SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DAY 4: Mayhem in San Marcos

The Grannies: Such a sweet group of old ladies

It was about 6:30 p.m. Saturday and I was teetering on exhaustion. I'd had perhaps 10 hours of sleep over the previous three nights -- which is fairly typical for me during SXSW. (Those of you who have read the typo-laden gibberish of my previous SXSW posts probably suspected as much.) I was coming down with some kind of cold. And the thought of driving back to Austin was filling me with dread. You see, I screwed up this year and made my motel reservations late. By the time I started looking there were no rooms left in Austin for less than hundreds of dollars a night.

The Hickoids' Davy Jones buys his suits
at a thrift store in another dimension

So I ended up in San Marcos, in a cheap motel 30 miles away. At that point, the way I was feeling, 30 miles might as well have been 300.

And even worse, I wasn't even sure what I wanted to go see. Cheetah Chrome was playing on what looked like a decent bill at The Saxon Pub, but that's a pretty small place and I was afraid of driving all the way there only to get spurned at the door.

But looking at Facebook, I noticed a show I'd forgotten about: : The Hickoids, The Grannies, A Pony Named Olga and The Beaumonts at a bar I'd never been to called the Triple Crown. And I almost shed tears of joy when I saw it was in San Marcos. A five minute drive from my motel! Suddenly, I was re-energized and ready to rock 'n' roll.

I'd seen The Hickoids earlier in the week over at The White Horse on Austin's east side, right after they got inducted into The Austin Music Hall of Fame.

The Grannies: This guitar isn't long for this world.

But while the set they played in San Marcos wasn't completely different than the one they did at the White Horse, the group's repertoire is so big there were several tunes I hadn't heard at the earlier gig, including "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me, Kill Me" and "Talking Hot Pants Blues" from their latest album, Hairy Chaffin' Ape Suit and their cover of "Brontosaurus" ( originally done by The Move). Plus, Jeff Smith's lengthy shaggy-dog spoken-word part of the despicably obscene and always enjoyable "Stop It, You're Killing Me" was a completely different story than the one on the record and past live versions I've seen. My only complaint is that they didn't do my favorite "Cool Arrow" at either of the shows I saw. But the band played something like nine shows during SXSW, so for all I know, they played it at all their other gigs.

While it was fun hanging out backstage with The Hickoids at the Austin Music Awards Wednesday (and yes, I did enjoy seeing Lucinda Williams perform there), I was disappointed that I missed The Grannies when they played the White Horse right before The Hickoids set. I'd seen these San Francisco punk vets my previous SXSW trip in 2012.

A Pony Named Olga

Appearing in full Granny regalia -- colorful wigs, horrible frocks and muumuus -- the band just tore up the joint. They attack the music with humor as much as fury. Singer Wizard Sleeves was wearing some kind of flesh-colored body suit, with elongated drooping breasts, which the audience discovered when he took off his dress, and came out into the crowd twirling his fake mammaries. And guitarist Sluggo ended his set with a classic-rock guitar smashing demonstration.

The other acts were a lot of fun too. A Pony Named Olga is a high-energy psychobilly (they call themselves "country-punk and polkabilly") trio from Berlin, featuring an electric guitarist/singer, a doghouse bass and drummer. They have basics of the genre down pat, but they also have a few unusual melodies and chord changes that bring a twist to that basic sound.

And then there's The Beaumonts, a tight little honky-tonk band from Lubbock led by singer Trow Wayne Delco that plays sweet country music with foul-mouthed lyrics about sex and drugs and getting drunk and more sex. But that's not all. They also have a song called "Toby Keith," in which they declare that the jingoistic country star is the "ugliest woman I swear I've ever seen" and compares him with a muskrat in a mini-skirt. Apparently Delco is still riled -- and rightfully so -- about the way Keith treated Natalie Maines, a fllow Lubbockite -- after she denounced President Bush at the outsewt of the Iraq war.

This show was the perfect way to cap off a great week of music.

RIP Sluggo's guitar

.

