SXSW: Wrap-up

So I’m waaaay behind on blogging and am trying to catch up. Just to preserve the timeline, I’m backdating entries.

After the high of Thursday, Friday was a big let-down over all. It started well with The Bats in-store at End of an Ear. They were fun and it was great seeing a band I never thought I would see live. Also, I got Robert Scott as part of my 6ths autograph collection. It was a little odd because it was like he’d expected me to be there for that purpose. When I gave him the liner notes, he immediately took it and commented that it was fun song to sing. It’s rather funny to think about this older, seemingly reserved, straight Kiwi singing about a crush on an anonymous leather-jacketed fellow.

After that, I ran over to Spider House to see The Hidden Cameras again. I do love that band. After a few songs, Joel asked, "Where's CC?" referring to the back of my head. I stuck my hand up and he called me up saying I was their Texas tambourine player. So frickin' cool that I got to be on stage with a band I love twice. Afterwards I was all smiles. And they were so nice. Yay.

That night I got a late start and didn't catch any 8 or 9 o'clock show. As it happens, I ran into Mybloody and Spitting Tacks on Red River and we talked for a while. After that I waited in line way too long to get into the Sub Pop showcase. It was only after I got in that I found out it was running about 45 minutes behind. I suffered through The National for several songs before deciding it just wasn’t worth sticking around to see Rogue Wave, so I went home.

Saturday was better. Saw Rogue Wave do an acoustic show at the Convention Center. Beautiful and stirring. It’s a testament to Zach Rogue’s songwriting that the songs held up well at lower volume and without guitar effects. I’m still kicking myself for not recording it on my camera. Normally, the mic gets blown out, but they were quiet enough so that it would have worked. Oh well.

The Flatstock poster show was great, as usual. I’m so glad that poster art had a resurgence starting around 2001, especially in Austin. I was disciplined and only bought one $5 poster.

Saturday I spent most of the night with Mybloody. He gives a nice recap here. Tullycraft were really amazing. Totally whipped the crowd up and I got T-shirt as a reward for dancing. After that I walked over to Stubb's to hear a little of The Pretenders, but mostly stood outside talking to my friend John about music and zombie movies before heading home.

Sunday is usually my chill day before going back to the real world. Now that I have to go to the hospital on Sunday to prep for patient care on Monday morning, not so much. The annual softball games were rained out and they moved the BBQ across town. I stopped by for the free BBQ, scarfed it down, went to the hospital, and then camped out at the library typing up my client database.

And so ended SXSW 2006. One more year to volunteer before I leave Austin.