South By Southwest Bonus Coverage: Melissa Auf Der Maur Plays With K-OS
Monday March 20, 2006 @ 08:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

K-OS

With street signs and souvenir T-shirts proclaiming Austin, Texas to be the live music capital of the world, it's easy to believe during the annual South By Southwest Music Festival. Even without what is affectionately known as "South By," Austin plays host to more live music than most urban centres due to the sheer number of bars and venues to support it. My first foray to Austin was on a 40-hour bus ride south from Toronto in 1997 to cover the event for Chart Magazine, so it seems fitting to submit a report for my alma mater of publications after driving down to my seventh South By in nine years in a Thelma And Louise-style road trip.

Canadians were all over this year's SXSW showcases and plentiful BBQs like a hound dog on a T-bone (thanks to Tim Murray for that one). The first live music that wafted across a light breeze towards our travelling party came from The Golden Dogs, who helped kick things off on the Wednesday at the Canadian consulate outdoor BBQ. Guests were wearing red ribbons declaring "I talked to a Canadian." Next year I'm packing my own ribbons stating "I kissed a Canadian." I'll let you know how that goes. Sneaking off before the Swollen Members noticed (we knew we'd catch them the next night), we partook in a "when in Rome" adventure to watch 1.5 million world-famous Mexican Freetail bats fly out from under the Congress Street Bridge at dusk en masse up, up into the air to consume their nightly meal of thousands of pounds of insects. It was very cool.

Without telling the Swollen Members that we had skipped out early, we met up with them after their Canadian BBQ set to sit down for some authentic Texan BBQ at the Iron Works. While in line, Prevail deemed it more economical to purchase half a cow by the pound than for their posse to buy individual meals, and the result was eye-popping. A heaping pile of ribs was brought to the table and gobbled happily.

From there, a packed house for World Party afforded zero sightlines. But Karl Wallinger and his two acoustic accompanists sounded great, even if one couldn't see them. Beth Orton sounded angelic at Antone's, where K-OS then took far too long setting up for his hour-late show. But it was worth the wait. His songs were excellent, though the crowd was disappointingly small. Melissa Auf Der Maur guested on bass, as the band's touring bass player had quit last week, K-OS informed the crowd. Auf Der Maur was available and offered to help. K-OS introduced his last song by stating that it was also the last song he would ever play for Astralwerks Records. He said that they were parting ways and thanked them for all their work with him to date.

On the east side of town at the Guerrero Produce Warehouse, Blender Magazine presented an after-hours 2:30 a.m. SXSW 20th anniversary bash featuring Echo And The Bunnymen. Singer Ian McCulloch and original guitarist Will Sergeant have never lost the magic touch in more than 25 years of making music together. An enthralling set of hits (compared to all the new material they played the next night at their official showcase) made me realize how many acts owe their existence to the Bunnymen. The recent operatic tendencies of Bono, not to mention his addiction to wearing sunglasses on stage, seem inspired by the guy who did it first, McCulloch. He also has the swagger and singing delivery of Oasis' Liam Gallagher, the melodic sense and soaring vocals of Coldplay's Chris Martin and the song title-stealing of Muse ("Absolution"). McCulloch's inane stage banter and his badgering of the audience endeared him more than ever at this show, proving — to me at least — that nobody does it better.

Rumours started circulating among the cognoscenti that The Beastie Boys were going to play a secret show at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Stubb's, so after the Mint/Six Shooter Records afternoon party I walked across the street to find a lineup already formed. Rob Lanni and Devi Ekanand from Coalition Entertainment let me bud in line with them (thanks). However, as it turned out, almost everyone with a badge and most people wearing wristbands were admitted to fill the 2,500-person outdoor venue. Elliott Brood's Steve Pitkin and the boys from Matt Mays & El Torpedo thanked me for tipping them off about the show when I found them in the crowd at Stubb's. Beginning their set with a Rush sample certainly endeared the Beasties to the Canadians in the crowd. The fist-pumping masses ate up the free unscheduled show, and the talk in the crowd was how happy people were to see them on stage after stories of not seeing them live for several years.

This is what makes SXSW better than other festivals: besides the cornucopia of afternoon BBQs and after-party private showcases and constant music from noon 'til 4 a.m. daily, there are usually several surprise gigs that spring up throughout the week. The Flaming Lips played two "thank-you-SXSW" free shows, but rumours of a Perry Farrell appearance at the end of the Living Things set were unfounded, even though the Living Things maintain that they were instructed to learn two Porno For Pyros songs just in case Farrell did stop by. Neil Young was a hotly tipped possibility at a charity fundraising brunch at the Four Seaons Hotel one day, but I'm sure that the audience wasn't disappointed when K.T. Tunstall and Lyle Lovett got on stage instead for a couple of songs each.

Thursday also found Rob Dickinson performing a solo set at the same time as Morrissey. For some of us, the choice was an easy one. Dickinson introduced himself by saying, "Hi, I'm Rob Dickinson. I was the lead singer of Iron Maiden" in a sly dig at misinformed reporters who have confused him with his cousin Bruce over the years. He then stated, "No, I was the lead singer of a band called Catherine Wheel. I may still be the lead singer of a band called Catherine Wheel," which elicited squeals of delight from the obviously diehard CW fans present. The band have been on hiatus for the past five years.

"I'd like to thank you for coming to my set instead of Morrissey," Dickinson continued. "Ah, Morrissey... you either love him or you hate him, don't you?" That again drew frantic applause from the CW fans. Both old and new songs dotted Dickinson's set, but his trademark gorgeous voice was sincerely appreciated by all.