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DAY 3: Call of the Moose

J.D. Wilkes of Legendary Shack Shakers (right) joins Left Lane Cruiser
at Austin Moose Lodge for Hillgrass Bluebilly showcase

Two years ago, my favorite new venue discovery during SXSW was Austin's Moose Lodge -- yes, the actual Moose Lodge ! -- on the city's east side. That was the place where Hillgrass Bluebilly Records held its showcase (that year, with the Muddy Roots Festival and Saving County Music). I loved the venue, not to mention the musical lineup, which included James Hand and The Calamity.

I went back to the Moose Lodge last night for this year's Hillgrass Bluebilly show for another fantastic show. If anything, the music was even better this year. I really do like this place. I like the crowds I've seen both years, which were big enough to provide a good springboard for a performance, but not enough to make you feel claustrophobic.

Possessed by Paul James gets all possessed

Possessed by Paul James, the musical superhero whose secret identity is mild-mannered teacher Konrad Wert, was one of the main reasons I went to the Moose Lodge this year. For those of you not familiar with his music (and who didn't read my recent review of his excellent album There Will Be Nights When I'm Lonely).

Although that album found Wert working with backup musicians on some songs, last night he was in his one-man band mode, playing a small arsenal of stringed instruments and using his trademark stomp-box -- which basically is a board that is miked -- as percussion.

All that, and his voice. I'm certainly not the first to note this, but when Wert gets to wailing, sometimes it seems as if he really is possessed. Before he started his set, he said he was having some trouble with his throat. But when he got going, I didn't notice many problems. Possible there were one or two scratchy moments, but that just added some character.

The Skidley Bow.

The other main attraction was Left Lane Cruiser, which plays a raw slide-guitar-based sound you might
 call "damaged blues." They are billed as duo --singer/guitarist Frederick Joe Evans IV and drummer/ harmonica player Brenn Beck, both from Indiana --  in recent press material.

But last night, they had a bass player who also made crazy noises on a bizarre homemade instrument fashioned from an old skateboard and a beer bottle. I asked him whether it was a type of diddley bow. He said he calls it a "Skidley Bow."

And on the first song LLC was joined by a fourth player -- Col. J.D. Wilkes from The Legendary Shack Shakers. He played harmonica on an instrumental and the crowd went nuts. Wilkes, whose other band, The Dirt Daubers is in Austin for SXSW, made a similar cameo earlier in the evening with The Pine Hill Haints.

Peewee Moore (center)

I was completely unfamiliar with the rest acts I saw at the Moose Lodge last night, but I liked every one of them. There was the Pine Hill Haints, who began playing a few moments after I walked in. They're a group from Alabama who describe their sound as "Alabama Ghost Music." In addition to stringed instruments, they also have a drummer playing just a snare, a washtub bass, an accordion and -- on their first song, at least, a musical saw.

Pee Wee More, a Tennessee-born songwriter also played with his band -- a lead guitarist and a mandolin player -- who like Moore, sport long Z.Z. Top/Duck Dynasty beards. He writes good honky-tonk tunes that work fine with his acoustic lineup. Buut I'd like to hear him sings these with a full country band -- fiddle, steel, drums etc. Apparently Moore has played at the Cowgirl in Santa Fe before. I hope he comes back so I can catch him again.

And unannounced was a group from nearby San Marcos, Texas called The Rock Bottom String Band. This is a group of countrified hippie kids who play a variety of instruments and sing with so much enthusiasm it was impossible not to get into the spirit. One lady played a bunch of homemade percussion instruments including washboard, spoons and a large plastic water bottle, which she beat the hell out of.

How Gelb

Before I went over to the Moose Lodge, I stumbled into the Continental Club just in time to catch former Giant Sand mastermind Howe Gelb. Seeing him just made me extremely happy. I saw Giant Sand over at the (long defunct) Electric Lounge in 1995, my first South by Southwest. I saw Giant Sand once or twice after that, but it's been years.

