Rosi's SXSW 2019, Day 6

White Denim at Radio Milk Recording Company

My Last Day in Austin

Words and pictures by Rose Lamela

My last day I jumped into an Uber and headed over to a day party at Radio Milk Recording Company in East Austin. East Austin was the perfect choice to spend my last day of wandering. It only reassured me that Austin had a place in my future as this music city has my heart in mind.

I headed to the Radio Milk Co. party a little too early and was greeted by a very nice guy that shared the list of the day's events which was labeled with a black sharpie on a piece of cardboard. I told him that I was excited to see White Denim, and he told me to make sure I came back for them.

I decided to go by The Liberty to see what was going on there. Line of Fire was playing, and I got to see a bit of their set. They have an eclectic style to them. The lead singer TJ was sort of b-bopping while the bassist went from playing the bass to playing a trumpet. The Liberty also has such a great vibe. It's covered in Mexican folk art and random shrines that made me feel even more at home.

Line Of Fire

I went out in the back to enjoy some food truck eats and noticed the band Asterism. They grabbed my attention mainly because they were so young. They had an entourage of videographers and photographers with them as well. They sat at their merch table and were signing posters. I began to see people walk in with Asterism t-shirts. I immediately got to the front as the place started to get a little packed. Asterism started off hard right from the beginning with fast, heavy metal, lyricless songs. The bass player slapped out a ton of notes on a 7-string. The lead guitarist went to town as if she was trying to compete with Eddie Van Halen for the lead part in a rock band. According to what I saw that Saturday afternoon, he would have lost. The crowd cheered and screamed. They came all the way from Japan to deliver their powerful set to us.

Asterism

I walked around afterwards and checked out the local thrift stores, and coffee shops. East Austin has a different flavor than downtown. It's a little more "country," and it helped me realize that I was in Texas.

I headed over to Radio Milk Co. where they had a stage set up in what looked like someone's backyard. This was where White Denim was going to play for the night. I had missed White Denim several times, and I wasn't going to miss them again. I got to see a few bands on the lineup like Hidden Ritual, Son of Stan, and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. I almost missed my chance to see White Denim, as the power went out several times during the the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets' set.

Hidden Ritual

Son Of Stan

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

When White Denim took the stage, I realized that the nice guy with the cardboard dressed in black sharpie was the bassist. I felt like such a moron as I am a fan of the band but didn't know what they looked like. He smiled at me and said, "Hey, you made it back!!"

White Denim

White Denim

I realized I probably should do little bit of homework before shows. They played a very long set, and people climbed trees and the fence around the yard to see them as they had stopped allowing people to enter the venue. White Denim has a bit of a jam band thing to their live performances that I was a little surprised by. They were pretty damn amazing, and lead singer James Petralli told the crowd he would play til the cops kicked them out. No cops showed up, but they played a full, powerful set.

After the show, I decided to head in as I made the rookie mistake of booking a flight back home for 6 am. I had yet another great Uber ride back, and went in for a nap before saying goodbye to Austin. The ride to the airport was a little sad, but I know I will be back. SXSW is something I will be looking forward to every year if the rock gods grant me the magic pass.

VIDEO: Rock or Die VI, Hard Luck Lounge, Austin, TX, 3/14/19

Asbury Park's Well Wisher at our Rock Or Die VI day party.

You Are There

Here's a YouTube playlist featuring all of the bands booked by Little Dickman Records and CoolDad Music for the sixth installment of the Austin Rock or Die Day Party at Hard Luck Lounge. Thursday, March 14th, 2019, was the most beautiful day of our week down in Austin; and, as usual, Rock or Die was a great opportunity for some of the bands from our Tri-State Area scene to get together between harried dashes from set to set and venue to venue down in Austin.

Our portion of the show featured Gustaf, Stuyedeyed, Grim Streaker, Yawn Mower, Dentist, Looms, Sharkmuffin, Well Wisher, and Old Lady. We heard great music. We enjoyed some cold drinks and family bonding. We got sunburned.

Thanks to Rosi for capturing all of these. She was a one-woman video and audio wrecking crew that day, and I think her hard work paid off. All of these vids are up at the CoolDad Music YouTube Channel. Every time I watch a video on YouTube, people are asking me to subscribe; so I guess that's a thing you could do if you wanted.

