SXSW 2012: THE SHOWS WE LOVED (AND ACTUALLY REMEMBER)

A few days late and more than a few hours of sleep short, we’re back from SXSW after a raucous four days in which we left a Boston-shaped crater on 6th Street post-#BOS2AUS and followed Bad Rabbits around like feverish fan girls. Below, the rest of our SXSW 2012 coverage.

FRIDAY 3.16.12

As we knew we’d more or less be out of commission (working; Guinness) on Saturday due to Boston to Austin, we made a point of hitting every single show we feasibly could on Friday, and between Mike, Jess and myself, we saw puh-lenty.

DIAMOND RUGS

Rather pissed I missed this new supergroup (made up of members of Deer Tick, Dead Confederate and the Black Lips, for chrissakes!) by literally five minutes–they played upstairs at the Austin Convention Center for a hot minute, and the gist of their set, according to Jess, was “MORE BEER! MORE BEER! LET’S ALL GO TO THE BAR!” Given that half this band is Deer Tick folk, I am not surprised and have no problem with this whatsoever.

GILDED SPLINTERS

A little taste of home at the My Secret Boston/Fort Awesome Presents shindig on a rooftop west of Congress. It was great to see Josh Buckley (former Toad bartender, Gilded Splinters frontman) who’s since relocated to Texas join up with his Boston band. Extra perk: I didn’t get a sunburn on the roof and there were free Island Creek Oysters, which I think we can all be stoked about.

QUILT

GOOD LORD DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO KNEE DANCE OR WHAT. What a gorgeous, fuzzy, surf-meets-psych explosion of gorgeous music I didn’t know how to expect. Carl of Great Scott/CQ Presents made some comment on Facebook a month or two ago, regarding Quilt’s last Boston show for awhile because it would be the last time we’d be able to see these guys while they’re still “ours.” Their rad showings in Texas prove him right, as I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys explode in a matter of minutes.

NEW HIGHWAY HYMNAL

Dear Amelia of NHH: I like your fancy footwork while you’re playing bass and that feather you have hanging off the bass neck. That is all.

(Okay that’s  not all, these guys sounded great and I can’t remember a time when I saw a guitarist have to restring D-little E three songs into a set.)

FIELD REPORT

My favorite SXSW discovery of 2012, the Field Report set we caught at the Central Presbyterian Church was one of those “I need to remember exactly how I’m feeling and exactly what I’m seeing so that I can tell everyone I was here for this later” kind of music moments. We’re talking gorgeous reverb, harmonies more layered than a tiered wedding cake and some of the most beautifully delivered tough words to say I’ve ever heard–and it’s what you’d expect from Chris Porterfield, who used to kick it with Justin Vernon and Megafaun before writing this album six years in the making. Don’t believe me? Here’s a track off the debut:

BAD RABBITS

Okay okay OKAY, we KNOW, we love them, you’re sick of us blabbering about them, WHATEVER WE WILL NEVER GET OVER BAD RABBITS SO KNOCK IT OFF. In all seriousness, Mikey and I took every opportunity we could to see them before #BOS2AUS on Saturday, and we were happy to hit their show at La Zona Rosa where they made use of the ample stage space for their well-crafted choreography.

HORSE FEATHERS

I missed these guys, which is a shame, because I missed them at Newport Folk last year as well. Harumph. Jess was there, as you can see, and she adored ‘em.

INGRID MICHAELSON

Hipster pixie dream girl dreamboat. You heard me.

WHITE RABBITS

Never been so excited to see a band at SXSW besides that one time when Deer Tick covered Nirvana and we all almost got our teeth kicked in by hammered crowdsurfers at the Lustre Pearl. They played “Percussion Gun” and a few highlights from Milk Famous, so I was a happy camper.

THE DRUMS

Across town, Mikey was settling down in the Drums’ photo pit. Good things were reported and I’m hoping to catch their upcoming Boston show finally, as they’re another band that’s escaped me each and every single time they’ve been back over the past two years.

SATURDAY 3.17.12: #BOS2AUS

I don’t think I could possibly be prouder of the 11 bands and 4 DJs that packed the 512 Bar and kept the crowd coming over the course of St. Paddy’s Day. Highlights are detailed in full here, but let’s just say that I’m happy Aloud kept their fingers intact, Dua of Bad Rabbits’ didn’t break his ankles clean off and that Jason from Camden brought that Hawaiian shirt home from Texas in one piece.