SXSW 2011 Bullets (3/20/11)

One final set of bullets as the festival comes to a close. Only 6 months until ACL!

• Shows that sound almost too good to be true -- huge stars, free drinks and food, cool location -- often are for the unlucky masses. Chuck Eddy of Rolling Stone on the reality of the exclusivity prevalent at SXSW as demonstrated by the closing party at VEVO Power Station: "But first, everybody had to get in. Or at least the so-called "lucky 2000" that actually got badges or VIP passes did; the lower caste horde left pushing outside – which around half past midnight felt like it was about to turn into a 1979 Who audience in Cincinnati – will have to watch a filmed version later. This writer actually had to be personally pulled up through the middle of the crowd by a helpful security agent and to jump over a barrier fence in the process, after circling his badge high in the air to signal his location, and he apparently wasn't alone. And days before that, it was necessary to repeatedly text a cryptic phrase to a secret number, and repeatedly receive texted rejections in return stating capacity had already been reached, then eventually get an email indicating otherwise and from there pick up a secret badge in the bar lobby of a secret hotel – hence hyping up an oddly elitist sense of exclusivity and scarcity that naïfs might foolishlessly think is the antithesis of a festival once meant to democratically showcase not-yet-rockstar talent. And once one got in and the show finally started, one found some of the most impossible sight lines of one's concert-going career, and sonics not a whole lot more useful." And what about the performances from the over-the-top lineup? "Mos Def proved the most rhythmically dexterous, Pusha T of the Clipse had the richest voice, and Jay- Z the hardest stomp, which partly explains why he got the crowd the most pumped up. Which left Kanye merely the artiest and most conceptual."
• For another take on Kanye's performance, check this out from Chris Riemenschneider of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Everything about the fest-ending VIP party headed up by Kanye West at an abandoned Austin power plant was massive on a scale befitting Kanye, and maybe no one else. For starters, the site of the event (the Seaholm Power Plant) was massive and stunning enough visually to serve as a battle scene in the next 'Transformers' movie. The roster of guest performers -- performing under the banner of Kanye's company G.O.O.D. Music -- was also very Megatron-like, starting with Jay-Z, who showed up at the end of Kanye’s 90-minute set (almost 4 a.m.) to perform 'H.A.M.' John Legend came on in the middle for a little 'Ordinary People,' and Mos Def served as the opening act, plus a small army of B-list singers and rappers, including Pusha-T, Mr. Hudson and Big Shine. Eau Claire’s own Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver fame) also did some backup singing. Oh, and an entire marching band was brought on stage during 'All the Lights,' in case we didn’t already get the idea that Kanye is king almighty." Get the sense someone's not a big fan of the shtick?
• There were other hip-hop icons that made headlines. Nate Dogg tributes seemed to be a common theme. Jeff Weiss of the L.A. Times' Pop & Hiss blog: "Though the officially advertised Nate Dogg tribute may have occurred later on Saturday night, it was clear from Snoop Dogg's Funk n' Soul Extravaganza at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, that the Death Row diaspora will spend the rest of its days paying homage to its prematurely deceased friend. Backed by longtime crew Tha Dogg Pound and Warren G, along with recent collaborators modern funk messiah Dam-Funk and slick soulman Mayer Hawthorne, Snoop and company largely wore matching RIP Nate Dogg shirts. But a visual reminder was unnecessary. Nate Dogg's (a.k.a. Nathanial Hale) Swisher Sweet voice was omnipresent on nearly every hit the crew performed, including 'Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None),' 'Regulate' and 'The Next Episode.' ... Snoop performed with a focus that suggested the performance was more than just an attempt to honor Nate's legacy. Indeed, he offered up a singular vision for the future and a sign of just how much worlds have suddenly converged. A decade ago, when Snoop and Nate were selling multimillions singing about 'The Next Episode,' it was inconceivable that said episode would include the then-nascent underground rap powerhouse Stones Throw records."
