So I’m back from Austin and maybe a little bit of me is still there. What a blast! South-by-Southwest is THE premiere music event for artists/bands to kick-off the spring, roll out new releases/songs and with it there are parties galore! I did my fair share of them! Ate, drank, schmoozed, and was generally merry as these photos linked below will attest to! I made some new friends as well as saw some old ones.
As far as highlights go, there were many. In no particular order:
• Hanging with really talented people: the guys from the John Popper band – Aaron Beavers, Jono Manson, Steve Lindsay; Yelawolf (the next Eminem); Matt and Roger from the Features (the next big something and one hell of a fun band – hooks aplenty!; Shilah Morrow, Lil’ Deb and Polly Parsons – all part of the Sin City Social Club (pretty much THE club); Mike Mills / REM, Harley Husbands – guitar master, Aaron LaFlure / Lost Bayou Ramblers – punked up Cajun; Mary Sack – manager who illuminates; Brian Wright, Sally Jaye, Cindy Wasserman – if you don’t know them you should; Deadman; Scott McPherson – professional drummer and owner of Portlands Revival Drum Shop (those of you who know me know I’m a drummer first); the guys from Wagons (can’t wait to catch their show next week); Andy Friedman – songwriter and Russian; Sarah and Johnny – songwriting husband and wife team extrodinaire; Patrick Keeler – drummer extrodinare; and a little bit of Brad Rice – guitar extrodinaire.
• The HatBox on 6th. If you’ve got the melon I’ve got, you appreciate a good hat store. I found one.
• The Bug parties – feel like home.
• Great food to be had at many local eateries
• Great music from many sources. Among them: Sherman, Deadman, Sarah and Johnny, Old 97s, Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones, John Popper and the Duskray Troubadors, Yelawolf, Wagons, the Hobart Bros, Susan Cowsill, The Baseball Project, Bobby Long (I love that song, “Who’ve You Been Loving?”), Band of Heathens, Alejandro Escovedo, Jesse Mallin, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Brian Wright.
• Doing Damngivers PR (almost forgot that one). I was able to pass out stickers, business cards and got packages to some key people at mags, blogs, labels etc. So good work done by me evangelizing the band. It was wonderful to hear feedback by some people there who’ve heard the material. Every time something happens, I’m plenty grateful – so my cup runeth over this trip.
That’s about all I saw but not all I did. Somehow, I also managed to do it all nearly for free! The SXSW gods must’ve been smiling on me.
Big HUGE props go out to my brother Eddie for facilitating many opportunities and then moving out of the way while I stuck my foot in my mouth… ha ha, that may only have happened once or twice ; 0
We’ll see you again next year SXSW – hopefully as a performer. God willing (as my grandma used to always say).
Pictures here: s275.photobucket.com/albums/jj317/1thunderbird/Gerry at SXSW/
