SXSW did not disappoint this year. It seems each year I go it takes on a entirely different feel, or at least I tend to find myself in new territory, which fortunately keeps it fresh. This year was no exception. It was definitely my shortest and tamest sxsw… (am i getting old?) I still a great time! Below you’ll see the live blogging feed pulled for twitter, scribblelive, and foursquare. I cleaned up the original post for formating and to eliminate redundancies, but forgive me for the gaps and non sequiturs… live blogging in sxsw conditions of (spotty network coverage, limited power access, free booze, audible and visual distraction) is pretty tough. If you prefer… wait a day or so for my SXSW wrap/summary. Also… Check out last year’s coverage.
So I previously wrote that I had never bought into the Matt and Kim hype… Well I should be more careful about what I write as to not make myself a liar. Not only did I buy in… I’m completely SOLD! Last night they played The Church and bring it did they ever!!! I originally passed on the show but then learned that Japandroids were also on the bill and for only $10 it was a no-brainer.
Japandroids were a lot of fun. They were fast, loud and heavy, an amazing feat considering they’re a two piece. Brian, the guitarist, must have been coke’d out because he was talking and moving at 100mph. The crowd was tame though… too, too tame! The kid in front of me agreed as he was itching to start a pit; I was hoping he would. I first attributed the tameness to the fact that most of the people were there to see Matt and Kim, the sweet duo that makes super poppy tunes. I imagined that all their fans would take to the floor seated indian-style and await a happy swooning once Japandroids exited the stage. Ha! Was I ever wrong! The hot, sweaty, dank basement filled quickly and from Matt’s first wave… we had a party! I’m talking dancing, singing, screaming, drinking, pushing, shoving, surfing! Out of control!
I suppose I sound naive or maybe even like an idiot to anyone who’s ever been to a Matt and Kim show before, but honestly… I HAD NO IDEA!!! Definitely one of my favorite shows of the year thus-far!
Don’t know if I’m growing tired of all the perfectly timed, processed and over produced synth-tro that I’ve been immersed in over the past few months, but I’m definitely feeling Japandroids latest single ‘Young Hearts Spark Fire’. It’s the opposite of everything I mentioned above, still upbeat, loud and fun.
Their new album Post-Nothing is out next month and I’ll surely be one of the first grab it upon its release. Here’s a description grabbed from their myspace page.
“Originally intended to be a trio, the boys decided to forgo the logistical nightmare of having a ‘lead singer’ and do it themselves. As a consequence, Japandroids are 1 guitar, 1 set of drums, and 2 vocalizers. They call it garage rock. They don’t care what you call it, as long as it’s not minimal”
Unfortunately it looks like they’re skipping over Philly on their spring tour so maybe I’ll have to trek up to NYC to see them in May.
