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| Steve Albini & Kim Deal |
All Official and Whatnot
I've spent lots of time during my previous trips to SXSW at unofficial shows and showcases. There will be plenty of that this year, too; but, yesterday, I decided to take it a little bit easy and do some stuff around the Convention Center during the day. My plan was to sit in a lot of chairs all day and then take in some bands in the evening.
Tuesday's shenanigans kind of wore me out. The crew from Dentist and I had some slumber party hangs that night and then went our separate ways in the morning. They headed out for an interview, and I went to the Convention Center to check out the "Featured Discussion" with Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan of Superchunk / Merge Records. The pair discussed running an independent record label in the era of the Internet (which, according to McCaughan, "Has ruined everything with a few exceptions"), their thoughts on "getting political" as artists, Ballance's thoughts on running for office, and quite a bit more. It was a really interesting discussion and the words "disrupt" or "blockchain" didn't even come up until the Q&A session, which must be some kind of record for SXSW 2018.
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| Laura & Mac |
After that it was time for some barbecue from the really quite good Iron Works Barbecue around the corner from the Convention Center. I manage to eat there every year, and it is solid.
I made it back in time for Wye Oak's set on the "Radio Day Stage" inside the Convention Center. In three years, I've never seen a band there; and, while it does kind of feel like a huge conference room, hearing Wye Oak fully sound-checked and coming through a great system was a real treat. Plus chairs.
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| Wye Oak |
Then, I hoofed it down 4th Street to the Cedar Street Courtyard (more like an alley, really, but still cool) for Hinds' set at FLOODFest. I really do love this Spanish four-piece. Jangly, messy garage pop and they have a total blast. They just make everyone happy, you know?
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| Hinds |
Anyway.
It was back to the mothership for a packed out "Conversation with Steve Albini and Kim Deal." Albini opened that by saying that Kim Deal is one of his favorite people to work with, one of those people for whom he'll say yes before even knowing the details of the request. "And that's how I ended up here, a place where I swore I'd never set foot as long as I lived."
Their talk was engaging, and I'm really glad I made the time for it. I'm also glad that I got up the nerve to walk up front when it was done to tell Kim Deal how much I love the new Breeders' record, All Nerve.
After some re-charging at the hotel, I headed over to Barracuda to catch the set from DC's Bat Fangs. It was just pure rock, delivered with all the big guitar solos and high kicking energy that comes through on the band's self-titled album. So much fun.
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| Bat Fangs |
Call a Lyft. Head over to the Continental Club for some country music at the Bloodshot Records showcase. Sets from Ruby Boots and Sarah Shook and The Disarmers as well as a meetup with our good bud, Matt Chrystal.
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| Ruby Boots |
Ruby Boots blew us both away. The Nashville via Perth, Australia singer / songwriter was backed by a band that brought a real edge to her live performance. Sarah Shook is simply brilliant, an honest voice with a real gift for writing songs about whiskey, broken relationships, and being a general fuck-up that you can't help but sing along to.
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| Sarah Shook |
That was it for me. Three more days to go. I got this.
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