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.

10 Favorite Cover Songs of 2017

A Giant Dog

Year-End Coverage

New Jersey. Jersey Shore. Asbury Park. Covers, baby!

10. Yawn Mower, "Margaritaville" (Jimmy Buffett)

The first time I heard the guys do this one, I think, was at Trenton's Millhill Basement. It had to be a nod to Jimmy Buffett superfan, Chris Dickman, who was there because Little Dickman Records and I were co-presenting the show. The song was barely recognizable then. Now, it's recognizable as both Buffett and Yawn Mower. It has that Yawn Mower drone that's, weirdly, doomy and fun at the same time.



9. SLEEPiES, "I Wanna Holler" (Gary U.S. Bonds)

I love SLEEPiES. Jersey loves Gary U.S. Bonds. This one is from about 20 years before he started collaborating with The Boss, and SLEEPiES give it a western-y vibe for 2017.



8. Jonathan Rado, "Thunder Road" (Bruce Springsteen)

C'mon. This had to be here. It's a pretty faithful rendition of a song for which I have every little vocal inflection from the original committed to memory. It comes from Rado's full-album cover of Born to Run.



7. Low Cut Connie, "Controversy" (Prince)

This one falls into that category of a cover that's a perfect match for the artist (See below). Prince is a clear influence on Low Cut Connie's Adam Weiner, and this is a fitting tribute.



6. Well Wisher, "Teenage Dirtbag" (Wheatus)

Well Wisher, the project of former dollys drummer Natalie Newbold, has been covering this one since they began. The song is like an O. Henry story with that cool twist ending. You can find the studio version featuring Newbold (vocals / guitar), Erik Kase Romero (bass), and Mike Lindardi (drums) over at Well Wisher's website. This is a video shot by YouTube user Nathen Hutchison.



5. Sharif Mekawy of Looms, "Hummingbird" (Wilco)

"Hummingbird" is, by far, my favorite post-Jay Bennett Wilco song. Mekawy did this as part of the I'll Be Around Wilco tribute album (on which, amazingly, nobody covered "Jesus Etc.," the song from which the comp takes its title) to benefit The Project Matters. I could listen to this version 1000 times, and I probably have.



4. dollys, "The Way You Make Me Feel" (Michael Jackson)

I first heard dollys do this one at the Indie Pop Winter Formal I threw at The Saint to start 2016. To kick off 2017, they released this on the Covers tape they put out with Little Game Records to benefit Planned Parenthood. dollys do an amazing job here of translating this very 80s pop classic into their own three-piece format.



3. Charly Bliss, "Steal My Sunshine" (Len)

I went to the release show for Charly Bliss's Guppy back in May, and they busted out this cover of Len's "Steal My Sunshine." I remember thinking back then that the combination of bubblegum pop and 90s nostalgia was a perfect match for Charly Bliss. I guess it was an easy choice for them when they went in to do an A.V. Undercover session.



2. Daddy Issues, "Boys of Summer" (Don Henley)

This is a great, great song. I went to the second or third ever concert of my life (Don Henley / Katrina and The Waves) on the strength of this song alone. Daddy Issues dirty up the pristine, 80s cool of the original.



1. A Giant Dog, "Angst in My Pants" (Sparks)

Confession: I didn't know this was a cover until after I'd been listening to Toy for a while. That's kind of inexcusable considering that I think it's on the Valley Girl soundtrack. Anyway. I loved this one even before I knew it was a cover. It's done kind of double-time when compared to the original, and the building tension and release are cathartic.

Nicole Atkins Played Wonder Bar with Low Cut Connie, 11/25/17

Nicole Atkins

Goodnight Rhonda Lee

I stuck my earplugs into my ears and stood there in my sort of muffled isolation. It was warm, too. As usual, I'd arrived at Wonder Bar just as the doors opened; so, at this point, I'd been standing in my picture-taking spot for over an hour.

"What am I even doing?" I thought.

I have those thoughts sometimes as I stand there with my doofy camera bag, alone, sweating even though I'm not doing anything, having arrived super-nerdily early, waiting for the show to get started. On Saturday, things were exacerbated by the fact that my back had been giving me problems all day, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to make it out. I'd thrown back a probably ill-advised amount of ibuprofen, though, and decided to fight my way through it.

Then, at around 8:30, Philly's Low Cut Connie took the stage. For forty-five mintues or so, I forgot everything that was making me cranky. I snapped pictures with a big, stupid grin on my face as the band barreled through their set. Frontman Adam Weiner banged the keys on Shondra, his upright piano. At times, he delivered sermons while standing on his piano bench or after having made his way to Shondra's highest point.

Low Cut Connie

"If you stick with Low Cut Connie... If we all stick together... We can't looooooooooooooose!"

Soulful, boozy, breakneck, barroom rock and roll. That's what Low Cut Connie do so well. Weiner is a wild emcee, sometimes making his way into the audience to hug everyone in his path while the rest of the band go wild on stage.

Low Cut Connie

There were plenty of people in Nicole Atkins's hometown crowd who sang along with "Back In School," "Boozophilia," "Shake It Little Tina," and "Revolution Rock N Roll." Even those who may have never experienced Low Cut Connie before seemed to get caught up in Weiner's whirlwind -- playing piano while standing up on the bench, throwing his sweat into the crowd, grinding Tillie. By the time it was all over, I didn't even notice my back. The cure for what ails ya, I guess.

