It was the last day in Austin and I still hadn’t covered Odd Future. The good news was that they were going to play multiple shows on the final day of SXSW. The bad news was that one of them was during Bright Eyes and one of them was during the DFA 1979 reunion show. It started to become clear that I might not get to cover Odd Future and was going to have to face some very disappointed co-editors.
I had bold plans of how to spend my afternoon, but a 2.5 hour wait for a cab made going to Auditorium Shores seem like the best idea. They had five bands lined-up and all were worth checking out. Again, I took the easy road, something I suggest should you ever be in my position in Texas.
Kurt Vile and the Violators
Through the crowd repeatedly asked Vile to turn up his vocals, I don’t think they grasped that he just sings that way. Hair hanging in front of his face, often hunched over in vocal breaks, Vile isn’t the most in-your-face performer in the world, but his music was highlighted by the pounding bass and beautiful Austin afternoon. As a singer, Vile’s reputation arrived before he did, finally getting the recognition from listeners with his new album, Smoke Ring For My Halo, that he has received from fellow bands for years. He has no problem playing it cool; it is obvious from both his demeanor and the songs he shared on Saturday, that he just is cool.
Man Man
Man, it’s been years since I first took in a Man Man show. And it that time, both the group and I have grown up considerably. To the point that they just don’t seem so insane on stage. Now, it might be the fact that I’ve now seen lots of insanity on stage or the fact that the group has mellowed a little or the fact that it was 4 in the afternoon on the last day of SXSW, but Man Man seemed docile, and that didn’t necessarily seem like a bad thing. Honus Honus, for one, has something different in his eyes. Maybe it’s a gentleness, or a certain kindness, or something. But there was warmth there, and it made the act that much more likable.
Another interesting Man Man point: they have superfans. Not many, but a few had managed to get to the rail, with no interest in Bright Eyes, and wore Man Man facepaint in solidarity with the group. Musically, the band didn’t seem to be getting their sea legs, with “10lb Mustache” coming through at the pro-level you would expect. They have a new album coming out in a month, and the music world should cheer at their return.
Middle Brother
“My mom is here,” Matt Vesquez announced after the first song in Middle Brother’s set. “Hey mom, I know this is the wrong time to tell you this, but this is the place where I first tripped on acid during Bob Marley Festival in high school.” And so were Middle Brother: fun, irreverent, and not so much the sum of their parts (the band is the lead singers of Deer Tick, Dawes, and The Delta Spirit). No, they are more the highlights of their respective bands, and their set went over swimmingly.
John J. McCauley III took a hamburger break early in the set, but when he returned, reenergized, he and Vesquez charged each other like bulls fighting a matador. Musically, Middle Brother provided the kind of of country-infused rock that is hard to hate. Especially for Bright Eyes fans. Yeah, Middle Brother left with a couple thousand new fans, including this usually skeptical writer.
The Felice Brothers
Another band whose reputation preceded them, I have always heard nothing but the best about The Felice Brothers. Conor Oberst had recently made a trip around California with them as his backing band and seeing The Felice Brothers, I imagine the collaboration was perfect. Their brand of pepped-up folk, complete with accordion and periodic rocking-out, highlighted the best of what was to come with Bright Eyes. So when Nate Walcott came out to jam with The Felice Brothers, everyone knew that this day had been carefully orchestrated. In a week where bills had been thrown together based on PR Firm or record label affiliation, seeing a bill put together by what the bands actually sound like was refreshing. And if nothing else, it allowed lesser known bands like The Felice Brothers to play for crowds that will appreciate them. And thus, the smiles that extended from the stage to the crowd were nothing short of sincere.
Bright Eyes
I’ve seen Bright Eyes at various stages of Conor Oberst’s life. So, when you hear people talking about this tour as the best they have ever put together, I can chime in with 100% certainty that the band has never been better on the stage and have finally figured out how to put together a headlining set worthy of the attention they have always received.
So what has changed? Well, Conor Oberst, for the first time in his career, seems comfortable in his skin. Oberst rose to fame as a troubled young man and has become a master of his craft. And while that has hurt his more recent albums, which just can’t reach the emotional intensity of his early work, as a live act, this maturity suits him and the band perfectly. Sure, because this is The People’s Key tour, we are going to get a host of new songs. Some of these nestle into the old songs seamlessly (“Shell Games,” “Jejune Stars,” “Haile Selassie,” “Firewall,” and the perfect closer “One For You, One For Me”), while others simply pass by as filler. But the true joy for most Bright Eyes fans would be in seeing what old numbers he would pull out. And, like the true greats of live performance, his old cuts were chosen with professional wisdom that can’t be taught. Yeah, for once, Oberst is coming across as experienced.
“Something Vague” caused just about every old-school Bright Eyes fan to shit their pants, as it is one of the more beloved and rarely played songs in Oberst’s back catalog. From Lifted… we got “Bowl Of Oranges” and “Lover I Don’t Have To Love,” two more fan favorites that still ring with honesty a decade later. Middle-period Bright Eyes got strong representation, both with deep cuts like “Arc Of Time” and “Poison Oak,” and with the singles Bright Eyes first came into the mainstream with, a charged up “Take It Easy (Love Nothing)” and a trumpet backed set-ender in “Lua” that could have brought a weary and beaten writer to tears.
