Elepent

So much for the semi-professional overview of SXSW.  What really counts, at the end of the day, is what we saw, experienced, and enjoyed.

Hurray for the Riffraff at SXSW 2009

We liked Hurray for the Riffraff, who came to SXSW from New Orleans.  The band consists of a stand-up bass, a dulcimer, an accordion, a banjo and a trumpet; the music has shades of Rasputina and the Ditty Bops, and they have a cool, shy sort of stage presence.  Watching one of their members play accordion and trumpet at the same time was kind of interesting, too.

I liked Tokyo-based Asakusa Jinta, though Lexie was somewhat less than impressed.  This eclectic seven-piece band is an unlikely (and on the surface, ill-advised) collision of punk rock and marching band.  Osho, the lead singer, is mesmerizing as he slaps away at his custom-made, metal-framework stand up bass, and the band’s high-energy set has an infectious exuberance that make it clear why the group calls itself an “Asianica Hard March” band.  At SXSW they performed at the relatively small Elysium, but when they’ve got more room they will reportedly march right into the audience during their show.

Natccu at SXSW 2009. This image is horribly blown out because Emmy took it instead of Lexie.

While we were resting between sets at one of the venues, a Japanese woman in rockstar sunglasses came up, handed us a flyer and shyly asked, “My name is Natccu. Will you please come to my show tomorrow?”  She was so charmingly adorable that I said I would, and I wasn’t disappointed.  Natccu’s sound is a fusion of Shonen Knife and The Faint, if you can imagine that.  She sings in English and Japanese (though she sounds better in her native tongue), and partway through her performance I realized that she was reading her between-song patter from a piece of paper on the floor at her feet. She speaks English, but apparently wanted to be sure she got her words right. “Texas Austin is very big. And very hot,” she said, then looked at her feet. “It makes me want to drink beer. But there is no beer here. So…” She looked at her feet again, then smiled and bent down and picked up her cheat-sheet. “So let’s drink water instead!” And with a “kampai!” she did just that. Super-cute.

Amanda Palmer at SXSW 2009

We were very happy to catch the solo performance by Amanda Palmer, of the Dresden Dolls.  “Showmanship” and “stage presence” are the operative words.  Palmer performed alone, with just an electric piano. Before she started, however, she walked to the front of the stage and belted out an a capella, un-microphoned, goosebump-raising rendition of “The Wind that Shakes the Barley.” This was an excellent way to get our attention. The show was very casual; the venue was actually a local church that had been commandeered by SXSW, and Palmer spent as much time talking to the audience and telling stories about her songs as she did performing. Most amusing was that she had prepared a noisy set based on her past (loud bar with lots of patrons not paying attention) experience at SXSW, only to find herself slotted in at the church.  She said she felt kind of silly, playing loud, angry songs while everyone sat quietly in the pews. This didn’t stop her, of course, but she did a lot of set changeover to play quieter stuff. She also performed a cute duet with Margaret Cho who popped up as a surprise supporting performer.

In the end, though, we have to say that the White Ghost Shivers won SXSW.  Oh, I know what you’re thinking:  “But SXSW isn’t a competition!”  Doesn’t matter.  They still won.  Who, what, why are the White Ghost Shivers?  Stay tuned.