the sharp things at sxsw: part two

19 March 2006 by The Sharp Things

Hey it’s Jim Santo again, bringing you more adventures of The Sharp Things in Austin, Texas, at the 20th annual South by Southwest Music Festival.

Friday, March 17, would prove to be a momentous day, and not just because it was St. Patrick’s Day (let it be noted that the wearin’ o’ the green is not nearly as big a deal in Austin as it is back home in New York City) — this was the day we performed at SXSW!

But first, there was business to be done. After a hearty buffet breakfast with Sharp Things Steve Gonzalez, Rich Holst and Perry Serpa at the Holiday Inn Town Lake, I and the rest of The Sharp Things walked over to the Austin Hilton Hotel for an interview with legendary DJ Dennis “The Menace” Scheyer, host of the Menace’s Attic and Just Another Menace Sunday radio shows on KUSF in San Francisco.

Dennis proved to be an excellent, well-prepared interviewer as he skillfully guided all nine of us (our new trumpeter, Pierre de Gaillande, couldn’t make the interview) through a series of thoughtful, probing and often funny questions. We gave him credit for even attempting to interview a nine-piece band, but he really did a great job of keeping us under control. Spirits were high after we learned that Dennis planned to devote an entire hour to The Sharp Things on his Sunday show! It’s slated to air in about three weeks; join our mailing list to get details when we have them.

Dennis the Menace interviews The Sharp Things at SXSW

After the interview, I and Sharp Things Brad Madsen, Rich Holst, Andrea Dovalle, along with friend Rob Lawi, talked our way into the the Australian Music Collective’s Aussie Showcase & BBQ at Brush Square Park, across the street from the convention center.

Despite what seemed to be paltry attendance, the girl at the gate gave us a hard time, insisting it was an “industry only” showcase for “badge holders only” (our performing-artist wristbands earned us no points). She finally relented when we assured her that not all nine members of The Sharp Things were seeking admission. The absurdity of her stance was only underscored when Sharp Thing Janis Shen, arriving a little while later, swanned in with scarcely a challenge from the Aussie gatekeeper. (I guess it’s all about attitude, eh Janis?)

Brad and Rich at the Aussie showcase

After consuming some yummy BBQ and Aussie beer, and listening to the ‘60s-style rock of The Lovetones, we went off in search of more merriment — an elusive goal, as it turned out. Hooking up with Sharp Thing Aisha Cohen, Andrea, Rob and I went to the Equal Vision Records/Smartpunk day party at Emo’s, which proved deadly dull. Just a bunch of sullen kids hanging out with their ridiculous haircuts as generic emo bands blared. Ugh.

A dull day party at Emo’s

But all was not lost, as a random stop at the “multi-label showcase” at The Parish found us awaiting a performance by The Bellrays a fantastic “maximum rock and soul” band from Los Angeles that sound like the MC5 fronted by Tina Turner. I’ve been following The Bellrays for the better part of a decade (last saw them back in 2001 at the Mercury Lounge) and was incredibly psyched to see them again.

But first we had to endure a dreary set by The Spores, an LA-based electro-rock that initially intrigued, opening their set with some bizarre puppetry, but soon devolved into an uninteresting Garbage clone. Then there was Bacon Shoe, an obscene comedy-rap act featuring a guy in a biscuit-head costume cooking bacon on an electric griddle. They were mildly funny but the bacon was delicious.

At last came The Bellrays! It is impossible to over-hype this band. Superlatives cannot convey the cathartic rock n’ roll produced by Lisa Kekaula and her band. She’s a soul shouter of the highest order and a Bellrays show is an almost religious experience. They truly rocked our world and we left elated and electrified. It was a much-needed antidote to an afternoon of mediocre music, and the perfect prelude to our own performance — as chronicled in the next installment of The Sharp Things at SXSW!

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