Low Cut Connie

Amped and ready to go, I waited for Nicole Atkins. I've followed her career since before starting CoolDad Music. I still remember taking CoolDaughter #1 to brunch one Sunday where Atkins signed the top of my girl's takeout box. CD1 still has that in her room. Atkins relocated from Asbury Park to Nashville a couple of years ago, and this was a holiday homecoming show for her.

Nicole Atkins

Nicole Atkins

This summer, Atkins released her fourth studio album, Goodnight Rhonda Lee; and, after three extremely solid efforts, she's really found herself, I think. The album is soulful with hints of country and rock. It places the focus squarely on Atkins's formidable voice, where it should be. Album standouts like "Listen Up!," "A Little Crazy," and "Sleepwalking" translated beautifully live, especially the Roy Orbison-influenced "A Little Crazy" which Atkins co-wrote with Chris Isaak.

Nicole Atkins

Atkins peppered the set with old favorites like "Maybe Tonight," "The Way It Is," and "Cry Cry Cry." She bookended the evening with covers, opening with Can's "Vitamin C" (which Atkins released as a b-side to "Vultures" back in 2010. I somehow acquired a signed copy of the single and can't remember how I got it.) and closing with her rendition of David Bowie's "Heroes." As usual, her voice was mesmerizing; and friends, family, and strangers alike seemed to get pretty caught up in it. I did anyway.

"What am I even doing?"

On Saturday, I was spending the evening with two great artists -- one of whom, you could say, was an early inspiration for CoolDad Music. I felt about 1000 times better walking out of the Wonder Bar than I did walking in; and, really, what more can you ask from a show.

Pictures from both sets are in the Flickr galleries and on the Facebook page.

SXSW, Day 1: Travel Day & Hotel Vegas

Low Cut Connie

Heaven or Hotel Vegas (Legend has it that Amy Dickman coined this phrase which now appears on Hotel Vegas T-Shirts.)

This is a day later than I wanted it to be, but yesterday (Day 2) ended up being a long day.

Anyway, did you know that you can schedule rides from Lyft in advance? I found this out recently and thought -- since I used Lyft regularly and reliably at last year's SXSW and often use them to get home from Asbury Park in the wee hours -- it would be a great way to get to the airport. On Sunday night, I followed all of the steps in the app and set myself up with a 5:30am ride to Newark airport.

Whenever I have to travel the next day, I don't sleep particularly well. After tossing and turning all night, I received a text from Lyft at 4:23 that said:

"Reminder: Lyft pickup scheduled for 5:30AM-5:40AM at [CDMHQ]"

Shower. Final bit of packing. Wait.

5:25am:

"Your Lyft ride has been canceled as no drivers are available. This happens in rare cases, and we sincerely apologize for letting you down."

LOL WUT? Five minutes' notice??

I could handle this. I decided to take CoolMom's car to the airport and leave her the CoolVan for the week. Flat tire.

CoolMom drove me over to my parents' house and I borrowed one of their cars for the week. I ended up making my flight in plenty of time, but it was way too much hassle for 5:30 in the morning. I won't be using Lyft again for anything and neither should you.

OK. Negative Yelp review over.

I got to Austin at around 3pm local time; and, after settling into the hotel, went and picked up my credentials at the Convention Center. I availed myself of the daily free cocktail that comes with a badge and then decided to hoof it over to Hotel Vegas which looked like the most promising option for the day.

Recent Wonder Bar headliners, Leopold and His Fiction, were onstage when I arrived. The band are pretty straightforward garage rock combining rootsy blues with some of the proto-punk style that originated in Leopold's hometown of Detroit. I took a few shots in the bright daylight and was, once again, amazed at how well my little mirrorless cameras perform when fed plenty of sunshine.

Leopold and His Fiction

Next up were Brazil's Boogarins, a band I'd seen at The Saint a few months ago. They play swirling, psychedelic, almost ambient rock. After their set, I decided that Southwest Airlines peanuts and Ritz crackers had left me a little peckish; and I left to grab a burger and relax at the hotel for a while.

Boogarins

It was back to Hotel Vegas with Chris and Amy Dickman for the evening. We caught a few minutes of the wild and weird Golden Dawn Arkestra before heading inside for the set from Atlanta post-punks OMNI. They turned in a super-tight set, and I would definitely not mind checking them out again this week.

Philly / Jersey band Low Cut Connie had the main stage outside. Pianist / frontman Adam Weiner channels Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard during the band's wild sets, standing up on the piano and moving through the crowd. In between every song, Weiner shouted his love for Austin and the audience.

Low Cut Connie

Finally, LA shoegaze band, Cosmonauts, took over inside. If Low Cut Connie's was my favorite performance of the day, then Cosmonauts had my favorite sounds of the day. I last saw Cosmonauts in New Orleans in a very dark, very weird bar. I immediately lost myself in their sound, and they provided a great capper to my first day in Austin.

Cosmonauts

I went back to the hotel and slept like I hadn't in a long time. Even missed La Quinta's included breakfast and my chance to work the waffle iron.

I'll be back later -- or maybe tomorrow -- to tell you about Day 2. Meanwhile, I have some pictures to edit.