Between planning an epic two day party and launching a quarterly print journal, True Sincerity, my SXSW was less packed with bands than it has been in almost a decade. That said, we still found time to see music at both official showcases and unofficial parties. Here’s a list of the five best things we saw last week. Don’t worry, there will be more coverage of SXSW 2014 in the coming days.
1. You’re Here! Party at Up Collective.
Yes, our own party is the best thing I saw. We saw over 1,200 people over two days, hosted 34 bands on two stages, and gave away 2,000 beers. Located at Up Collective at E Cesar Chavez and Pedernales, You’re Here! offered folks a chance to get away from the mass insanity of downtown, hang out at a space with food and drinks, and experience some of the best acts in town both local and touring. The mantra of SXSW seems to be “Everywhere Else.” There’s always something happening somewhere else, and attendees are pulled a thousand different directions by marketing and promotion. At our party, you’re here. It may sound silly, but I tried to embrace this immediacy and not worry about essentially missing the first two days of official SXSW events. Mirah headlined the second night of You’re Here!, and if there was only one band I could have seen this year, it would have been Mirah. To have an artist I love so personally playing on a stage constructed by my friends at a party I helped to organize was easily the high point of the week.
2. La Luz at Hotel Vegas
Okay, so I’ve seen La Luz three times now. It wasn’t going to stop me from seeing them again. They’re one of my favorite bands to see live right now, and they never disappoint. Presumably it was the short sets of SXSW that prevented the band from insisting the crowd perform a Soul Train line. Recently, the band lost their bassist, who has been replaced by Lena Simon, who is–well, excellent doesn’t quite cover it. The band is tighter than ever.
3. Angel Olsen — Secretly Canadian Showcase at Red Eyed Fly
We missed Angel Olsen’s set at Holy Mountain a couple of weeks ago, so she was at the top of our must-see list, since we’re in love with her newest effort, Burn Your Fire For No Witness. The set didn’t disappoint and featured songs from the aforementioned album, such as “Forgiven/Forgotten” and the relentlessly catchy “Hi-Five.” Of course, SXSW ensured that the set was a brief one, so we’re hoping Olsen will be back to Austin soon with an extended performance.
4. Dana Falconberry — Riot Act Media Showcase at Javelina
If you’ve ever read Pop Press International before, you’re likely aware that Dana Falconberry is one of our favorite musicians, Austin-based or otherwise. Her set on the inaugural night of music featured a slew of new songs from her yet-to-be-released album. The record has been in the works for the better part of year and is being recorded by Jim Eno at Public Hi-Fi Studios. We can’t wait.
5. Twin Shadow — Red Bull Sound Select Party at The Belmont
It seems that Twin Shadow has been in Austin three or four times in the past year, but that doesn’t make his dance pop sets any less fun. Red Bull Sound Select has expanded epically in the last few years, and their parties at SXSW have become high-profile, must-attend events. George Lewis didn’t hold back on the hits, kicking off the set with well-known singles “Five Seconds” and “Golden Light.”
