT?
Yep. Okay I have some work to do but more coming later.