Gelb's act was a little lower-key than his Sandy heyday. He was backed by a bass player and a second guitarist who doubled on drums. Some of his quieter songs sound like Marty Robbins after a three-week peyote trip, And on one song, he played an electric cocktail-lounge piano, tickling the ivories (or the plastic) with a subtle insanity that seemed like he could break out and pounce on the audience at any time. But my favorite songs were the ones where Gelb tore lose on electric guitar. He's still got weird vision and fire that made us love Giant Sand to begin with.

And, as I've written so many times before, it wouldn't be SXSW without seeing The Waco Brothers at Bloodshot Records' annual party at Yard Dog Gallery. I was lucky to find a decent parking space and make it just in time for the first song.

Viva Los Wacos!

They did some of my favorites such as "See Willie Fly By," "Plenty Tuff and Union Made" and, the Lonesome Bob tune "Do You Think About Me," which I hadn't heard them perform in years. They also did their covers of Johnny Cash's "Big River," (which Jon Langford introduced as "Hotel California" by The Eagles), "I Fought the Law (and the Law Won)," and a rousing (and I suspect spontaneous) "Hey Bo Diddley."

But I have to play grumpy old man here. As much as I love The Wacos, I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic for the old Yard Dog Parties of yore, when the size of the crowd squeezing into that back yard of the gallery were smaller and easier to navigate. Back in those golden days of yore (late '90s, basically) I never had any problem finding a space on the front row. The past couple of times I was lucky to even get near the stage.

O.K., back to be being a rock 'n' roller and not an old fart. It's Saturday night already!

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DAY 2: The Show Must Go On

Barrence goes Savage at C-Boys

Although the city of Austin was still reeling from the shocking police chase that ended with two people dead on Red River Street the night before, the band played on -- in fact, hundreds, if not thousands bands played on Thursday night here in "The Live Music Capitol of the World."

I spent the evening (and early-morning hours) at one of the countless un-official shows that pop up during the festival. This was C-Boys Heart & Soul on South Congress Avenue, where I saw some inspired sets by Barrence Whitfield & The Savages, Bobby Patterson, and The Woggles.

Actually, earlier in ehe night I'd tried to get into The Continental Club down the street for some official, sanctioned sets by Tony Joe White and Dave & Phil Alvin. However, those with badges outrank those of us who only have wrist-bands in the SXSW pecking order at official shows. And there were so many badge holders, lowly wristband folks were left standing outside on Congress Avenue.

The Mighty Manfred of The Woggles

So I went up to C-Boys, where you don't need no stinkin' badges. And about 30 seconds into The Woggles, I'm glad I did. This is a latter-day garage band from Atlanta, which has been together since the early '90s.

Playing mostly, if not all original tunes, you can hear a little Count Five in The Woggles' guitar and aee a little Paul Revere & The Raiders in their moves. But mostly I hear echoes of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels in The Woggles' music. The foundation is upbeat soul.

I'd actually heard the singer of this band, who calls himself "The Mighty Manfred," a couple of days before on Sirius-XM Radio. He's got his own show on the Little Steven's Underground Garage channel, and, not surprisingly, he's got great music taste.

Next up was a veteran Dallas soul man, Bobby Patterson, who was celebrating his 70th birthday Thursday.

Patterson never was very famous as a performer. He was known mainly as a producer and a DJ. He produced records for Little Johnny Taylor, Fontella Bass and Chuck Jackson and he co-wrote a tune recorded by Albert King ("That's What the Blues Is All About.")

But his set, backed by a band that included a horn section, was lots of fun. At one  point he was joined onstage by Whitfield for a song I think is called "Upside the Head."

Speaking of Whitfield, his set was sheer intensity. Playing a set relying on his latest album Dig Thy Savage Soul, he raised the energy level several notches. Guitarist (and Taos resident) Peter Greenberg's fingers literally were bleeding.

I'd caught the tail end of Whitfield's set at Antone's Records on Wednesday, and of course, I'd seen him when he played Santa Fe in 2010. But his C-Boys set was nothing like I've ever seen. Whitfield is one of those performers who benefits immeasurably from a large, charged audience. And that's what he had last night. I just hope the shows I see tonight are anywhere near as fine.