Rosi's SXSW 2019, Days 4 & 5

Japanese Breakfast by Rose Lamela

"Dreams" in the Lone Star State

Words and pics by Rose Lamela (with one by Jim)

Days 4 and 5

On day 4, it started to really hit me how much I was loving Austin. Something about the vibe out there made me feel more in tune with myself. I felt part of this foreign city, and I was forgetting my daily routine of adulting. I was becoming less concerned about what was waiting back home.

This also became my favorite day of the trip. I was going to have a chance to film some local Jersey / BK bands in a different part of Austin which was away from the downtown area. When I walked into the Hard Luck Lounge, I was taken aback by how rustic the venue was. It had such a chill vibe that housed picnic tables and resembled a backyard but with no resemblance to anything in Jersey.

Rosi reppin' at Hard Luck Lounge and concentrating on her phone (by CoolDad)

I set up to do what is truly what I enjoy. I love being a photographer, but the dream is to film as many live performances as possible. The sound was absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed talking to the sound guy there. Despite his being super hungover and tired, he was by far very skilled at his craft. Even with some of the equipment issues CoolDad described in his post, the show went on and sounded great.

It was physically draining to shoot all day, but it was cleaned up with a great dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. We talked about life, Austin, music, and of course cameras. I got a ride to my new dwelling for the week, and crashed hard.

Day 5 came in fast, and I decided to hang out at the Austin Convention Center. There were some bands playing there that I got to check out. One being the band Trupa Trupa from Poland. I checked them out after buying my cheesy SXSW hoodie, and I really enjoyed their set. They made a few jokes about what their songs were about, especially one specifically written about snow.

Trupa Trupa

"We get a lot of snow in Poland!" said lead singer Grzegorz Kwiatkowski.

I finished off my stay there by buying a couple of things to send home, and I took in a meditative set from Virgin Pool.

Virgin Pool

This day was all about getting a chance to see Japanese Breakfast. I have been really wanting to see Michelle Zauner since I discovered her early last year. I made it in time to the Container Bar only to stand in my first SXSW line.

I walked in at the end of the Cherry Glazerr set and pushed my way to the front. As I mentioned before, getting to the front at a show in Austin is incredibly easy. The people there are just so nice and they end up striking a conversation with you instead of just giving you a dirty look. Not trying to put you down Jersey and NY, but just saying. There were some technical issues that seemed to last a little longer than usual. Michelle's demeanor remained calm, which is something I am always taken aback by when I see shit hit the fan during sound check. At one poin,t she started to do jumping jacks to relieve some stress resulting from about 30 minutes of troubleshooting audio equipment.

She started her set with "Road Head," which is from her album Soft Sounds from Another Planet. She also played the song "Boyish" which was the very first song I had ever heard thanks to a CoolDad post. She continue to climb on the rails around the stage and sing directly to the audience by delivering an intimate performance. I was so excited to hear her do her a cover of The Cranberries' "Dreams" which is one of my favorite high school era songs.

Japanese Breakfast

After the show, I wandered Austin and decided to go to Shangri-La. A few days prior, I heard music booming from there and made a point to go back. There was a midwest showcase going on, and I got to see some pretty cool bands there. I only got the end of VidCo Kult's set but they went well with a beautiful brisk night on 6th St. Drunk and Attics were hysterical between their lyrics and banter. Their bio on Facebook reads:

"Drugs & Attics is the new premier party drug rock band that's NOT FOR YOUR PARENTS!!!!!!!!"

VidCo Kult

Drugs & Attics

Highlight Rivals came on and battled a bass guitar strap issue with charisma and glam while doing shots of whiskey with the host of the showcase. The Velveteers ended my Friday night with their pop vocals dressed in heavy guitar and drums. I especially dug the song "Atlantic City." I am not being biased. I promise.

Headlight Rivals

The Velveteers

I ordered an Uber; and, as usual, talked to everyone in the car. I got the deets on how cool it is to live in Austin and was told to consider moving there. I went to bed thinking about life and moving south. I thought about this great opportunity to come out here and drown myself with music. Somewhere between those pipe dreams, I passed out in a bed in the Lone Star State.

