Quirkee.com

When I was younger and dreamed of becoming a rock star, I thought of how cool it would be if one of my parents was a rock star. There would be so many advantages. (The list of disadvantages never occurred to me.) Family trips would be to concerts instead of those boring museums and historical buildings. Great live music would be frequent in our own home. My father would be friends with the members of Rush instead of referring to them as "The Smurfs." I would have gotten my drum set at age 12, when I asked for it, instead of 15 when I was "serious about being a drummer." Then there would be the fabulous record collection in my house. I doubt I would be forced to listen to The Righteous Brothers, Barry Manilow, and England Dan and John Ford Coley.

Mark Ronson never had my problems since he is the stepson of Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones. He got to dabble in playing guitar and drums early in life and then in a band in high school. Then he began listening to his father's records. He became enamored with how cool they were. He was living in New York City with his parents (one of them being a rock star). He was surrounded by a plethora of different musical styles which were emerging during the mid-90's. This mixture of his father's taste in retro music and the hip-hop music he was hearing on underground DJ mixed-tapes laid the ground work for him becoming a DJ.

During my interview with Brent Knopf of the band Menomena, Brent suggested I listen to a band named The National, specifically their album Alligator. Following the interview it took me a few weeks to look them up. Like Brent warned me, I didn't quite get the fascination of the band or the album, at first. Based on Brent's advice, I felt the album was worth future listens. My largest obstacle was becoming acclimated to Matt Berninger's vocal style (just listen and you will understand). Once it clicked with me, the rest of the band already won me over. I realized then, the importance of the combination.

While researching the band initially, I ran across a plethora of reviews with high praise about the album. Some critics even placed the album on their "best of 2005" lists. I wondered why my conversation with Brent was the first time I heard of the band. I realize now, I did hear about the band, but didn't quite take them as something I would be interested in. Various attempts to describe the band's sound from these critics were misleading and off-target. In fact, I didn't actually agree with any description until now. When reviewing their latest album Boxer, a writer and friend of the band, Alec Hanley Bemis, made this attempt which is posted on their myspace page.

When I first saw The Everyday People last year, they immediately became one of my favorite bands. However, their five-track EP Complicated was too short to satisfy my thirst for the band's music. Now they quenched my thirst and it was worth the wait. The band recently released their first full length LP Catch Me. The album makes a firm statement for how popular they should be. After this album catches on, their position in modern music will be solidified.

The songwriting duo of Jeffrey David (Vocals, acoustic guitar) and Chris York (bass) create more than their share of pop hooks on this record. The hooks seem natural, however, unlike the spoon feeding which is represented on the radio today. These songs rock and funk along with distinction and sincerity. They achieved this on their EP, but their songwriting abilities grew on this release.

While researching bands for SXSW 2007, I discovered a band from Denton, TX whose promo photo burned an everlasting image in my mind. Since then, Midlake updated the picture on the SXSW web site to be a more accurate representation of the band. The photo was something similar to what is on the cover of their new release, The Trials of Van Occupanther. The image of the panther headed-human is enough to invoke nightmares (I am assuming the creature is Van Occupanther). However, after hearing the track "Bandits" on their website, the band's identity went beyond the creepy photo.

According to their biography on the all music guide, the band members are from the North Texas University School of Music, a school more known for its world-class jazz program than for producing alternative rock musicians. The school likely provided a unique opportunity for them to increase their understanding and appreciation of music from past decades. Their participation in the respected program most likely influenced the rich compositions on their latest release.

As I approached the Elysium, I noticed a touring van with a huge picture of Thomas Dolby covering the back window. As a big fan of eighties music, I was especially excited about getting to see him. I purchased a Thomas Dolby collection called Retrospectacle a few years back. Every song on the collection was surprisingly good. The collection proved Thomas Dolby not only as an icon for electronic music, but he helped lead the charge, as well. Although, at the time I never thought I would get to see him live.

After the previous show ended, I was able to get close to the electronics rig at stage left which was obviously Dolby's. The most unusual part of his electronic gadgets was the rack of digital sequencers plugged into a PowerMac computer. Since the last time Dolby was on tour, the Mac computer was an Apple IIE. Seeing the new Macintosh computer case proved he wasn't stagnant over his time off. I also admired the antique-looking keyboard contraption setup to his left. The combination of the two devices along with the standard keyboards with some midi attachments personified the man. He is always looking ahead, but not afraid to embrace his past.

I arrived at Latitude 30 an hour early to guarantee a spot in front of the stage for Youth Group's performance the final night of SXSW. My initial observation was how the small venue didn't seem large enough for the band. Having opened for Death Cab for Cutie and gaining rave national reviews for their latest release "Casino Twilight Dogs," I couldn't help but wonder why scheduling brought them to a place which at most could hold around 100 people. Then it occurred to me the scheduling mistake afforded me the opportunity to witness a uniquely intimate performance.

I was hoping to catch the band members hanging out to offer them a beverage of their choice. However, I didn't recognize anyone in the evening's crowd from the publicity photos. Most likely they were caught up in the musical availability of the festival. I got into position for an unobstructed view at the front of the stage. The crowd began to squeeze tight behind me as the roadie set up their instruments on stage. Just then, I noticed the band members filing in through the exit door. At that point, I realized getting them a drink would be at the cost of losing a good view, so I decided to defer until after the show. I was close enough to read the set list taped to the stage at the base of the lead microphone stand. The set list included all of my favorites.

Friday, March 16, 2007 - Austin, TX

The sign on the rear of the stage at Stubb's Amphitheater reminds concert goers they are at a BBQ restaurant which just happens to double as a live music venue. For the final show of the SXSW Friday night showcase, this beacon was to be covered. A mural backdrop was chosen. The mural was a picture depicting London from sometime in the 19th century. Its purpose was to transfer the mood for the British invasion of The Good, The Bad, and The Queen.

The band actually does not consider The Good, The Bad and The Queen to be their name. The moniker actually refers to the project which they are participating members. Specifically, The Good, The Bad and The Queen are all the members who make up society in the city of London. This is the subject of their album by the same name. Having only the one album, there was no mystery to what the band would be playing once they entered the stage.

This year's SXSW Music Festival was a complete blast. I experienced more live music this year than I can ever remember in a four day span. Even though I experienced 23 different bands in those four days, at 2 a.m. early Sunday morning it was sad to realize I was going to wake the next morning with no more bands to see. As always, the number of badge holders and venues made it impossible for me to take in all of my top priorities in every case. However, I still made the most of my time as my second choices in all cases were still amazing experiences. Here are short summaries of each of the shows I attended. In the coming weeks, I will provide more in-depth reviews of some of these performances along with more pictures I took along the way.

It's SXSW time again and Austin is buzzing from the overload as the entertainment industry supplies a powerful current to the Austin film and music scene. Fortunately for me, Quirkee.com was granted a press pass to cover this year's music festival. I will do my best to give Quirkee.com readers the goods as my ears get pinned back with the collective decibel-based forces emitted from many different stages each night.