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DAY 1: Tragedy in the Streets of Austin

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I had just sat down to blog about what a fine evening of rock 'n' roll I'd had -- all the great music I heard, all the cool people I saw, all the friends I got to hang out with -- on the opening day of the South by Southwest Music Festival.

But then I got a Facebook message from my brother back in Santa Fe. He had news of a bizarre tragedy at SXSW and wanted to know if I was OK.

It seems that a car that was the subject of a police pursuit plowed into a crowd in front of The Mohawk near 9th Street and Red River. At this writing, two people have died, although five more were said to have been injured critically. Police say they transferred 23 people to the hospital.

I've been to The Mohawk many times, including once, a few years ago, with my daughter and son. And I'd considered going there tonight. Among those playing were X, The Black Angels and Les Claypool. A friend of a friend was telling us that he was going there to see X. I don't really know the guy, but I hope he's OK.

I've heard grumbling for years about how the festival has grown to big, how the streets of Austin can't handle the traffic, the crowds, the insanity.

I flashed back to Santa Fe -- the gang-related Fiesta shooting in the '90s, and how that murder on the Plaza dampened the Fiesta spirit for years. (They still burn Zozobra on Thursday instead of Friday because of that killing.) I'm afraid this could have a similar effect on SXSW.

The Hickoids get inducted

And, dammit, I did have a lot of fun Wednesday. I got to see the last few songs of Barrence Whitfield & The Savages' late afternoon gig at Antone's Records. My Santa Fe crony Tom Trusnovic invited me to join him and his band The Hickoids who were getting inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame during the Austin Music Awards. I got to see Lucinda Williams perform several songs at the awards show, bringing back fond memories of when I first saw her during my very first SXSW back in '95. I got to shake hands with the great Augie Meyers backstage at that show. And I got to see The Hickoids tear up honky tonk at The White Horse just an hour after their induction.

It was a great day -- not even to mention the time I got to spend with my daughter, her husband and my grandsons earlier.

But right now I'm just feeling shocked and sad.

UPDATE: 9 a.m. Find more details about the vehicular homicides at The Austin Statesman American.

Watch This Space For SXSW Coverage

One of my all-time favorite SXSW performers, 6th Street 2006

I'm just south of Austin now, a little tired from the drive to Santa Fe, but eager to hit the South by Southwest Music Festival Wednesday night.

The Waco Brothers always are a highlight

I'll be blogging at least once a day. Figuring how to balance sleep and blogging is a constant problem during the festival. But it's a good problem to have.

I've got a long history with SXSW. The first time I attended was in 1995. It basically was a spur of the moment decision following a conversation with the late Alex Magosci, a coworker who had a band called Junk, which he fondly referred to as "Santa Fe's most dysfunctional band." He convinced me to travel with junk, which at that point was just a duo, Alex and his girlfriend Virginia Plain (but everyone knew her as "Sandy"), in their convertred school bus, lovingly dubbed The Junk Heap.

Junk rocks Brazos Street, 1995

No, they didn't have an actual slot at the festival, but Alex thought he had lined up a few non-affiliated gigs. So I got my press credentials (which was so much easier back then) and talked my editor into giving me time off to go to Austin for a big Sunday spread. She even got me a little walking around money for the trip. (That was so much easier back then too.)

It was a wild trip. The Junk Heap, which we all thought was parked safely, started rolling unmanned and nearly hit a gas pump in Santa Rosa. The the damned thing broke down in Clovis. It was obvious the bus would never get to Austin. My editor was expecting a big feature on the festival, so I ditched Alex and Sandy and took a plane from Lubbock.

The Hickoids 2012

I felt bad for them, but a couple of days later, who did I run into but Alex and Sandy. The Junk Heap had come through. Of course, all the gigs Alex thought he had lined up fizzled one by one. They tried to set up in various spots along Sixth Street only to get get thwarted one by one. Finally Alex found a friendly shopkeep on Brazos who let him plug into the store's electrical outlet. They started playing right after an Irma Thomas outdoor show about a block away, so they got an instant crowd. They played an inspired handful of songs, which was cut short once again by the Austin police. But they sold about $200 worth of their cassette tapes.

