Edo + Japandroid

"SXSW is the spring break for weirdos and music skids.

That is the only way I can describe it." —my!gay!husband!

A bunch of Canadians have made their way down to Austin, Texas this week for the annual SXSW music festival. While Ky and Patrick O'dell document their saga via twitter - it's Jason (My!Gay!Husband!) Sulyma who came through with the full report today:

The Human Serviette

Austin, Texas is 2 things. One its the live music capital of North America and secondly its a full blow U.S.A. university town. But during a couple amazing days in March, all the universities and colleges empty out while all their students clear out for Spring Break and go visit family out of Austin or do embarrassing things in Mexico and then all the weirdos and music nerdz fill the streets of Austin for 4 days of celebrating all things in new and fun music!

Day 1 of the  2010 SXSW music festival kicked off last day n nite, Wednesday March 17th, with the usual festive spirit.
Day 1 of the festival is always weird and fun. Everyone arrives from around the world - from bands to industry folks to fans - and swarm downtown to pick up their official SXSW passes and wristbands at the Austin Convention Centre and then run off to get their other Private Party wristbands - which usually host parties with every fave band and deejay of yers plus keeps you happy all week long with free liquor and food with big corporate money footing the bill -  with the big companies thinking that you will buy an extra pair of Levi's or get you hooked on Mountain Dew(Mountain Dew now has a record label...eep) cuz they overplayed your fave band and deejay to play at their corporations "cool kid" event.

Bison B.C.

Hate all you want on the idea of corporate money in music land but honestly these sponsored outdoor and indoor private parties -  that are outside the regular SXSW Official Showcases for artists trying get "discovered" or "signed" - are really really really fun. Past years at SXSW I remember seeing Lou Reed play L.R. and Velvet Underground classics at a free party with free whiskey treats to only 500 kids, then you turn yer head at the same party and catch Santigold and Spankrock and 2 Live Crew play the same stage in the same week  and you still have the same amount of $ in yer wallet that you showed up with. You could come to SXSW and not even buy an official SXSW all access wristband and just attend the free open to the public parties and have a great time for just the price of a hotel and some travel.

SXSW is also the super best cuz you get to see all your band and music friends out of the "club" or "venue" environment that you might only get to see once or twice a year when they tour  thru Vancouver or maybe you never see and just yap too over the internet and you get to see them in person and get a lot of hugs and real time.in <http://time.in>  the Austin sun.

Maluca

So 2010 kicked off last nite and we mostly attended Vancouver bands official showcases and events. First we attended the Nardwuar video and discussion panel where he went thru various classic and unseen video interviews with the  likes of Kid Cudi, Gwar, Snoop Dogg, N.E.R.D. and some rare old 90s footage of Nardwuar with Nirvana when they played 2 nites at the PNE Forum where Courtenay Love snuck Nardwuar backstage after he was refused press access for an amazingly funny and candid interview with Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic eating pepperoni pizza before their show months before Kurt's "suicide". Nardwuar had the crowd of just over 50 music lovers in stitches for the hour and half he hosted the event.

Next we walked across the street from the Nardwuar video showcase at the Austin Convention Centre and skipped seeing Lemmy from Motorhead "speak" at the conference cuz I can't understand what he is saying and attended the annual Canadian Blast event - which is an all Canadian artist showcase with free BBQ and more free liquor and al yer friends from the Canada's music scene in attendance. JOSH MARTINEZ was lounging next to Chris from ANALOG BELL SERVICE while YOU SAY PARTY! WE SAY DIE! was the  highlight of the event with their impressive disco-punk-pop set. Well maybe the highlight was Edo from Brasstronaut sneaking us backstage to raid the free liquor supplied by SOCAN and the Canadian Government!

After too many free liquor soda pops we did a quick scoot to the wonderful Austin Whole Foods we bumped into CURTIS SANTIAGO and his band on the way back to town and we all walked 20 blocks to the BISON B.C. show where we met up with old friends FLOSSTRADAMUS from Chicago. Bison B.C. destroyed the other opening acts at their showcase with their East Van Metal sound - only losing momentum when Bison B.C. guitarist Dan blew his guitar amp head which was replaced quickly so they could make all the kids in head to toe black keep throwing hair and tall cans of Miller High Life all over the place.

Kid Sister

Next, myself and Sincerely Hana and Josh and Curt from Flosstradamus tried to find the all Canadian showcase we were suppose to play with the likes of Bonjay, Smalltown DJs and ex Vancouver superfriend Paul Devro of Mad Decent but just got lost instead and we headed back downtown to hang out with Josh from Flosstradamus' sibling KID SISTER at a hotel bar for a lil evening drink session before heading out to the MALUCA x PAUL DEVRO live set at some Spanish or Mexican bar downtown.

Maluca played last year at the MAD DECENT Label Showcase at the 2009 Olio Festival and her live set has gotten so tight since then. Maluca now performs with two back up dancers with all new songs and the staple ESG cowbell-play-along she loves to do to the ESG anthem "Tiny Sticks". Maluca - always a style queen - looked like she robbed Grace Jones for her clothes and was the usual future superstar even if the crowd was thinning out due to the post 1am show time.

After some wandering around downtown we finally got back to the hotel and now its day 2.