SXSW Days Two and Three

Highlights of last Friday and Saturday night included a party at Beauty Bar with DJ Nada Strom. He's a fun DJ and I can't help but think it has a lot to do with his punkrock/HC roots. When S. was living in the DC HC scene in the 90s, she knew him as a being in various bands. But now he does this!



Then some other stuff happened, wandering around, who really cares, because the night ended with DEVO!



Woke up Saturday morning, chilled around home for a bit, then headed straight to the Fader Fort. It was temporarily erected, corporate sponsored venue, technically not affiliated with SXSW. You had to RSVP online and then go stand in line during the week to get your wristband. Yes, there were products and logos all over the place, but it meant free booze and free music! Here's part of what it looked like inside.



I never realized this, but Southern Comfort and Sierra Mist (an American grapefruit flavored soda pop) actually make for a pretty damn good combination! The Fader Fort offered a night of hip hop with performances by rappers like Texas' Bun B. It culminated with the most hyped rumor of SXSW 2009, a "surprise appearance" by rap superstar Kanye West!

He really did put on an impressive performance, even though he was there primarily to showcase a roster of lesser known artists. Of course, I screwed up and lost my video of it! Argh! Never format your camera's memory card until you're 100% certain your software imported all the videos! (Picasa for Mac still has some bugs to be worked out.) I also lost a video of DEVO playing Whip It in that same import. Curses! Here's one of the official videos with Kanye sporting some live auto-tune.

Overall, another great SXSW and I look forward to next year!

SXSW Day One

South by Southwest, one of the largest music conferences on Earth, is in Austin again this weekend. The first night was Wednesday. Even though we both had to work the next morning, we were itching to go check out some music.

Ironically, one of the great things about SXSW is all the shows that are unaffiliated with SXSW. The conference draws so many people to Austin that every venue takes advantage of the crowds, whether they're affiliated with SXSW or not. So for people with no badges or wristbands, there is still a lot to take in. Both events we went to on Wednesday were non-SXSW and entirely free.

The first show was this Datapop 09 party that featured guys making music with Gameboys. It was held inside what used to be a Salvation Army, located at an old plaza-style mall in South Austin. The music was awesome, but it was hard to see the performers because the stage was only about six inches high. Thankfully there were large screens projecting mashed up video art to make up for it.

After that show we went back downtown to a bar on West Fifth street to see New York City DJs The Rub. My camera's microphone sucks and the heavy bass from the speakers made most of what I filmed sound like shit, so I only put a few seconds in the video. But it was a great party time!

Old London Waffle Snacks: not as good as they seem

Maybe I just got a bad bag but these savory waffle craker "swiss cheese" sandwiches did not live up to any reasonable expectations.

Seniors dancing at Donn's Depot

Donn's Depot is an old bar near our home that we only recently discovered. From their website:

One of Austin's most unique nightspots is housed in an old Missouri-Pacific train depot. Real train cars serve as seating areas, and the ladies restroom is a real caboose! The building that houses Donn's Depot was transported, via train tracks, from McNeil, Texas, to its current location about 30 years ago.

Featuring live music six nights a week Donn's Depot is the venue of some of Austin's most talented musicians. With friendly waitstaff, a full service bar, moderate prices, two dance floors, and a just-for-fun blackjack table, Donn's Depot is a haven of culture and diversity. On any given night you will find an eclectic crowd ranging from students to retirees.

Great place! Cheap drinks, good times, and a mixed crowd. What more could you ask for?