SXSW 2019, Day 6 w Lee Bains, Annabelle Chairlegs, Viagra Boys, Pip Blom, Lunar Vacation, Tallies, Bambara, and A Giant Dog

A Giant Dog

Sleep When Dead

I woke up in the wee hours of Saturday morning and noticed a figure looming in the dark. "Bye, Jimmy." It was Chris Dickman heading out for his early flight back to Jersey. I'd be on my own for the day.

I had one goal for Saturday. That was to make it to A Giant Dog's midnight set at Cheer Up Charlies. This would be easier said than done as a week's worth of sleeping four hours per night was starting to catch up with me. In previous years, I generally took it easy on Saturday nights, turning in early following some shows during the day. But this would be A Giant Dog's first set of the week, and I would kick myself if I left Austin without seeing them on their home turf.

I made myself a Texas-shaped waffle in the hotel breakfast area and walked downtown. Joe Steinhardt from Don Giovanni Records messaged me that Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires would be hitting the stage at The Side Bar at 1pm. After a more than serviceable couple of slices at Austin's Hoboken Pie, I headed over there to catch the set.

It was the Athens in Austin Day Party, so the bill was filled with Georgia bands. I walked in during the end of the set from The Artisanals on the outside stage. Then, I headed into the darkness of the bar for Lee Bains's set. I'd been trying to hook up with the Glory Fires all week long, and I was happy to run into them finally on the last day. The sun streamed through the big front windows in the bar making taking pictures a challenge.

The Artisanals

The Glory Fires did their usual wild set with Bains moving throughout the crowd and handing his guitar and mic off to eager participants in the audience. After that, I dipped back outside for the last half of the last song from Nashville's Katie Schecter. Back inside for a quiet set from Athens's own Thayer Sarrano. Sarrano performed as a duo with a drummer who also handled some bass duties. I dug her set which had kind of a Mazzy Star vibe.

Lee Bains

Katie Schecter

Thayer Sarrano

Austin, like many cities and towns across the country, has been overrun by dockless shareable scooters and bikes. I never could bring my 49-year-old, relatively uncoordinated self to scoot anywhere; but I do love cycling. I borrowed an electric-assisted bike and was over at Hotel Vegas in a flash.

There, I caught the tail end of the set from Austin punk band, Late, on one half of the patio stage. I slid over to the other half and waited with a whole bunch of people for Stockholm's Viagra Boys. I'd been hearing a bunch about them over the course of the week. Post-punk performance art. Songs like "Can't Get It Up" and "Sports" take down bro-y masculinity with the boys staying in character the whole time.

Late

Viagra Boys

Back over to Patio Stage 2 for Austin psychedelic dream rock band, Annabelle Chairlegs. I wrote about them a few years ago. They played Asbury last year, I think. Rosi really dug them on her first day in Austin. This was my first time seeing them, and they rocked.

Annabelle Chairlegs

Joe from Jersey City had been talking up Amsterdam's Pip Blom (the name of both the band and their lead singer) all week. I saw that they were playing the third outdoor stage at Hotel Vegas, and I decided I had to see what he was on about. He was right. High-energy, gritty garage pop. One of my favorite acts of the festival.

Pip Blom

I grabbed another bike back to my hotel. The motor really helped with the giant hill I had to climb multiple times during the week. Why didn't I do this sooner?

Anyway...

Rest time, then one, final stop at Torchy's Tacos to fuel up for the evening ahead.

I walked over to Las Perlas on 7th to catch another set from Toronto's mesmerizing Tallies (one of only 3 bands I saw more than once, the others being The Beths and Dentist). I walked in just in time to hear Atlanta's Lunar Vacation. The young band call what they do "pool rock." It sits somewhere on the dream pop spectrum. Nice. Tallies absolutely slayed again.

Lunar Vacation

Tallies

By now, it was almost 11; and I knew I would make it. I hoofed it over to Cheer Up Charlies and posted up at the front of the stage just as Brooklyn's Bambara were setting up. I'd seen their name on various bills throughout the day, but I'd be catching their final set. Their guitarist noticed my Mets cap as he went over to set up his pedal board, and we had a nice conversation about the 2019 NL East outlook.

