Steve Wynn gets a little help from Peter Buck

Steve Wynn and Peter Buck performing "Tell Me When It's Over." Wynn followed this up with "The Days of Wine and Roses."

Photo credit: Victor Hickman

Kendra Morris

Saw a great singer named Kendra Morris do a few songs with Funk Brother Dennis Coffey. After her set, I asked her how she packs so much soul into such a small frame. "It goes in the butt!" she replied instantly. Something tells me she's been asked that question before. Eddie Murphy taught me that the boogie goes in your butt, and now I know the soul goes there, too.

Tapes?

For the second time in two days, I've heard a band say they had tapes for sale. I realize that four track cassette recorders are probably dirt cheap these days, but still...that doesn't seem like a wise marketing move.

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Speaking of...

...the Raveonettes. They have been no-shows now three years in a row at SXSW. The story is always that they had visa issues. Why is it so hard for Sune to get a visa? Does he have a history of drug muling or something?

Imitation

Attention bands: I love the Jesus and Mary Chain so much that if you sound like them, I will probably love you, too. I don't care if you're a blatant rip-off, right down to their fashion (Raveonettes, I'm looking in your direction). And I don't even care if it sounds like your drummer took one lesson from Meg White.

Worst thing I've heard all week:

A man in a body hair sweater and a tank top telling his two female companions "I have really sensitive armpits."

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A Spermbird by any other name...

Best band names so far:

Poetry 'n Lotion
Bi-Polar Bears
Baby Got Bacteria

The worst. Ever.:

The Spermbirds

Riverboat Gamblers: "I am not the most amazing singer, but I'm really good at climbing."

Prima Donna

I keep running into Kevin Preston of Prima Donna. He was at the Peter Murphy show tonight and Duran Duran and the Vans showcase yesterday. I love that he's been dressed like a rock star every time I've seen him. If you're a fan of anything on the glam spectrum, from Bowie to the Dolls to Poison, I suggest you check out Prima Donna.

Yup, that's a real baby. What the fuck is wrong with people?

Roky Erickson and Billy Gibbons

Austra

Imagine that Devo were evil and came from outer space. Now imagine they're hot. That's Austra. Aladdin Sane makeup; dramatic, synchronized movements; and cold, detached delivery. I'm a fan.

NSFW and totally creeped the fuck out video:


AUSTRA "Beat and the Pulse" by domino

Peter Murphy

I was on the fence about whether or not to hit the Peter Murphy show this year, since two years ago he did all new songs, except for the (really fucking great) Joy Division cover. I'm glad I went. It was an acoustic set, but the set list was near perfect. From memory, so I'm sure I'm forgetting something...

A Strange Kind of Love
Marlene Dietrich's Favorite Poem
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
Cuts You Up
I Spit Roses (?) - a new song that Pete seemed to acknowledge didn't go that well; he urged us to "buy the fucking single" to hear it the right way
Hurt (NIN cover - some kid asked me if I knew who did the original; I thought he was joking)
A new-er a capella song that I don't know (stopped in the middle to tell some woman in the audience to shut up)
Silent Hedges
Passion of Lovers

Urgh...

I'm having a very love/hate relationship with Austin this year. Seemingly every douchbag in town was at the Kills show. If I had the ability to wish people dead, the dickheads who feel the need to smoke when there's not even enough room to lift your arms would be in trouble. I'm also very annoyed by the photographers this year. I get it. I like to take pictures, too, but damn. How can you enjoy the show if you've got your camera above your head the whole time? I struggle with the urge to knock their fucking cameras out of their hands. A keepsake is nice, but some has to be left to memory.

Nu Metal

I'm already to the point of sitting through crappy shows just to be able to sit. This is not good. It's only Thursday.

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Big Chief and Dancing Man lead the second line

Donna A.!

Sandwitches

Yup, I'm Old, Pt. II

Two years ago, I had to suffer the humilation of putting Dr. Scholl's inserts into my All Stars in order to stay upright in Austin. This year, I'm having a hard time staying upright at all [cue jokes about my being a drunk].

I fell asleep in my room, waiting for Psychic TV's 12:30 show at Elysium. Why was I in my room in the first place, you ask? Well, I was a bit discouraged with my show selection to that point.

After dinner with Vic, I went next door to catch Grimes and Esben and the Witch at Spill. Grimes was described to me as goth-R&B-pop, when in fact, it is one small Canadian girl with a keyboard and a laptop. Now, I don't mean to dismiss the whole of electronic music outright; I might like Grimes' music if I heard it on the radio. But watching someone push buttons on a laptop does not make for a particularly riveting viewing experience. And after Grimes, I wasn't in a mood that would tolerate Esben's 10 minute sound check of the floor tom. So, I went to my room to chill for an hour before heading off to Psychic TV. And I fell asleep. I think tomorrow I may go to a movie, loudly ask questions through the first half and snore through the second.

Acting! No...

I'm now convinced that Michael Cera does not act. He is Michael Cera. In real life. On film. Michael Cera. The first band I saw upon arriving in Austin was Cera's Mister Heavenly(with Honus Honus of Man Man and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse). They were fun and surprisingly tight, given that they'd played only a handful of shows so far. Mister Heavenly played a stage sponsored by GE (look at banner, Michael!) and powered by solar panels. Which is kind of cool. But when Cera joked that they'd played their last show powered by fear, it was like watching a deleted scene of Arrested Development. Not that I see that as a problem.

Jack White

George Michael Rockin' the Bass with Mr. Heavenly

I Have a Choice?

I just noticed my boarding pass has a box to indicate whether or not I'm in a smoking seat. Are there still English speaking countries in which you can get a smoking flight? Or is American using paper stock from 1985?

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