Fiddle While You Burn™: 03.14 SXSW Day 1 (Photos)

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(Note: click on any photo below to open the full photo set for that band)

I was feeling a little under the weather this day so my notes are pretty brief:

Bridge over the Red River from South Austin

A mound of promo swag at SXSW fest headquarters

White Rabbits @ Fader Fort

Up first was the Fader Fort. With all of its winding hallways, hidden rooms, & floor to ceiling artwork it was more like a funhouse than a fort, but the courtyard - nice! A big bar on one side, a dj booth & comfy seats on the other and a roomy well lit stage at the far end.

The first band I caught was NYC's White Rabbits who ironically have a recording out now called "Fort Nightly". They didn't play this fort every night during the fest but the set they played was impressive with smooth vocals & original instrumentation - definitely a band a check out again soon.

Watch & Listen:
White Rabbits - video: "White Rabbits @ SXSW 2007"

Elevator Action Acoustic @ Soho Lounge (Sentimentalist Magazine)

Definitely some nice tunes from Elevator Action, I'm looking forward to hearing these fleshed out with the full band.

Watch & Listen:
Elevator Action - video: "they call me transistor"

the Houstons @ Soho Lounge (Sentimentalist Magazine)

Another band adding classical elements into the mix, they pull it off pretty well & played a tight set.

Watch & Listen:
the Houstons - video: "Live @ Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC"

the Sammies @ Soho Lounge (Sentimentalist Magazine)

Great energy, the Sammies rocked pretty hard and got the crowd going. I was definitely digging the vibe at Soho Lounge - it's a big two floor space, with two long bars and a friendly staff.

Watch & Listen:
the Sammies - video: "Falling Out (Live)"

Apes & Androids @ Mohawk (Austinist/Gorilla vs. Bear)

You couldn't ask for a better location than the Mohawk with it's two stages (one indoor, one outside), multiple bars, and a roof deck - all away from the mayhem of 6th street.

Watch & Listen:
Apes & Androids - video: "Radio"

Jealousy Curve @ Emos (Earvolution)

The schedule got rearranged so the band I originally came to see wasn't on but Philly's Jealousy Curve who were on instead turned out to be pretty good. They've got a big radio-friendly sound & should appeal to lovers of Stone Temple Pilots style grungy hard rock.

Watch & Listen:
Jealousy Curve - video: "I'm Sorry (live)"

Dexter Romweber Duo @ Bourbon Rocks (HDAlliance)

Garage-Soul was definitely the theme of the day at the Bourbon Rocks. I'd never seen Dexter Romweber live before but the former Flat Duo Jets frontman definitely lived up to his rep, playing an intense set of bluesy, soul-garage with some excellent guitar work.

Watch & Listen:
Dexter Romweber Duo - video: "2 Songs"

the Teenage Prayers @ Bourbon Rocks (HDAlliance)

The Teenage Prayers brought the heavy soul as always and got so caught up in their momentum the club had to cut them short. Too bad though these guys consistently rip it up live.

the Sights @ Bourbon Rocks (HDAlliance)

I've been diggin' the Sight's Small Faces via Detroit garage sound since way back - and when they're on they can really rip it up, but due to time constraints they were forced to play a rushed set.

the Meat Puppets @ Fader Fort

Curt Cobain favorites The Meat Puppets started things off with a few slower alt-country tunes but once they shifted gears halfway through their set into more feedback driven material it was on - the guitar shredding was just plain nasty!

Nicole Atkins & the Sea @ PureVolume

I'd been hearing positive things about this group for a while but I was still surprised at how good the band actually was as they rocked the after-hours jam at PureVolume. If you can imagine Jenny Lewis without the absurd lyrics you'd be pretty close to Nicole's sultry sound, plus she's backed by a tight band that weaves together pieces of everything from psyche-folk to alt-country. Highly Recommended.

Watch & Listen:
Nicole Atkins - video: "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" live at SXSW

Liam & Me @ PureVolume

The party was pretty crazy, I can't tell you much about Liam & Me other than I thought they were pretty good (as were Rediscover who played later on).

Watch & Listen:
Liam & Me - video: Live