Unknown Legends Artists

Once Is Never Enough: SXSW 2006

Once is never enough for some things. The music conference and festival that is SXSW falls into that category. We were lucky enough to get to attend the festival once again this year. And once again the experience that is Austin and SXSW was overwhelming. The music, the food, the people…there are not enough adjectives to describe the experience.

2006 marks the 20^th anniversary of SXSW, arguably one of the finest gatherings of music and music people in the world. As always, there were so many things to do and see during the conference. Interviews, music showcases, the trade show and workshops during the day. The music at night. While we managed to see and hear a great deal of these, we missed out on just as much. This is a conference that will test both your planning and organizational skills as well as your stamina. Following are some of the highlights of the conference from our vantage point.

The conference featured Neil Young as its keynote. Young and movie director Jonathan Demme were interviewed by Harp Magazine Senior Editor Jaan Uhelszki. Young was dry and comical, insightful in his responses and stories. Demme gave the impression of an excited child getting to go on an amusement park ride. The two men shared an obvious admiration and respect for one another. Young commented on creativity in songwriting saying that inspiration was "like an animal emerging from a hole. If you try too hard to coax it out you’ll lose it. The one constant is to not get distracted. When creativity does come, stay in the rhythm it brings." Young further commented that writing songs involved creating a space for them to emerge saying "…if you make a nice place for them, they’ll show up."

Uhelski asked about the song Ohio and whether or not Young was still tied to the emotions that surrounded the events at Kent State that prompted the song. Young commented that he was different now compared to the young man who penned that song. "None of us are the same. We all grow. We all change." He finished up with the comment that the music is "…not about where it came from…where’s it going?"

We also caught interviews with Kris Kristofferson and the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde. Kristofferson was interviewed by Dave Marsh of Rock & Rap International. Kristofferson was laid back and warm, answering questions in an "aw shucks" way. Kristofferson’s history is not that of your typical singer/songwriter. He was an officer in the military and a Rhodes Scholar before giving up on the "normal" life and leaving for Nashville to become a songwriter. Kristofferson got a break when he was sweeping floors in a recording studio and he talked Johnny Cash into listening to one of his songs. The result…Sunday Morning Coming Down.

Kristofferson’s music carries themes about freedom, in particular the pursuit of personal freedoms. His training as a songwriter came from "…hanging out with other serious songwriters, not from playing in bands." He continues "I listened to the words of the song, not the voice that was singing." When asked how he managed to stay in the business when others were falling by the wayside, Kristofferson commented "I was totally in love with what I was doing. It was hard on the people around me because I loved it. I didn’t realize I wasn’t "making it" at the time."

Near the end of the interview the audience was given a chance to ask questions. One question in particular was about the aging process and how it affected his songwriting. "Well, it (aging) ain’t for sissys. The songs are better quality, they just don’t come as fast as they used to." The most memorable part of the interview came when a young songwriter asked Kristofferson how he responded to the lack of support from family. Kristofferson’s demeanor, body posture, voice all took on a caring, almost caressing tone as he connected to the young man when he answered the question…"Just don’t quit what you love."

The last interview we sat in on was with Chrissie Hynde, the outspoken singer for The Pretenders. Hynde was interviewed by Bill Flanigin, senior vice-president of MTVN. Hynde was her typical raw, ballsy self, refusing to sit in the chair provided on stage because it was made from leather (she is an outspoken opponent of slaughterhouses and is a vegetarian). Hynde moved around the stage like a nervous cat, obviously uncomfortable with the intimacy of the setting. Once she settled in though, Hynde was extremely up front and open about her music and life.

Hynde is the plain Jane, girl next door from Akron, Ohio. There is no glamour or presumptuousness about her. She is what she is. A former journalist, she has a mid-Western work ethic but did not want to be locked into a career. Living in London, England, Hynde was involved in the groundwork of the careers of the Clash and the Sex Pistols. It was around that time she decided to find her own rock band. "Being in a four piece rock band is something special" she says.

Questioned about the success of The Pretenders and in particular the song Brass In Pocket, Hynde commented "It was never meant to be big. We never thought about being big. One thing about it, you have to temper the fame that comes along. Any idiot can be a celebrity." She continued "Being in a band is like a sport now. Everyone is racing for the money and they are forgetting about the music."

Hynde’s closing piece of advice to the audience was simple…"Be yourself."

One observation about the interviews this year and the Robert Plant interview last year was that all these artists alluded to the fact that success came when they were not looking for it. It did not happen by accident but it was upon them before they realized it. In addition, all of them commented, in essence, that yesterday is gone and that you can’t go back or live in the past. If you do, you will never make it to tomorrow. Sage advice for the young artists out there today.

We missed out on the interviews with the Beastie Boys, Mark Cohen, Billy Bragg, Morrissey, Judy Collins, Ray Davies and k.d. lang. Like I said earlier, there was simply not enough time in the day to take it all in. We did have the opportunity to meet up with Susanna Hoffs, formerly of the Bangles, and Matthew Sweet as they promoted their collaboration on an upcoming album. Both were extremely fun and receptive to the fans.

The trade show was quite a site also. There were vendors there promoting…well, you can just about name it. We chatted with the guys from Throwdown Records, an independent label from Hollywood. They were promoting their label and a new band called Autumn Black. Check them out at www.throwdownrecords.com. Another cool bunch we met were John Saba from Secure Castle and Melody McIntosh from 3 Mels Digital Entertainment Cneter. These folks work with artists to promote their CD’s and other swag on-line. The best part is, you don’t pay them until you sell something. Then they take their commission off that and you get the rest. Pretty cool way to get your stuff out there. You can check these folks out at www.securecastle.com and www.3mels.com. There were a number of music promoters, oversees music coalitions, instrument dealers and on and on. If you are in the music business, the SXSW trade show is your mecca.

Now… to the music. There is no possible way to describe what happens in Austin during SXSW. Every afternoon the clubs, record labels, booking agencies and others put on music showcases. These begin around noon and go until around six. After that the SXSW showcases begin, usually around 8:00 p.m. and finish up around 2:00 a.m. And they are all good. We did not hear a single artist that I would consider a slouch. Some of the best surprises were the acts we heard while we were waiting to hear one of the "name" acts.

We started out at the Austin Music Awards, getting a chance to hear the local instrumental group Three Balls of Fire. These cats are essentially Austin’s version of surf rockers. They hit the national scene years ago with the old hit Sugar Shack. They were joined on stage by LA session musician Jerry Cole who has played guitar for everyone from Sinatra to the Champs. The highlight of the set was the performance of the song Tequila with Del Puschert and longtime Johnny Cash pianist Earle Poole Ball. On the sides, dancing through the entire show were the bikini clad Boom Chica Boom girls.

Following the Three Balls of Fire were songwriter and Musician of the Year Jon Dee Graham and Eliza Gylkison. Gylkison walked away with Best Songwriter, Best Female Vocals and Best Folk Band this evening. She performed the song Man of God with Graham and was joined on stage by Hall of Fame inductee Ray Wylie Hubbard on backing vocals. Graham’s performance was nearly upstaged as his 6 year old son, Willie, joined him on stage for a couple of songs.

Kinky Friedman was the next inductee into the Hall of Fame. His acceptance speech turned into a stump for the governor’s seat. Friedman got lots of applause when said he would eliminate toll roads and rename the major highways after Buddy Holly and Bob Wills if elected. He also commented that the government would be better served if it were run by musicians saying "We won’t get a hell of a lot done in the mornings, but we’ll work late and be honest."

Kris Kristofferson and Jessie Colter took the stage next. The duo performed Storms Never Last and Help Me Make It Through the Night along with songs off their new releases. It was a great feeling to hear Colter sing again. Kristofferson and Colter were followed by Clifford Antone who presented an award to retiring emcee Paul Ray, the only emcee of the Austin Music Awards in its 23 year history. The evening ended with the Roky Erickson Band closing out the awards show.

The next evening we found ourselves in Antone’s for the last couple of songs by Stephen Bruton from Austin. We had gone in to catch prolific Nashville songwriter Radney Foster and Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. What we got after Bruton was the all girl bluegrass band Uncle Earl. This five piece group all came from successful solo careers to put together an amazing sound. Uncle Earl is Kristen Andreassen, Rayna Gellert, Sharon Gilchrist, KC Groves, and Abigail Washburn. Each lady takes a turn at the vocals during their show as well as trading instruments. The vocals are haunting and alive backed by serious picking and sawing on the banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle.

Radney Foster followed Uncle Earl. I’ve been a Radney Foster fan since his early teamwork as part of the duo Foster & Lloyd. The guy is a tremendous songwriter. His songs have been recorded by the Dixie Chicks, Keith Urban and Hootie and the Blowfish to name a few. There is nothing flashy or over the top about Foster. He is simply a solid singer with a masterful touch for songwriting.

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives took the stage next. The Superlatives are a grreat bunch of professional musicians, complimenting Stuart’s presence on stage. Stuart himself is quite a guitar player. The set included early hits and songs from the more recent Badlands album, a disc that was written for the native Americans in the Dakotas. One of the best parts of the show was a gospel song performed with the entire band around the microphone while Stuart strummed on Pops Staples old guitar. Before he left the stage, my partner in crime nabbed the band’s set list and got the man’s signature. What a gal! We hung around for a bit after the show and had an opportunity to chat with Stuart while he signed autographs. He is personable and down to earth, carrying his Mississippi roots with him to this day.

From Antone’s, we wandered down the street to La Zona Rosa to catch the end of Kris Kristofferson’s set. It was typical Kristofferson. Gravelly vocals and wonderful guitar picking.

Kristofferson was followed by one on my favorite bands, the Drive By Truckers, from Athens, Georgia. These guys have been around for awhile but I never get tired of hearing them. They were in form and having fun with a high energy set.

Up next was the club Eternal which was showcasing Susan Tedeschi. While we waited for Tedeschi’s set we were treated to one of those rare finds in Sacramento based Jackie Greene. Greene is set for an album to be released on the Verve label this March. The guy is a great vocalist and solid songwriter. On the last song of the set he was joined by Charlie Sexton on guitar. I’d say that is quite an endorsement.

Tedeschi’s set was brilliant to say the least. She had a tremendous band behind her especially her keyboard and sax players. These guys were the shit! Tedeschi’s vocals are still as soulful and sexy as ever as she played the majority of her new album.

When Tedeshi’s set ended we wandered from Eternal down the street and upstairs to The Parish for Eliza Gylkison’s set. It was easy to see why Gylkison walked off with several of the Austin Music Awards. Her vocals are sweet and her music is a testament to the Austin sound.

It was time for something to eat so we slipped back down the stairs to Jazz for some Cajun-creole food. While we were there we caught the Eric Tessmer Band, a hot little Texas blues trio. Tessmer is a guitar player to watch for. He played cordless and wandered the entire restaurant without missing a note. Tessmer is very reminiscent of local favorite Wes Jeans in his style of play. Keep your eyes and ears open for this guy.

The last afternoon in Austin we ended up at Waterloo Records for a performance and CD signing by Rosanne Cash. She was promoting her CD, Black Cadillac. The set was short and sweet with some great vocals and poignant lyrics. This is certainly a CD I recommend adding to your collection. After the set, I ended up at the front of the autograph line and had a chance to chat with Cash. I found her to be likable and friendly as long as the subject stayed on her and her music and did not drift to her famous dad and their family history.

Wandering back up Sixth Street, we stopped in at Opal Divine’s Freehouse for lunch. Opal Divine’s was hosting a female artist’s showcase called TeXchromosome. The showcase has actually turned into a two day event during SXSW with the second day featuring female artists. We had the good fortune of hearing Nancy Moore sing and play while we were there. Moore is a singer/songwriter from Dallas who sat with us for awhile and talked about the showcase, her music and life in general. We picked up a copy of her CD and checked it out. Turns out she is a very good songwriter. You can check out Nancy’s music and the Texchromosome showcase at www.hillbillylane.org.

After a powernap in the car in the parking garage we headed down the street to Stubb’s for the final night of music. The first band up was What Made Milwaukee Famous from Austin. This band reminded me of some 80’s style college rock, and actually made me think of local group Ho Hum on a few songs.

Up next were Rhett Miller and the Believers. Miller was formerly in the band Old 97’s. Miller’s set was high energy rock and roll and it was obvious he was a local favorite by the crowd’s response.

