the sharp things at sxsw: part one
18 March 2006 by The Sharp ThingsJim Santo here. Most of The Sharp Things are still in Austin today, but since I’m back home with a camera full of photos, I thought I’d share the highlights of our trip to SXSW 2006, as seen through the eyes of yours truly.
I flew into Austin at noon on Thursday, March 16. After checking in at the Holiday Inn Town Lake, I cabbed it downtown to meet Sharp Things Perry Serpa, Rich Holst and Michelle Caputo at the Team Clermont/The Echo Label day party at Red 7. Just missed our rehearsal-room buddies, The King Of France, but Rich reported they played a good set. Caught brief but enjoyable sets by beat bluesman Stephen Yerkey and blogger faves Tapes ‘N Tapes while knocking back the first of many beers.
Stephen Yerkey at the Team Clermont day party
Tapes ‘n’ Tapes at the Team Clermont day party
While at Red 7, we ran into Bar/None honcho Glenn Morrow, who proudly handed me a copy of our label’s 2006 Sampler CD. Much to our surprise, the disc includes “These Dreams Of You Are So Much Sweeter Than The Truth” from our Bar/None CD Foxes & Hounds! Whoever designed the CD sleeve shortened the song’s title to “Sweeter Than The Truth,” but we all agreed that was a better abbreviation than “These Dreams Of You,” and in any event we were happy to be represented.
On our way to our next destination, an amusing episode ensued. A box truck parked perpendicular to the sidewalk, its back door slammed down and a punk-metal band popped out and immediately began assaulting our ears. Funny stuff.
Our next stop was BD Riley’s, an Irish pub on Sixth Street, where Ireland’s The Chalets were performing. I’d met the Dubliners in NYC last summer but had never heard them play; very much enjoyed their music: bright and bouncy indie-pop comparable to a more hard-rocking B-52s. More beer was consumed as we were joined by Sharp Things Janis Shen and Steve Gonzalez and band friend/photographer Rob Lawi.
The Chalets at BD Rileys
Right next door to Riley’s is Friends Bar, venue for The Sharp Things’ SXSW performance Friday night. Peering in from the sidewalk through the windows that opened onto Friends’ small stage, we discussed how our 10-piece ensemble could possibly fit, and concluded the mission was not impossible.
By this time we were feeling a bit peckish, so Perry, Steve and I embarked to The Ironworks Barbecue for an intensely satisfying meal of ribs, brisket, sausage, and oh yeah, some beans. (Suffice to say, Austin is not what you’d call a vegan’s paradise.)
Dinner at Ironworks Barbecue
As the sun set, we went our separate ways. Steve and Rob went to catch Echo & The Bunnymen at Town Lake Stage and Perry went to the not-so-secret Beastie Boys show at Stubbys, while I, having no interest in such things, reconvened with Michelle for yet more drinks at some upscale Tex-Mex restaurant, the name of which escapes me.
Then it was off to Friends Bar, where ex-Catherine Wheel frontman Rob Dickinson was playing a solo show to a packed house. Must confess, I didn’t actually hear much of his set, as all the Sharps were gathered for the first time and there was, yep, more drinking to be done.
Aisha Cohen, Perry Serpa and Andrea Dovalle at the Rob Dickinson show, Friends Bar
After Dickinson was done, a few of us made our way through the packed streets (closed to traffic) toward the Oslo club, where the Icelandic band Jakob’nar’na was slated to perform. Alas, we just missed their show, which reportedly was quite the ecstatic scene. Local Latin-rock heroes Vallejo were next up, but we weren’t in the mood for that so, our feet and heads pounding, we all hailed a cab and retired for the evening.
Sixth Street, Austin Texas, during SXSW
All of us except Rich, that is, who caught a late-night set by Nomo, a horn band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Rich returned to the Holiday Inn sometime before dawn, awakening me and Brad Madsen from our slumber with an enthusiatic report that neither of us recalled with any clarity in the morning.
Next up: The Sharp Things play SXSW!
previous: boiled ham
next: the sharp things at sxsw: part two