• Another big hip-hop event where Nate Dogg was given respect was the big Red Bull party Saturday night. De La Soul, DJ QBert and Z-Trip were on the roster, so it was bound to be a nice night. Z-Trip took care of the Nate Dogg thing, but was he really the "headliner?" Marco Torres from the Houston Press' Rocks Off blog: "The headliner Z-Trip took his turn onstage, and with the capitol building in the near distance, he began with the de facto state anthem 'Deep In the Heart of Texas.' He quickly flipped the script to display his mastery of the art of mash-ups. He took us down memory lane and paid tribute to recently deceased West Coast rapper Nate Dogg, shuffling through several of Nate's most beloved hooks and contributions to the G- Funk era. A special guest appearance from hip-hop trailblazer LL Cool J provided a crowd-pleasing twist that only an event such as SXSW can deliver. Mr. 'Ladies Love' has recently been concentrating on his movies and TV shows and has not performed musically in years, but showed everyone in attendance that he has not lost a single ounce of his legendary skills."
• Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal focused on a different region of the musical spectrum on Saturday, including Man Man, Sharon van Etten and Colin Stetson, who played Club de Ville: "Stetson makes noises with his sax I've never heard before -- often while playing complicated phrases or semi-beat-box-breathing with his mouth at the same time. A big part of his appeal is originality; there is nobody playing music like Colin Stetson's at SXSW. After three days of guitars (and sometimes beats), this matters. Another part is the physical exertion that goes into every song, which you can plainly see on Stetson's face as he puffs, grimaces, and heaves through his instrument, all while eyes closed in intense concentration. This guy's sax is truly a living, breathing part of him. His act is novel, but it's hardly some freak show. He worked harder than most during his SXSW set, and the hearty reaction he got after every song justly reflected it."
• Another big headline maker -- for mixed reasons -- was the Death From Above 1979 reunion gig at The Beauty Bar, where something of a tussle broke out. Jeremy D. Larson of Consequence of Sound: "Then, about a song later, people were turning and facing the street again. Mounted police were riding through the crowd outside, about eight or nine horses. Reports were coming in of someone throwing a beer can at a horse then being chased down by the police. More police showed up and reports were that people were tased and maced. From inside, we witnessed firsthand a man being repeatedly punched in the face by a police officer. This was all happening as the band played. As DFA 1979 finished 'Romantic Rights' (I believe), two or three police walked on stage, followed by a man in charge of the venue. ... Photographers scrambled to get shots of the action, while the crowd was assured that the band would continue playing. Once the alleyway looked a bit less crowded, DFA 1979 said 'enough with this, let’s play “Pull Out”,' and proceeded on with their bonkers, weapons-grade set. After that, the show proceeded without incident. As far the actual music, it was like these songs were never even on the shelf for five years. To be honest, there’s no better way to describe the show than to say that it caused a literal riot. It was exhilarating, a little terrifying, and very rock ‘n’ roll." Come on folks, rioting at a DFA 1979 show in 2011 is so 1992.
• What was with the bad vibe at the close of SXSW? Was it just too crowded this year, making tension rise? Martin Cizmar of the Phoenix New Times' Up on the Sun blog: "​It was only because we both left his show early and in a huff that I got to shake hands with [Odd Future "front man"] Tyler the Creator, the most interesting man in Austin this week. ... During a showcase hosted by Billboard, his group's last show of what's been a very busy festival for them, Tyler found the crowd of industry types assembled to be less than sufficiently 'hype.' So he led his group off stage after only about 15 minutes, apologizing to the excited fans up front and cursing about the barely-there gawkers in the back. 'Fuck Billboard, I don't even read that shit,' he said." Then, right after this brave show of rebelliousness, Mr. Creator caved in to The Man and instead randomly shifted blame to a convenient target, the host locale: "Tyler later backpedaled a bit on Twitter: 'Billboard Is Cool. That Show Was Stupid. Thanks To The Fans And Niggas That Was There In The Front. Wasn't Billboards Fault, FUCK THAT CLUB." Right on, take a stand bro! And doing it on Twitter just makes the whole thing seem that much more radical. Anyhow, Cizmar has some other good bits in his post, so go check it out.
• One last one featuring local riser Bright Light Social Hour, who cleaned up at the Austin Music Awards. From the staff at Austin360: "The funky rockers of the Bright Light Social Hour won big, taking band of the year, album of the year ('The Bright Light Social Hour') and song of the year ('Detroit'). Also winning: Sahara Smith (female vocalist, songwriter and folk); Roky Erickson (musician of the year); Freshmillions (best new band); Los Lonely Boys (best rock band); Jeff Lofton (best jazz band); and Mother Falcon (best none of the above). Inducted into the hall of fame: Bubble Puppy, ... And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Tortilla Factory, the Wagoneers, Okkervil River and MC Overlord." Congrats to all the winners.
• And an epilogue. Pee Wee, just because: