After waking to glorious sunshine for the past few days, the overcast conditions that greet us out of bed is almost a welcome change. Almost, but by the time we've made our way to the Iron Gate Lounge in east Austin the sun has definitely burned all the clouds away. The idea early this afternoon is to see Melbourne band Children Collide, but with time delays in effect (seriously folks? It's 1pm) they're not on just yet.
Instead, seats in the sun provide a warm setting for Seattle band Moondoggies. Stretching their sound over the past 40 years of American rock music - including a great rockabilly number or two, the three-piece make a surprisingly solid impression on the ten or so people gathered in the bar's courtyard, with their CCR-inspired songs basking in the reflection of the bar's corrugated iron roof. It's as nice a way to start the day as could be hoped for, and even though an announcement of who the band are would be nice (as opposed to searching down the venue's posters) with the sun doing its thing it's hard to complain.
Children Collide take to the small stage about 40 minutes later than scheduled, but more than make up for it with their high energy rock'n'roll. It's the intensity of their half-hour set that proves the most surprising, the band's songs somehow translating from their recordings with a lot more edge. Despite the early time slot, the crowd doubles during their set, and with the band playing about 500 shows during their time here in Austin - as well as the official Aussie BBQ's in Los Angeles and New York - there is definitely more to Children Collide than meets the eye.
"Hi, we're Children Collide from Australia."
One block back toward downtown Austin is the MWTX (Mess With Texas) party, a completely different scene which is the closest we've been to a traditional outdoor festival. Food & drink vendors sell their (reasonably priced) food and drinks, advertisers flog their wares to unsuspecting punters, and the big stage is the focus of this small but growing crowd. Los Angeles' The Bronx hit the stage at 3:45, and with their hardcore music it's difficult to think about anything else. The tattoo and leather jacket crowd is out in force, and it's funny to watch the expressions on stoned teenage girls as they're confronted with the aural barrage from the speakers. There's not a big enough audience to start any crowd surfing/moshing/other fun behaviour, which is a shame because the Bronx would definitely feed off that energy even more.
The Bronx - Angry young men doing what they do best.
It's time for a touch of respite from the sun (although judging by the colour of my nose, it might be too late), and we find a shady spot to watch Austin's Grupo Fantasmo. A general run-of-the-mill latino "party" band, there isn't much here to differentiate between the plethora of other latino bands, and there's a sense that because they're a local band, their crowd is bigger than it should be.
Perhaps it's also because the boys from the Bronx are heading back on stage, although this time in matching Mexican uniforms under the moniker Mariachi El Bronx. A violinist and trumpeter are added to their original lineup, and a growing audience is on hand to appreciate the fun, mariachi music that the band are playing. Mariachi El Bronx definitely aren't taking the piss, and you can tell they genuinely enjoy playing this kind of music, which is surprising given their earlier rocking set.
Billy Bragg in onstage at 6:20pm. By now the crowd at the MWTX party has grown massively, and most - but definitely not all - of the people here are prepared for the politically-charged messages that Bragg throws down. There is a great deal of political speech between his songs, and it seems to alienate some audience members who leave a little early, and a little confused as to what the big deal is. Almost bordering on tedious, the mid-set banter about Barack Obama, Tony Blair, war, hunger, and the economy stirs some of the crowd up, but it's the music that we're here for. And it kicks ass.
Due to schedule clashes, I'd all but given up seeing the Danish band the Kissaway Trail. but as we wander past the Danish showcase on 6th St, a glance to my left sees the six-piece playing their first notes of what proves to be a lovely little set. In what is becoming a trademark of SXSW, they're on stage half an hour late, and are forced to pare back their set to a little over 20 minutes. With their wall-of-sound anthemic rock a lot faster and more exciting than their earlier recordings showed, it's an inspiring set. One that pulls further inspiration from the fact that less than 20 metres away is the I-35 highway; a road that traverses the entire north-south axis of these United States of America.
Danes the Kissaway Trail show some emotion.
It's time for the highlight of the day. Of the night. Of the week. It takes place at the Central Presbyterian Church on 8th St, a real-life church that's being used this week for some amazing shows. Playing tonight is Charleston, SC's Band of Horses. The beautiful reverb-laden sound of the band's recordings has the potential to inspire in this setting, and as we take our seats in the pews (this whole thing is surreal) there's an expectation that this Badge-Only crowd is in for something very special.
Support band (in every sense of the word, they've been touring with BoH for the last couple of months) the Company obviously enjoy the attention and intimate setting, the four-piece seeming happy, full of confidence, and their set is quite impressive. However their sound is not totally conducive to the massive room's acoustics, and there's a hope that BoH won't have the same problem.
What a stupid thought. They sound superb. Having seen them play a couple of times in completely different surroundings (the most recent being 2006's Meredith Music Festival), it's hard to imagine a better setting than this for their lush, full-bodied sound. The church is at capacity, with every pew occupied, and photographers falling over themselves at the front of the stage trying to get that perfect shot. Band of Horses start their set with three songs from their new album Infinite Arms (including the title track) showcasing a slightly different direction to their work. It seems they've lost some of the thick layering of their earlier work and are heading towards a more stripped-back approach.
Wholesale guitar changes and it's time for some crowd favourites. "Ode to LRC" goes down an absolute treat, but the most special moment comes when they launch into "Funeral", from their debut Cease to Begin. It is sounds so serene there are tears in the eyes of men and women throughout the room, and a standing ovation is thoroughly deserved. From there a mixture of old songs ("The Great Salt Lake", "Marry Song", "No One's Gonna Love You") and another four or five new songs all hit the mark, and they finish with The General Specific - self-edited without the swear words. It is a church after all. Every single person in the place is standing. Clapping. Cheering. Smiling. It has been a truly religious experience.
Inside the Central Presbyterian Church. Amazing.
Cleansed and outside, there are queues to get into all the big shows around town. Walking by Stubb's I hear Muse chugging painfully through "Supermassive Black Hole", try to get a glimpse at Justin Townes Earle at Red Eyed Fly, and eventually settle on NYC's Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Emo's Annex. Besides having one of the best names going around, the four-piece have the balls to back it up with some great rock'n'roll. Singer Joseph Ferocious is hell-bent on success, his dedication to his guitar, the microphone, and the band's songs is unmatched by anyone else thus far. The entire band seem intent on winning over new fans, and the large crowd assembled is tribute to the up-and-coming nature of this very impressive group.
Over at Rusty Spurs on 7th St, Brooklyn's Hurricane Bells show how indie pop should be done. The band are (relatively) chilled out, not taking themselves too seriously, and more focused on everyone having a good time than anything else, which is a nice change of pace. And with beers selling for $3 a bottle, there are more than enough reasons to have the good times prescribed by Hurricane Bells. Their song "Monsters" features on the new Twilight movie soundtrack, so expect big things from them in the future.
There is literally no room to move when Seattle's Minus The Bear take to the stage after 1am. Which is a shame because it sure would be fun to move around a little to their experimental rock songs. While maintaining that west-coast sound so prevalent in cities like Seattle (think Death Cab for Cutie with more balls), Minus The Bear also bring to the table electronics, mixed time signatures, and an alternative attitude that has clearly caught the attention of many in this city. A supergroup of sorts - the band includes members of Kill Sadie, Botch, and Sharks Keep Moving - their show is a great way to end the night.
So as the clouds reform overhead and sleep creeps ever closer, reflections of the day are amazing. From the passion of Children Collide, the Bronx, and Cymbals Eat Guitars, to the beauty of Band of Horses, if this is Friday I can't wait to see what Saturday, and the Aussie BBQ @ Maggie Mae's, will bring...
D.
