Back in March of 2020, one of the first big things to cancel was Austin’s massive new music showcase, South-by-Southwest. 2021 rolled around, and still no in-person. But for 2022, the party was back, all across the Live Music Capitol of the World, Monday-Saturday, March 14th-19th.
Dr. Martens/Culture Collide showcase @ Container Bar
Your correspondent came down with food poisoning Thursday night – probably the potato salad at Do512 Lounge had been out in the sun a bit too long – so had a late start on Friday, but Jessica Alexander made it to the great Dr. Martens & Culture Collide showcase (with artists going into the crowd) at Container Bar, with The Black Angels, Surfbort, and Bass Drum of Death.
Bass Drum of Death
Surfbort
The Black Angels
British Music Embassy showcase @ Cedar Street Courtyard
We Were Promised Jetpacks
But thankfully made it to the British Music Embassy at Cedar Street Courtyard for We Were Promised Jetpacks. A decade-and-a-half ago, they were one of a number of epic, tragic acts coming out of Scotland, alongside The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit. They were all gaining greater popularity, only for the absolutely tragic death of FR frontman Scott Hutchison in 2018.
Thankfully, We’re still awaiting our Promised Jetpacks (indeed, FR’s Andy Monaghan is now in the band), and they were great at the packed Courtyard. They played mostly off of their upcoming Enjoy the View, but included at least one from their first trip to Austin way back when. And they killed it with their rousing close of “Quiet Little Voices” and its chorus, “I’m young again!” – a motto of SXSW…
International Day Stage @ Brush Square Park (Registrants Lounge)
The International Day Stage being moved to the Registrants Lounge in Brush Square Park at South-by-Southwest 2022 has been a nice move, meaning that one could catch foreign acts you otherwise wouldn’t have (when you were getting your free drink), like the expanding post-rock atmospherics of Sweden’s ViVii.
British Underground showcase @ Sellers
Keeping with the international flare of SXSW Friday was a screening on The Broadside Hack: An Introduction, a short documentary about Broadside Hacks, contemporary British musicians remaking classic old English folk songs.
New West Records showcase @ Antone’s
Riley Downing
Sometimes it can feel at South-by-Southwest that actual Texas has been forgotten, with all the foreigners and New Yorkers. So, it was nice to hear some real twang from Riley Downing at the showcase from the well-versed-in-twang label, New West Records.
Tequila 512 party @ Coppertank Event Center
Nolo
There comes a time in anyone’s SXSW where you’re mostly interested in free drinks, and Tequila 512 was there. They were throwing parties at Coppertank Event Center, a downtown warehouse space regularly used for events, and the drinks were free, from tequila to White Claw. There was even music, albeit a nineties cover band, Nolo, who were good as cover bands go. Yes, it was kind of ridiculous to go to South-by-Southwest and listen to a cover band play “Stacey’s Mom” (bonus points for “Flagpole Sitta” – but deducted for doing the more recent “Pumped Up Kicks”, which Peacemaker taught us is about murder…), but at a certain point, you just want to sit down a listen to something you already know.
Unfortunately missed:
–BMI Acoustic Brunch @ Geraldine’s at Hotel Van Zandt. BMI’s ‘Acoustic Brunch’ is a SXSW staple, with the best free food spread of the festival.
–Wet Leg & Best Coast @ Mohawk, 4:00PM – 6:00PM. Wasserman Music and FLOOD Magazine had the sunny ladies you wanted.
–Dolly Parton @ Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater, 9:15PM – 11:00PM. Yes, America’s patron saint & sweetheart was playing South-by-Southwest.
–Delta Spirit @ Antone’s, 1:00AM – 2:00AM. Would have loved to hear the great locals and their upcoming new album, One Is One, but that was after the last CapMetro bus had left.