Rosanne Cash played the next set. She performed songs from her new CD. The song that I thought was one of the better one’s was Burn Down This Town. Cash also performed a couple of her older tunes, Tennessee Flat Top Box and Seven Year Ache during the set. For Seven Year Ache, she was joined by Lyle Lovett on backing vocals.

Lovett followed Cash’s set. As always, Lovett was on top of his game, crooning out song after song in his smooth vocals. He was backed up by a three piece band consisting of an upright bass, congas and a cello. The cello player stole the show, making sounds come out of that wood and metal box that were incredible.

The last set of the evening was The Pretenders. As I mentioned earlier, Chrissie Hynde is not glamorous by any stretch. She is straight forward, plain spoken, Midwestern all the way. However, when she hit the stage I was duly impressed. Hynde is one of the sexiest women in rock and roll. She moved around on the stage like it was hers and we were simply a part of her world for awhile. In addition, I have never seen a performer connect to an audience the way she did. She did not simply speak to the crowd, she looked at you and spoke to you, making sure you were getting what you wanted out of the music and that you were not going away unhappy.

The music was classic Pretenders. With originals Martin Chambers and Adam Seymour and newbie Nick Wilkinson, the band ran through all their hits, sounding as great as ever. When the show ended the crowd wanted more. The Pretenders ended up coming back out for two encores. This set was one of the best of this year’s SXSW showcases.

In addition to the music at Stubb’s, we hung out with a couple from Burbank, California, Don and Mikki Brisk. Turns out Mikki is a singer/songwriter herself with a new CD out. Check her out at www.mikkibrisk.com for some great alt country and folk music.

Now, I had mentioned earlier about finding surprises all over Austin during SXSW. Some of the best surprises were waiting for us across from the convention center in the SXSW party tent. This year, we caught some of the acts from other countries playing in showcases there. Among these were bands from Canada, Australia and Japan.

The Canadian band we heard playing in the park got away before I could get any information on them. I can say they sounded much like U2. They impressed me enough with their sound that I actually sat my beer down to take a picture of them.

We also caught The Emeralds and Ellegarden from Japan. Ellegarden, to me, is the Japanese version of the frat party band. They rocked hard in their own style. I purchased their CD and while listening found that I really enjoyed the songs they do in Japanese. I can’t understand a word they are saying but it sounds great. The Emeralds are a three piece rock group that are crowd pleasers. They talked to the crowd between songs, getting the audience fired up. Japanese rock rules, dude!

The last band we heard from abroad was The Living End from Australia. These guys reminded me of a punked out version of the Stray Cats. They are the number one band in Australia at the moment. The one guy that stuck out for me was the upright bass player. He made sounds come out of that thing that I had never heard before. It was quite impressive. You may be seeing these guys soon in the states.

There were two bands from Arkansas playing in this year’s SXSW showcase. American Princes were sponsored by Nightflying. Rwake was the other band from the altered state that was in Austin. Sorry to have missed you guys while you were there.

Some of the other folks we missed that we would like to have heard were Sean Costello, The M’s, The Whigs, Amos Lee, Bottle Rockets, Ruthie Foster, Minus The Bear, The Greencards, Bobby Bare, Vallejo, Nada Surf, Echo & The Bunnymen, Neko Case, The Motels, John Popper Project, Lucero, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Little Willies, Dime Store Poets, Susan Cowsill, San Cabo County, Betty LaVette, Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines, Gretchen Peters and Dash Rip Rock.

Some of the folks we missed out on that I’m pretty sure we aren’t too terribly upset about not seeing included You Say Party! We Say Die!, Lesbians on Ecstasy, Goblin Cock, God’s Temple of Family Deliverance, They Shoot Horses Don’t They, The Fire Marshalls of Bethlehem, The Great Redneck Hope, Swollen Members, Yuppie Pricks, Crunc Tesla, I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness and Holy Fuck. Actually, these probably would have been worth checking out too.

We limped back from Austin once again road weary but feeling completely happy after our time in the trenches. Thanks again to PR and Nightflying for the opportunity to cover this great event. You can check out pictures from SXSW on our webpage under the News/Events tab at www.unknownlegendsbooking.com.