SXSW 2004 Recap and Review

Submitted by TheBaba on March 14, 2006 - 12:01am.

gotta love any south-by that starts on Sait Patrick's day...

[ Wednesday, March 17th (St Patrick's Day) ]

Mother Egan's St. Patrick's Day Celtic Cultural Center Benefit: honestly, I was drinking too much Guniess to pay much attention to the music here
Shoulders @ Opal Devine's Freehouse: amazing show, see the Shoulders whenever you can, drink plenty
Joan Jett @ Stubbs: still rockin', still Joan Jett, mostly the same show I saw her play about 20 years ago, but Stubbs is a great place to see a show like this

Gelbison @ The Drink (Australia): Young ozzie rock. Good show and good stage presence.
John Butler Trio @ The Drink (Australia): One of the best acts I saw this year, who were tragically cut short because the dumb asses at The Drink couldn't get the sound working for over 25 minutes, only allowing the Trio to play about 4 songs. Find as much music from these guys as you can.
Holden @ BD Riley's (Sweeden): Decent sweedish pop with a commanding stage presence (and a got sweedish babe, but what sweedish women arn't hot?). Definitely something to see live rather than listen to recorded.
Boy from Brazil @ Zero Degrees (Germany): One-man German experimental with a massively edited pseudo-sexual video backdrop... ah, those Germans.
Stephen Fretwell @ The Lounge (UK): Low key British pain.
Shane Nicholson @ The Lounge (Australia): Slightly less low-key Australian with a bit less pain.
Turn @ Maggie Mae's (Ireland): Passable Irish rock, but nothing to write home about.
Riff Random @ The Drink (Australia): Punkish ozzie rock, with props to Mick Jagger.

Quruli @ The Parish / Mercury (Japan): Decent Japanese alt-rock
Spun @ Soho (Austin): Austin rock, not too bad
Uzbegim Taronasi @ Soho (Tashkent, Uzbekistan): unbelievable traditional music, mind blowing, unique instruments, and only 4 of their 10-member ensemble could get visas to come, i think these guys could have played for 4 hours if they would have let them
House of Doc @ The Ale House (Canada): folk and gospel quintet, very good if you're into folk
The Wailin' Jennys @ The Ale House (Canada): most excellent Canadian folk, and I'm not just saying that because I fell in love with their cute, sexy, rib-eating guitar/accordion player
They Might Be Giants @ The Parish / Mercury: the "surprise" guest at the Parish... which is an *amazing* place to see someone like TMBG. did some tracks from their upcoming album, as well as many classics, such as Istanbul (Not Constantinople), Birdhouse In Your Soul, Particle Man, XTC vs. Adam Ant and Why does the Sun Shine?
British Sea Power @ Rockstars (UK): good show at a mediocre venue from some hard rockin' brits... I'll be digging up some more from these guys
Po Girl @ The Ale House (Canada): soulful and bluesy Canadian chicks, good stuff

Tsushimamire @ Elysium (Japan): all-girl Japanese rock, tiny girls with big guitars: "This our first visit to Texas. Texas is a wonderful city. We love tacos."
Hush @ The Drink (Denmark): excellent mellow rock, only saw half the set but worth more
Powderfinger @ Hard Rock Cafe (Australia): definitely the best ozzie rock act we saw, consumate professionals
Function @ The Hideout (Australia): good ozzie rock with an electric cello. Beatle Bob sighting.
Weapons of Mass Belief @ Copper Tank (UK): only saw 2 songs, standard-issue brit punk, yawn
Niall James Holohan @ Coyote Ugly (Ireland): un-fucking-believable singer/songwriter, Ireland's very own Butch Hancock... who were the fucking brainchildren who put this guy at Coyote Ugly, where the bartenders danced on the bar *during* his show and got my drink order wrong THREE separate times (I was drinking *vodka and soda*, a notoriously tough drink to master).
The Defectors @ The Drink (Denmark): i'm afraid that Elvis may be alive and well and fronting this band
Matthew Dear (Detroit) / Kill Memory Crash (Chicago) @ Zero Degrees: decent electronic from the good 'ole US midwest, if you're into electronica

fin

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