Let me start off by saying that I probably saw 1% of possible bands to see at SXSW, and none of them were the bands everyone is talking about. I didn’t bother waiting in line for She and Him. I left a venue Hole was playing right before they came on twice. I don’t give a crap about The Black Keys or Broken Bells, and my feet hurt too much to watch Miike Snow (which I actually kinda regret). My point being that my awards are highly subjective and only the opinion of me, Marie. A special thanks to YouTube for making these awards possible.
I have the set-list napkin Eddie Argos is holding here. I've tucked it into a copy of Booster Gold, no joke. (All photos on this post from my iPhone unless noted)
This year at South By Southwest Music, I lost my voice and my glasses, drank tons of free booze, walked for miles, collected paper wristbands, failed at my attempt at seeing a house party show, and saw a whopping 2.6% of all showcasing acts! (Remember, even an inspired effort will get you, at most, 6% of the acts, so when you see a Top 10 list, it’s working off of a small sample.)
In keeping with the tradition I started last year, I will now answer your important questions about SXSW Music 2010.
1. Who did I see playing on the street four different times?
2. Which Canadian band was my big Wednesday afternoon surprise?
3. What band got a $100 tip in their guitar case?
4. Who tested the stage to make sure it was OK to jump up and down on it?
5. Who took way too long to set up, but then made it worthwhile?
6. Of all the bands that “killed it,” which one killed it most often?
7. Who’s gonna make me skip Hot Chip?
8. What band should have said its name more often so I’d know to miss them in the future?
9. Which act seemed to appreciate my personal enjoyment of them more than any other?
10. Who made 50 people at a 1000-person venue feel like a packed house?
11. Which act finally made me lose my voice for good?
12. What was the best totally improvised, organized-on-the-fly event? Continue reading “Gordon Answers Your SXSW 2010 Questions”
Different show, same craziness. Thanks to joshc on flickr for sharing.
Art Brut is much better live than on record; and their records, particularly 2005’s Bang Bang Rock & Roll, are really good. Front man Eddie Argos’ witty vocals are brilliant on record, but live he is able to take you to another level. There is no other band who can make my cheeks ache from smiling and laughing so much. All there is to say at the end of the evening is “Art Brut: Top of the Pops!”