Bambara play eerie, gothic, western / southern-inspired punk. Vocalist Reid Bateh throws himself into the performance without regard for his own personal safety, swinging and slamming the mic stand and falling off the edge of the stage into the crowd. It was a wild set.

Bambara

As A Giant Dog took the stage, lead singer Sabrina Ellis gave me and some of the other people in the front row a nod of acknowledgement. They opened the set just as the clock struck midnight with, appropriately, "Sleep When Dead." At one point, during "Lucky Ponderosa," Ellis kicked a drink; and it splashed over a woman's camera. Ellis apologized, mugged for a few shots, and then picked the camera up and licked it clean.

A Giant Dog

I have a soft spot in my heart for A Giant Dog for a number of personal reasons. But I do think they might just be the best rock and roll band in these United States right now. They brought it for the duration of their 40-minute set on Saturday night.

When they were done, so was I. I wanted to stay for the 1 AM set from Har Mar Superstar, but I was outta gas. I trudged back up the hill, got into my room, and crashed on the bed in my clothes, my camera bag next to me.

Every year after South By Southwest, I have mixed feelings. It's a long week away from family, and I do get lonely at times. I run myself into the ground taking pictures and trying to kick out posts; and I'm never really sure who is paying attention. I wonder if I'm making any connections or doing anything really to grow the site.

But I'll tell you something. When I'm down in it, getting jostled around, taking pictures, and screaming along with my favorite band, there really isn't any place I'd rather be.

SXSW 2019, Day 5 w Mike Krol, Spider Bags, Gymshorts, Bad Moves, Low Cut Connie, The Beths, CHAI, and Charly Bliss

Charly Bliss

The Ides of March

After our showcase at Hard Luck Lounge on Thursday, Chris Dickman and I surprised ourselves with how early we were up and out the door. We took the rented equipment back over to the good people at Austin's Rock n Roll Rentals (Again, can't recommend them highly enough), and then picked up the Yawn Mower dudes for a little blunch at P. Terry's Hamburger Stand.

Chris was looking to browse for some records, and I still hadn't caught a set from Mike Krol. The stars aligned on that one as Mike Krol and his band were playing the Waterloo Records Day Party. We hopped over there, and I got myself situated in the photo pit.

One of the things I often forget to do when shooting a show is format the card in my camera before I start. After about 16 shots of Mike Krol, I got the message that my card was full. Forgetting that I had my SD card case in my bag, I just re-formatted the one in the camera and pretty much missed out on my two-song allotment from the pit. Oh, well. I shot from the barricade, and still ended up with way too many.

Mike Krol

I've grown into a huge Mike Krol fan over the last several months. This set was good, but it didn't have the wild vibe of an indoor club at night with Krol's strobes giving me a seizure.

We left Yawn Mower at Waterloo so they could see Spiral Stairs, and I headed to The Side Bar where The Midgetmen's annual Jump Start showcase was going down. Chris and I took our sweet time, and I ended up walking in just as Dentist were breaking down from their set. Who knows if I'll ever get another chance to see them play?

There were plenty of other bands on the bill that I wanted to see, and I managed to catch sets from Spider Bags, Gymshorts, and Bad Moves. I've seen Spider Bags a bunch at this point. Friday's set took me back to that first time they blew me away at The Saint. I remembered Gymshorts from their opening set for Tacocat at Rough Trade a few months back. They're heavy and loud with a big dose of humor thrown in.

Gymshorts

Spider Bags

I've loved Bad Moves since their self-titled EP from a couple of years ago. 2018's Tell No One is one of my favorite albums maybe ever. It's a power-pop masterpiece. I'd never managed to catch a set from them before, though; so I was grinning like an idiot when they played "Spirit FM," "The Verge," and other songs I've been in love with for a while now. Both Gymshorts and Bad Moves played in the bar, and it was bordering on pitch black in there.

Bad Moves

The line across the street for The Current's showcase at Barracuda was around the block for most of the day. By the time I walked over there at 5pm or so, things had died down enough for me to get inside for Philly's Low Cut Connie. I was able to stake out a spot up front among the Low Cut Connie die-hards. Frontman Adam Weiner is a showman and a blast to shoot. He came down from the stage at one point and put a big bear hug on me as well as anybody else he bumped into in the crowd. It's impossible not to get swept up in the emotion and community of a Low Cut Connie set, and I was feelin it.

