This year I am very glad that I went. Jen and I decided to go with our friend Willie to HM Magazines SXSW 2011 Showcase, a free show at Club 311 (or 311 Club, I saw it a couple different ways). Although the show was schedule to last until 2ish, with 7 bands total, we only stayed for the first 4 bands; with the drive back to San Antonio looming ahead and stomachs growling, we decided that was the best move. However, we were all very pleased with the shows that we did see, and I was glad that HM was able to put this show together. The magazine has a very special place in my heart, and as already-tough times for magazines get tougher, I pray that HM is able to continue publication for many years.

6th Street Drummer

As I mentioned before, one of the great things about SXSW is Austin’s particular brand of strangeness. Some things are kinda sad, like the possibly-homeless guy banging on two buckets with drumsticks. Some things are cool, like the band on the street corner with a stand-up bass, guitar and mandolin just singing for passers-by. Some things are weird, like the chick in a Jim Carey-style Riddler costume coming out of a bar. And other things are both strange and cool. Outside of Club 311 was a guy on a small drum set hammering out some pretty cool beats. We got there about 6 in the evening, and when we left about 11 he was still out there (although just as we left he took a break for some food). While I’m sure you can see similar things in other towns, in Texas, 6th Street in Austin is really the only place where this happens on a regular basis.

The club itself was pretty small. The crowd was pretty variable all evening, with a lot of people stopping in for a few minutes or maybe for a band’s set and then leaving. With so many bands playing such a small venue, they often had to load their equipment through the club during another band’s set and leave it along walls, so that limited the already small space. I do enjoy smaller venues a lot, however, so I would have no problem going back if a band I knew was going to play.

Invisible Target

One of the great things about this show, in fact, was that neither Jen, Willie, nor I were very familiar with any of the bands. While this made the decision to go a little harder, we were able to find out about some really cool acts and pick up some music we probably wouldn’t have heard of. First up was local band Invisible Target (MySpace). They opened their show with both the bassist and the singer/guitarist banging on bass drums, which I thought was interesting. They were young (which I find is something I say more and more about bands) but not too bad; with some more experience they will be pretty tight. In contrast to the other bands we saw, they had clean, clear vocals. At one point the singer actually took the wireless mic off stage, high-fived the people at the front, and went out onto 6th St. They had a cool arpeggio lead on their 4th from last song that I especially enjoyed. They also gave out a free CD which I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

And the Greatest of These

Next up was And the Greatest of These (MySpace, Facebook) from Sioux City, Iowa. I was immediately impressed by the fact that they had a female bassist and lead guitarist, which got me wondering about why that should impress me. Why don’t more girls play metal or rock? I think it must be a cultural thing; we just consider it more appropriate for guys to form and join bands. (We learned from lead vocalist Matthew after the show that the guitarist (Katie) and bassist (Erin) were in an all-female metal group that broke up.) Regardless, they proved that girls can rock just as hard as guys, and at 19 Katie puts me and many other early-to-mid 30s guitar players to shame.

One of the great things about And the Greatest of These is that they seem to know who they are as a band, and that is to spread the Good News. This has always been a issue of contemplation for me every since I started really listening to music, and I have come to the conclusion that whatever decision Christians in a band make, the key is that it be true to their calling from God and that they do so with humility. Bands that preach shouldn’t look down on those who don’t, and those who don’t shouldn’t do the same (and nowadays I think that is much more prevalent). And the Greatest of These presented the gospel with humility, and I think that is always important.

Musically, they were probably our favorite band of the night, and I look forward to seeing them again if they fix their transmission and make it back down to Texas. We bought their EP and enjoyed it very much on the way home.

Before There Was Rosalyn

The third band was Before There Was Rosalyn (MySpace, Victory Records) from Houston. I really enjoyed them although Willie rightly complained that their mix wasn’t very good; it was a little too muddled. Like And the Greatest of These, these guys are solidly in the spreading the gospel camp, but they let the message come through they music more than direct preaching. After listening to their album The Fuhrer: An Allegory of a History of Deception, I like them a lot; I always like a band that breaks up screaming vocals with some melody.

The Famine

The final band of the night for us was The Famine (Myspace, Facebook). These guys were pretty cool; despite the fact that most of their songs were about very serious topics (such as the murder of James Byrd, Jr. in Jasper, TX), they had a great sense of humor on stage, with the lead vocalist ragging on the bassist; he even came off stage during the last song and bought a beer while singing.

Although we were sad to miss seeing the last three bands, by this time we were getting pretty tired and had to call it a night. Overall we were very pleased to have gone to SXSW, and any shows where you can find new bands that you like is a great show.

Slideshows and video from the show will be posted in separate posts; check below for links.

And the Greatest of These Videos

And the Greatest of These Slideshow

Invisible Target Slideshow

Before There Was Rosalyn Slideshow

The Famine Slideshow

To allow for the changes in costumes between songs (and there were many), a three projector screens showed various Al-related clips; many were from “Al TV,” with fake interviews featuring Eminem, Madonna, Celine Dion, and others.  These breaks between the music just added to the whole show, and many times the video on the screens was used to lead into live songs.  For example, the opening to the “Fat” music video was played before Al came out in the fat suit to do the song.

One of my favorite moments of the show was the encore.  The keybordist came out in a robe and played Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, followed by a chorus line of Storm Troopers and a Boba Fett.  Naturally, we expected Al to go into one of his Star Wars-related songs, but instead he did a song about cell phones (which we had previously heard in a mock interview with Snoop Dogg).  Then he did both “The Saga Begins” (to the tune of “American Pie” by Don McLean) and “Yoda” (“Lola” by the Kinks).

My only issue with this concert had nothing to do with the band.  I haven’t been to many concerts with actual seating, so I don’t know if this is normal, but throughout the concert no one stood up, except for a period at the end.  As a matter of fact, when Jen and I, plus a couple of big Al fans next to us, didn’t sit down in between “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda,” a woman from the behind us actually yelled, “Sit down!”  Now, I spent most of this concert sitting down precisely because I didn’t want to block the view of those behind me, given that no one else was standing, but I felt that this was unnatural concert behavior. Jen also felt the same way.  So, I have a quick note for people in San Antonio and elsewhere that go to concerts with seating: sitting down in a concert should be a choice you make, and if you can’t see, stand up or move.  If you can’t move, stand up.  Music concerts like this are not meant to be “sit back and listen” affairs.  I kinda felt bad for Al and his band, because if you just looked at the audience, it didn’t look like the show was going that well even though it was awesome.

Regardless of that, Jen and I had a great time, and we definitely want to see “Weird Al” Yankovic and his band again.  By the way, here’s a quick video I took of the “Cell Phone” encore, which was taken on my cell phone.  Remember, “Everyone has a cell phone…”