Boston to Austin
The mace clouds have lifted and SXSW 2004 is behind us. Now all the entertaining SXSW activity stories are being posted and you can find out about all the fun stuff you missed! I managed to get out more than I expected and had a great time. Without a doubt, the best show I saw was Broken Social Scene at 33 Degrees. But a close second, was an unexpected performance on the way home from the only club I have ever been to that multiple people have described as “creepy,” Exodus (at the Silkworm, TV on da Radio, Calexico show). I was pedaling home and about to turn left onto Congress but was slowed by a large crowd across from the Driskill. A small lady was singing to an enormous collection of slick 6th Street partiers, homeless men, hipsters, and everyone else imaginable. It was the enigmatic Mary Lou Lord. Or as a homeless man preferred, “Ms. Boston-to-Austin.” I’ve never been much of a fan but her street and subway performances are legendary. It was cool to see her command the attention of the motley gathering sprawled in front of some random salon and in the street. Total pro.
March 24th, 2004
Pee
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
I saw mary lou lord out on 6th street for at least 3 consecutive nights during sxsw(for the second year in a row). The interesting part was, each time Kelly & I walked by, MLL wasn’t playing songs, but was carrying on laughter-drenched conversations with the members of crowd like they were all her old friends (which, of course, they may have been). The point is, why is she the only one of hundreds of beloved performers in town giving it away like that? I guess you could argue that the others have their free day shows at 33 degrees and such, but those are the kinds of shows you have to be pretty deliberate about attending. It’s refreshing to see someone really engaging an unintentional crowd during an event that is generally such a schedule- and volume-oriented nightmare hellride. MLL’s performances are totally in contrast to the over-arching drag paradox of sxsw that makes all the jaded austinites roll their eyes. If there were more open events like her impromptu shows, I doubts as many eyes’d be rolling. Now, if we can just get Glenn Tillbrook and Jon Langford to do this next year, I won’t need an wristband.
Billy
Friday, March 26, 2004
I agree, Pee.
If a musician was disappointed because he played to a small crowd at his assigned SXSW gig, an improptu street performance would be another way to be heard while in Austin. But I guess this is pretty much limited to singer/songwriter types with an acoustic guitar. A full band would raise the ire of Austin PD.
More spontaneous performances and shows would add a festival element that is sort of missing when everything happens in the clubs on tight schedules. If there was a square or park adjacent to 6th Street, I think we would see more of this happening.