Low Cut Connie

Time for a dinner break, so Chris and I headed over to one of the many Torchy's Tacos that dot the city. I would eat at this place every frigging day if we had them here. Then, we drove over to Hard Luck Lounge just in time for me to walk in after another set from Dentist. Welp. Guess that was probably my last chance with them.

Anyway...

2/3rds of Dentist and I headed over to the Rolling Stone party at Native Hostel to catch The Beths and Charly Bliss; while Chris, Emily, and Yawn Mower headed over to Lady Bird Lake to see the big show from Big Boi, Cee Lo, and Dungeon Family.

Native Hostel was starting to pack out, but we got in early enough that I was able to worm my way up front. Taylor Janzen was playing when we walked in. In just the few minutes that we watched, the Winnipeg native blew me away with her voice.

Taylor Janzen

The Beths delivered another great-sounding set, but they were clearly a little more subdued than when I'd seen them earlier in the week. When I'm at South By Southwest, I'm kind of cut off from the news. It wasn't until after they'd played that I learned of the horrific terrorist attack that took place in their home country of New Zealand earlier that day. It stung to think about how they must all be feeling being so far from home on such a sad day. All I could do was silently will some peaceful vibes their way.

The Beths

In between The Beths and Charly Bliss was Japan's CHAI. What a wild set. Twin sisters. Everyone dressed in pink. Sugary, joyful, and a little bit subversive. Narduwar The Human Serviette was right next to me absolutely loving them. Judging from my Instagram feed, I think I'm the only person who was at South By Southwest who was too nervous to ask him for a picture.

CHAI

Charly Bliss came out and powered through a set marred by technical problems. They did their best with virtually no help from the on-site sound crew. Beths' guitarist Jonathan Pearce eventually came out and did some of the sound crew's work for them, dealing with the microphone that was shocking singer Eva Hendricks for the entire set.

Charly Bliss

For their part, Charly Bliss did what they could. The understandable frustration became apparent at points, but they didn't let it sap the fun from their set. I love Charly Bliss's debut, Guppy. I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about the band's new sonic direction; but, live, the new songs definitely had some edge.

Our two groups reconvened at Attabar to end the night. I did some designated driving and Uber'd back to the hotel to rest in preparation for one more go on Saturday.

Rosi's SXSW 2019, Days 2 & 3

Low Cut Connie by Rose Lamela

Not Missing Jersey

Words and pics by Rose Lamela

Day 2

My second day in Austin was more of an exploratory adventure of this interesting city located in the big state of Texas. I also wanted to walk around and enjoy the nice warm weather as I had left a cold wintry NJ behind. I walked over to a local coffee shop where I witnessed firsthand the friendly nature of the folks residing in this small capital city.

I chatted for almost an hour with a woman who moved to Austin from LA. She told me about all the cool venues and things to do here. I jotted down notes, and she wished me well on my travels. I walked over the bridge on Congress Avenue famously known for the bats that take shelter underneath it. I took a deep breath of the fresh Texas air and just kept on truckin.

I continued to make instant friends, whether it would be on the street or at shows. Being from the East Coast, I did find this a little strange. I even bumped into the bassist and vocalist from the band Dehd walking around town. I quickly added them to my list of bands to see after our interesting banter about the music scenes in both Philly and Chicago.

I met up with CoolDad, and we talked about who we were going to see that night. I scarfed down a Texas brat and, we looked through ShowlistAustion.com, which I highly suggest if you ever need a great guide to show listings when visiting. We both chose our venues for the night and parted ways. I chose Mohawk as it was suggested by one of my new Austin buddies.

I got to see an array of music there. I arrived right before Night Glitter began to play. A photographer told me that they were one her favorite bands. They had a very psychedelic sound to them filled with french lyrics. I dug it even though I waited for a projector to fill the blue stage that never came. The crowd slowly swayed in response to their music.

Night Glitter

I kept bouncing from the outside stage to the inside stage. The inside was more low key. I got to enjoy a touch of country folk with Carson McHone and the Joe Cocker feel of Kevin Galloway's voice. The crowd there was looking more for peace of mind in their music.

Carson McHone

Kevin Galloway

Spiral Stairs came on after Night Glitter on the outside stage and was "in your face" with his punchy lyrics and alt rock sound. His fans responded when cued to sing along, and things got a little rowdy but not as rowdy as the crowd for Low Cut Connie. They know how to put on a show despite lead singer Adam Weiner's need to stick his middle finger to any camera shooting his photo. I, of course, don't mind as it makes for a great photo. He did grab my hat which I was able to retrieve, so no hard feelings. Watching him jump on his piano and dance gave out a very mutual energy between the crowd and the performers. It was a satisfying end to my second day in SXSW. Thanks, Low Cut Connie!!!

Spiral Stairs

Low Cut Connie

Day 3

I woke up super tired on day 3 but more excited to get back out on the road. I had a few destinations scheduled. I wanted to go to see my new acquaintance and her band Dehd at Hotel Vegas, the best venue in Austin in my opinion.

I went straight to Hotel Vegas and got me another food truck meal. It was a nice sunny day, and the heat felt nice on my face and made me wonder why I live somewhere where it can be so damn cold too many months out of the year. Sorry, Jersey. I wasn't feeling you out here.

I walked to the back stage and caught Dehd. I love the hint of surf rock in their music. This three-piece band from Chicago has a catchy live vibe to them. I really like the basic drum kit that I know now contributes to their sound. I especially liked the song "Lucky." They opened up my day for more music in Austin.

Dehd

There was a back stage on the Hotel Vegas patio that had the sounds of a band named Melenas from Spain. I'm always immediately drawn to girl bands. I had never heard a rock band from Spain live, so I hung out a bit and listened. Anyone that knows me knows one thing for sure. I usually despise Spanish rock bands (I can say this because I grew up around it). Melenas officially changed that. They are cool rockers!!

Melenas

After Melenas entertained us with their sound, The Blank Tapes came on. Now this band had the 60s vibe that I like from some of my earliest rock favorites. I wouldn't say they sound like The Mamas and The Papas, but they would possibly be jamming alongside them if they were put in a time machine. I especially loved the band's style as it complimented the genre of music they played. I know I mentioned this before, but I love that I get to relive eras of music that I was not alive to witness the first time around.

The Blank Tapes

Somewhere around the end of The Blank Tapes' set, I got a text from CoolDad telling me that The Black Angels were going to be at Mohawk later in the day. I decided to go for yet another walk in the beautiful music city. I got a cup of joe and weaved in and out of thrift stores and shops towards my next destination.

The Black Angels are one of my favorite bands to see live. It was exciting to see them in their home base. I managed to get in, and there were two guys up front who kindly let me get in front of them to shoot photos. This kind attitude towards photographers is something I had to get used to but not get too used to, as I will have to eventually come back home someday. I got to be up front for most of their set. They played "Comanche Moon" and "Young Men Dead." I have to say it was odd to see them without all the trippy lights and projector, but I did smell the grass.

The Black Angels

I met up with CoolDad again, which was nice as we didn't really get to hang as we went our separate ways a lot so we could capture more stuff. We got some food and met some cool Texas natives who gave us a quick lecture of the state of our nation. For me it reminded me to be grateful for what I have because sometimes other people are not as privileged as I am. I felt it there under the hot Texas sun. A little history lesson and a bit of self awareness.

I then headed to Cheer Up Charlies to see The Ophelias who I just starting listening to at the airport while waiting to catch my flight to Austin. Anytime you give me some violin in my rock music, you got my attention. I walked in a little after they started, and I heard the banter of the people from Ohio cheering them on as they are Cincinnati natives. They remind me of the band Belly. Very mellow with a pop beat. We already know how I feel about all-girl bands. They are just all way cooler in my book.

The Ophelias

After my fill of both wandering and listening to music I hopped into an Uber. My Uber pool rides were also just as entertaining as the rest of my experience in Austin. I got to meet locals and visitors on all my rides. Sometimes, I would end up belly laughing on my ride home with a funny Uber driver right before hitting the bed and passing out from the exhaustion.

Check out all of Rosi's shots as they go up at her Flickr account.