Newfoundland instrumental guitarist and recent East Coast Music Award winner Duane Andrews provided a break from the rawk with a beautiful set featuring the music of Django Reinhardt and traditional jazz and folk material. People In Planes filled their showcase venue with compatriot Brits and eager new American fans for their brand of tight, consistent pop-rock. The night ended with a fist-pumping, bouncing bunch at the Swollen Members set, where they weren't dogged by the house technical problems. Instead they turned off the lights so as to save the power that kept cutting out, and Prevail ran through the crowd rapping rhapsodic and jumping off tables into the crowd.

What I thought would be a highlight of SXSW turned out to be a dud. Harry Shearer, well-known for his portrayal of Derek Smalls in the movie This Is Spinal Tap and for being the voice of several characters on The Simpsons, launched his own Courgette Record label (complete with wilted zucchini logo in homage to his Spinal Tap character's debauched attempt at walking through airport security with one stuffed down his pants) at the Central Presbyterian Church with a performance by his wife, Judith Owen. We couldn't figure out whether she was trying to be funny and it wasn't working or whether she was just plain bad. To celebrate the release of her own album of Tori Amos-style piano tunes, and of a retrospective DVD of Shearer comedy skits, they taped Shearer's weekly NPR radio show Le Show Live in front of the church's audience. Unfortunately, it was so unentertaining that we had to extricate ourselves from the pews and find solace in some real music elsewhere.

Knowing that The Cedar Street Courtyard would be nearly impossible to navigate due to Friday night coinciding with St. Patrick's Day and the entire end of Fourth Street being closed off for a giant green beer tent party, I arrived early for Billy Bragg's set, only to find him already on stage jamming with New York City's Klezmatics. He played along for their entire one-hour set, learning the chords to each song seconds before it started. His own set was attended by adoring fans, and he managed to overcome the din from the street with just a guitar, that voice and the power of a well-written protest song.

One of the true highlights of SXSW for me came next at the venerable Austin Music Hall where Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for the Foo Fighters and ex-drummer for Alanis Morissette, played his eighth solo gig as Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders. "I'm nervous up here, but I'm feelin' the love," he said to the strangely thin numbers in attendance. His songs were built around his own driving drum beats in a high-energy train-chug, but also featured great instrumental sections. His singing was more like half-talking or half-shouting, but the songs were engaging and varied, although rooted in a prog-rock style. Some searing guitar solos, a groovy, funky bassline on one song, and even a countrified number filled out the short set.

"This next one's a real fuckin' bitch," Hawkins told the crowd. "It's good to challenge yourself. Thank you so much for being supportive," he said before launching into a super-fast, Primus-like tune that — like many others in his set — changed tempo several times. The set list of his new solo compositions ran like this: "Insane," "It's OK," "Walking Away," "Better Get Down," "Wasted Energy," "Running In Place" and "Louise." I highly recommend catching his solo act if he comes through your neck of the woods.

We caught the first few songs of the fantastic "meaty, beaty, big and bouncy" band The Gossip by default as we stood in line for the Vice party at Emo's. Great backbeats and a seriously raunchy, ballsy lead singer converted me into an instant fan who will see them at their Toronto show at the X Space in Kensington Market on March 29.

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists didn't grab me like I thought they would, but the rest of the full house in attendance seemed to appreciate his music. I was far more enchanted with Straylight Run, who performed in the next room. I've heard one or two songs on XM Radio's XMU channel and was intrigued enough to check them out. The instrument- and vocal-swapping lineup, which included a cello, didn't disappoint. I liked their songs and energy and will now seek out their recordings.

Saturday night's showcases began with the only gig I attended where you could actually hear a pin drop. The rapt but tiny audience of 20 were mesmerized by local flamenco guitarist and Spanish dancer Teye and Belen as a last-minute fill-in for a band that didn't show up. Somehow, this handful of fans found out and came to support the couple in a respectful, attentive way. That was in contrast to all of the other gigs I went to, which were overshadowed by a constant roar from the back of the room of industry types and drunken college students who couldn't have cared less who was on stage.

The Duke Spirit didn't live up to my expectations, as they were my pick of SXSW last year, but fell short this time due to a terrible PA system and a lack of good songs. I thought they'd make a big dent in the past year and they haven't managed to do so. Luke Doucet and his lady friend won't agree with me, I'm sure, as they stood in front of me dancing up a storm and singing along to every song in obvious and palpable rapture.

Another reason that South By does it better is the sheer volume of bands that they bring in. Everyone can find both their favourite acts and great new talent. My travel buddy Lori said that she can die happy now that she finally caught Dead Boy & The Elephant Man here this year. She also said that The Datsuns were as awesome as usual, even though she's seen them 100 times.

For me, being five feet away from Ian McCulloch was only topped three nights later on the very same Guerrero Warehouse stage by being five feet away from another of my favourite singers, Jimmy Gnecco, in his first full-band performance with Ours in almost two years. New drummer Zambia Greene made his debut appearance in a 3 a.m. set filled with all new material. For such a late-night show, following the stunningly animated and danceable beats of Sweden's The Sounds, it was melancholy and dark at perhaps the wrong time in the night, but Gnecco's voice won over new fans around us who marvelled at his range — which went from belting to breathy, often in the same song. It was a welcome and hypnotic capper to an incredible four days and nights of music.

—Karen Pace