People drunk. After day one-ish of SXSW Music, it’s a new term. People drunk is the dulled sensation, the open-mouth brain shock of trying to figure out which great band to catch in a completely huge crowd. Looking at yesterday’s schedule (and today’s…and tomorrow’s), it’s an overwhelming choice. So, yeah,…
Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. Guitarist Scott Porter has helped anchor Record Hop with two fantastic full-lengths, especially their self-titled second album, which was…
Lady GagaAmerican Airlines CenterMarch 14, 2011Better than: missing out on the chance to see a pop icon like Gaga at her peak. “I am certain that Jesus must love EVERYBODY,” Gaga roared into her mic at American Airlines Center last night. “Jesus loves everybody.”Gaga was preaching.”I told you we were…
Last year, the costumed Lady Gaga fans lined up in capes and holding “Gaga 4 President” signs.It was no different last night, when a steady line of fans wearing cigarette-flecked glasses and thick skeleton paint wound outside the American Airlines Center.Catherine Downes will be along shortly with a review of…
Without question, Sunday’s offering at the 2011 35 Conferette was the Denton festival’s strongest, featuring performances from the likes of Davila 666, Miami Horror, Colour Revolt, !!!, Portugal. The Man, Big Boi, A Place to Bury Strangers, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Gayngs, Kid Koala, Dan Deacon, The Civil Wars, Viva Voce,…
Gayngs1 a.m., Hailey’s ClubThroughout the day, it was unclear: Would Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon be among the 11 or so members of the 23-member Gayngs outfit performing at Hailey’s Club to close out the 2011 35 Conferette? At first, as had been the festival’s booking agreement, rumor was that he…
Dan Deacon1 a.m., Rubber Gloves Rehearsal StudiosRubber Gloves, the way its creator meant for it to be — swimming with the flailing appendages of sticky college students, the air clammy and thick with the palpable stench of dozens of human bodies excreting gasses and liquids, feeding into a stagnant air…
Nite Jewel11:40 p.m., Hailey’s ClubNite Jewel’s set at 35 Conferette on Sunday night proved to be as interesting, frail and filigreed a thing as the band’s name implies. But following Denver-based Pictureplane’s rousing, bass-thumping set wouldn’t have been an envious position for many acts. What with Travis Egedy on his…
Big Boi8:10 p.m., Main Stage One After a brief word from festival founder Chris Flemmons, in which he thanked the crowds and organizers for helping the festival finally reach its goal of being a completely walkable deal in downtown Denton, Atlanta rapper and festival headliner Big Boi — half of…
Portugal. The Man7 p.m., Main Stage TwoAbout 10 minutes before Portugal. The Man began their set, it seemed as though they wouldn’t draw a large audience because of !!!’s near-simultaneous performance on Main Stage One. That turned out not to be the case, though: By the time the band started…
!!!6:30 p.m., Main Stage OneIt took all of one song for !!! singer Nic Offer to whip the Main Stage crowd into wild abandon; by the end of opener “AM/FM,” from last year’s Strange Weather, Isn’t It?, Miami Horror was a distant memory. If the band’s hypnotic grooves and electronic…
The Toadies, Ume, Ishi, True Widow and Here Holy Spain at the Dallas Observer St. Patrick’s Day Party Saturday, March 12, 2011 Energy Square Better than: Sitting for hours in one spot, getting drunk and watching the parade. The sea of green stretched for miles in both directions on Greenville…
Miami Horror5:15 p.m., Main Stage OneHe may be a white guy from Melbourne, Australia, but, of all the artists who come to mind when watching Ben Piant perform as Miami Horror, Prince is the foremost among them. On record, songs like “Soft Light” and “Moon Theory” are pure electropop confection,…
Speaking of an intense music weekend…Twitter was abuzz around midnight last night. The rumor: Lady Gaga is crashing the Round-Up Saloon on Cedar Springs. Gaga, as you’re probably aware, is performing tonight at the American Airlines Center with the Scissor Sisters for her Monster Ball Tour. Turns out Twitter’s ears…
After a bumpy start on Thursday, with things then smoothing out a bit on Friday, it shouldn’t have been terribly shocking that Saturday made for some clear sailing. Seemingly everything went off without much trouble. Of course, any night of concerts that starts with a stage full of rap video-style…
Esben and The Witch1 a.m., Andy’s BarBrighton’s Esben and the Witch is not entirely unlike an electronic version of Shiny Around The Edges — Shiny’s Jenny Seman and Rachel Davies even have a similar stage presence. And so it was quite fitting that Esben and The Witch followed that Denton…
How To Dress Well1 a.m., Hailey’s ClubLooking over the densely packed 35 Conferette schedule, Saturday night’s show at Hailey’s Club in particular stood out. Festival performers How to Dress Well and Blissed Out, both performing on this stage, have each reached nationwide acclaim, and are, however fortunately or unfortunately, generally…
John Grant with Midlake1 a.m., Dan’s SilverleafAt the end of a night that saw a mostly all-local bill draw big numbers to Dan’s Silverleaf to the tune of being essentially a one-in, one-out affair all night long, a real treat: John Grant, whose Queen of Denmark was named Mojo magazine’s…
Local NativesMain Stage OneWith the slightest adjustment of the pink and purple berry-colored lights, the teeming Denton crowd, prematurely yelped for their Saturday night headlining act, Los Angeles’ Local Natives. The night had long been dark, and a young Denton crowd with dogs and bikes and beards had gathered, anxiously…
Big Freedia7 p.m., Main Stage TwoThere’s no doubt an element of empowerment at play within Big Freedia’s thumping, bass-heavy offerings of so-called “sissy bounce” hip-hop. Freedia, the self-proclaimed “Queen Diva” of bounce music, is a rarity in the rap world as an open homosexual. And, for that, she should no…
Yesterday was a banner day for North Texas music nerds. Without doing too much self-horn tooting, the St. Patrick’s Day Concert–just outside the parade–presented some completely killer sets from local musicians.The Toadies headlined of course, which brought a warm-bellied St. Patrick’s Day crowd into Energy Square. Here Holy Spain, True…
As was the case on night one of the 35 Conferette on Thursday night, a palpable sense of something was evident as the main stage headliners took to their respective stages.Whereas on Thursday night, there was an awkward, disjointed feel to the beginning of the affair, Friday night offered a…
