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| SXSW 2013 |
My final day of
SXSW started off with a bang with
ZZ Ward, Poolside and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. There definitely wasn't a lack of choices for Saturday night but getting into one of the many hyped up shows was another story.
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| Spotify House SXSW |
Justin Timberlake,
Prince and
Kendrick Lamar were among the most talked about shows of the night but of course...you have to be blessed with some sort of festival karma...or just be one of the lucky ones to score a ticket to the big shows. I was still convinced I could see
Kendrick though...pretty much banking on it actually.
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| Jillette Johnson |
To start off the night we headed over to Antone's to check out NYC singer songwriter
Jillette Johnson. I had the amazing opportunity to interview the talented singer last year and couldn't wait to see her live. Unfortunately the venue wasn't as packed as she deserved but everything about this girl screams talent.
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| Jillette Johnson |
It's easy to draw comparisons between Tori Amos and Fiona Apple but Jillette has a vocal styling and vibe that is uniquely hers. It's also not hard to notice how striking she is in person when she made her way out to her sparkly red chair and matching cherry red keyboard.
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| Jillette Johnson |
She's a bit shy when speaking to the crowd but when she opens her voice nothing but pure soul and emotion comes out. Singing songs off her
Whiskey & Frosting EP Jillette's tonality and movement between registers was completely flawless. From the personal story of a boy named
Cameron to the heartbreak of unrequited love in
Pauvre Coeur her set was simple, honest and completely charming.
Premiering a new song, Neverland, off her upcoming debut album, I'm even more excited to see the depths to which
Jillett's songwriting and vocal ability will shine on the record. Amazing amazing track.
She ended the set with a pretty insane cover of
Creep by Radiohead. Her interpretation of the song was nothing short of stunning. This chick is the real deal. Beautiful, talented and full of passion.
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| Haim |
After Miss Johnson's set we headed to Stubb's to check out Indie Pop princess
Sky Ferreira and LA based sister trio
Haim. Due to a hectic SXSW and vocal strain
Sky Ferreira had to cancel her final show. By the time
Haim took the stage it was time to start plotting which big show we would attempt to attend next.
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| Haim |
I was bummed I didn't get to hear the ladies current single,
Forever but I did get a brief glance at the kick ass energy these three ladies bring to the stage. But it was decision time.
I pretty much accepted the fact that my
Justin Timberlake Myspace invite wasn't coming in my Inbox anytime soon and the last thing I needed to do was buy a $700
Samsung phone for a free ticket to
Prince. Sorry
Purple Rain...SXSW has sucked all my money out of me.
So
Kendrick Lamar it was. And I'm not saying I even necessarily put him last, I'm a MASSIVE Kendrick fan and was feeling super confident in our chances of getting in. He'd already performed a few shows and we were getting in line an hour early. Yep....nope.
Once we got in the surprisingly short line the security guy with an attitude to match his megaphone announced that badges and wristbands were of no use...only VIP access was allowed at this point. Really, REALLY!! No smile or pretty please could persuade this bundle of joy, moving on was our only option.
The place was packed and Swimming Pools (Drank) was not in my future for the evening. There is one giant lesson to learn at
SXSW, your plans will more then likely not happen the way you intended. So make a list of multiple bands you want to see, at the same time, so you have options.
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| Le1f |
Wrapping up the night we headed to Mohawk for the True Panther/Terrible Records showcase.
Le1f, aka Denton's own Neon Indian, brought us in to what turned out to be a pretty epic dance party and perfect close for our time at
SXSW. LA based R&B singer
Kelela and electronic musician and producer
Xxyyxx warmed the crowd up for the Spanish electro dance band
Delorean.
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| Kelela |
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| Xxyyxx |
These guys were absolutely on fire and the energy was felt all over the dance floor. Playing tunes like the popular Stay Close it was impossible to not just completely let go of all the exhaustion and any frustration of missing out on that show you've been dying to see for weeks and weeks. Okay I'm over it...this weekend was pretty epic!
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| Delorean |
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| Delorean |
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| Delorean |
So thanks Austin and SXSW. I will be counting down the months until next time!
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