I joined them for the drive back. The Junk Heap broke down again, this time in Fort Stockton, Texas. I barely made it to work Monday afternoon.

Too much fun at the Moose Lodge, 2012

I attended the next five festivals. Then, when I started covering the Legislature in 2001, I had to cut back to every other year because the session is 60 days every odd-numbered year. And the last week always falls during SXSW.

My daughter moved to Austin a few years ago, so these days when I come to Austin for SXSW I usually spend the days with her and her husband and my grandsons -- and prowl for music at night.

So I'm back again. Watch this space, and tell your friends. 

And if you're really hard up for reading material, check out some of my old SXSW coverage HERE.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Y
Sunday, March 9, 2014 
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M. 
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time 
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org

 OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
What's This Thing by Mudhoney

Block Up by Demented Are Go

I Killed the Minister of Finance by Kult

Sugar on Top by The Dirtbombs

I'm Walkin' by Beatpack

Into the Primitive by The Future Primitives

Squat With Me Baby. By The A-Bones with The Great Gaylord
La Nen La Bambele by The Pussywarmers 

Jack Pepsi by TAD

Night of the Vampire by Roky Erikson

Frankenstein Conquers the World by Daniel Johnston & Jad Fair

25th Floor by Patti Smith

Burn Baby Burn by Stud Cole

Weird by Dex Romweber Duo

Bad Man by T-Model Ford
I Love to Rock 'n' Roll by Eddie Bo

Closing Time by King Automatic

Hipster Heaven by The Fleshtones

Bruiseology by The Waitresses
Buy Before You Die by Figures of Light

What's For Dinner by King Khan & BBQ
Inside Looking Out by Chesterfield Kings

Took Out the Trash and Never Came Back by Mojo Nixon
No Monkeys on This Train/ Rollin' and Tumblin'  by R.L. Burnside

My Roommate by The Village People

Creeping Away by Swamp Dogg

Golden Rule by John the Conquerer

The Freedom Under Certain Conditions by Charlie Whitehead

Early in. The Morning by Z.Z. Hill

Day Up in the Sun by Stan Ridgway 

Lucky Day by Tom Waits 
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

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THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, March 7, 2014 
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM 
Webcasting! 
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time 
Host: Steve Terrell 
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrel(at)ksfr.org
 OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Bless Your Heart by Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs

Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy by Bill Hearne
Turn it On, Turn It On, Turn it On by Tom T. Hall

Mamma Hated Diesels by Commander Cody & The Lost a Planet Airmen

Ants on the Melon by The Gourds
Don't Let Me Rock You, Daddy-o by Crane's Skiffle Group

Nervous Guy by The Old 97s
Me and Billy the Kid by Joe Ely

Union Maid by Old Crow Medicine Show

We Shall Be Free by Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly

So Long It's Been Good to Know Yuh by Del McCoury Band with Tim O'Brien

Face the Music and Dance by Willie Nelson 

The Sinner by Anthony Leon & The Chain

Wishin' For You by The Flatlanders

Funky Tonk by Moby Grape

Shit Shots Count by Drive-By Truckers

Jezebel by Steve Train & His Bad Habits

The Big Time by Bobby Bare Jr.

The Top 10 Commandments by Kinky Friedman 

Please Don't Go Topless Mother by Troy Hess

SLC by Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs

Three Piece Chicken Dinner by Neil Hamburger

Trouble on the Mainline by Mose McCormack 

Smokin' Dope and Snortin' Coke by Todd Andrews

One Sided Love Affair by Dex Romweber Duo

All the Pretty Horses by Kern Richards

Best of Worst Intentions by Stevie Tombstone 

Before We Come to Our Senses by Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay

Touch Taven by Elizabeth LaPrelle & Jadoo

A Fool Such as I by John Doe & The Sadies

CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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