In the encore, “Gold Mine Gutted” opened with a slow building and extended into, that allowed for the band to soak up all the positive energy in the crowd. And then “Road To Joy,” which is surprising in not being the closer. “Road To Joy” is still the most powerful thing that Oberst has ever committed to tape, but the intense and angry finish isn’t what the older Bright Eyes wanted to leave people with. Rather, the uplifting “One For You, One For Me,” complete with fireworks over the lake, caused the realization that Oberst was going to be okay. Sure, there were times when it seemed unlikely that he would ever grow into this man we saw on this night. But, well, thankfully it happened. And even if we never get new music from him that will compare to the raw tunes of his youth, the fact that he can take the stage and play these songs for two hours with honesty and conviction, is no small miracle. And even if this is their last tour, as fans, a thank you is in order for giving us the Bright Eyes show of our dreams.
Setlist:
1) Firewall
2) Jejune Stars
3) Take It Easy (Love Nothing)
4) Four Winds
5) Cleanse Song
6) Something Vague
7) We Are Nowhere (And It’s Now)
8) Shell Games
9) Approximate Sunlight
10) Arc of Time
11) Haile Selassie
12) No One Would Riot for Less
13) Bowl of Oranges
14) The People’s Key
15) Cartoon Blues
16) Beginner’s Mind
17) Poison Oak
18) Old Soul Song (For A New World Order)
19) The Calendar Hung Itself
20) Lua”
Encore:
21) Gold Mine Gutted
22) Lover I Don’t Have To Love
23) Road To Joy
24) One for You, One For Me
Death From Above 1979
After the epic conclusion at Auditorium Shores, some friends had suggested coming to Beauty Bar for Death From Above 1979. With Odd Future in the back of my mind, I made the decision to take in the band that hadn’t played together in five years with a crowd of 200. Yes, you read that right, it was fucking tiny. Of course, to get in, I had to show up about three hours ahead of their 1am start time, virtually assuring that it would be the last set of SXSW for this guy.
The energy on the back patio was feverish as we waded through dull DJ set after dull DJ set. The Lone Star’s started flowing with more urgency and by the time 1am hit we were pretty toasted. Prior to taking the stage, Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler (JFK) could be seen side stage, together, and the reality of what was about to happen became, well, real. I had, through some pleading and asserting, been allowed to move to the rail for the opening, which turned the back patio into pure chaos.
Musically, it was Death From Above 1979. The crowd moved and jumped and leaned into their sweaty selves. The music was all around us in a haze of beer and smoke and a week of intensity gone by. And this was our release: the music we have loved for years and never thought we would see in an environment this intimate. Hell, both members even appeared to be happy. They played loudly, joyously, and with purpose: to reestablish themselves after years of side projects had made us nearly forget the bliss that comes when these two guys share a stage.
About six songs in, though, shit nearly went horribly wrong. The large gathering that had grown outside the patio’s chain-link fence grew increasingly restless (read: drunk and empowered) and tried to literally break into the venue. But in a showing of solidarity to what DFA 1979 was trying to do on this Saturday night, a few fans literally kept the show going for a few more songs by taking it on themselves to hold the fence up. Rope (where the fuck did the rope come from?) tied the fence panels together and DFA seemed to relish every moment of it, dedicating songs to the people outside. But, of course, such a display couldn’t come without police intervention, and they showed up on fucking horses. Yes, this is Texas and yes, they cops ride horses.
From there, the details are hazy. Some people were reportedly tazed and some others maced. The show stopped for a number of minutes and then resumed to a fiery conclusion. Is it sad that some people got hurt? Sure. Does it serve them right for acting ridiculous on the streets of Austin? Yes. Did the band handle the situation with grace and poise? Absolutely. Was it one of the best rock experiences of my life? Without a doubt.
Setlist:
Turn It Out
Dead Womb
Going Steady
Too Much Love
Cold War
Black History Month
Go Home, Get Down
Little Girl
Blood on Our Hands
You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
Romantic Rights (stopped due to riot)
Pull Out
We Don’t Sleep At Night
Romantic Rights
Do It!
OFF!
So that is the end of my SXSW, right? Well, no (duh!).
Turns out, Odd Future was going to be playing a 3am set at Vice’s late-night party. It was about as far away from Beauty Bar as imaginable, but I hustled, the energy of many beers fueling my desire to photograph the hottest act in music. But, I wasn’t the only one trying to do this and found myself waiting with a massive crowd for entry. About this point at SXSW, I became a dick. Nothing was going to stop me from getting in and after much negotiating with the door people, I was able to catch the lest couple songs of OFF! and get setup for Odd Future.
If you are looking for some insight about OFF!, just know they were loud, fast and enthusiastic. I saw literally 4 minutes of them. I also found out they were giving away free Sapporo tall boys and hit that shit up. Apparently, while it is illegal to sell booze after 2am, it is not illegal to give away or consume it. So there you go.
Odd Future
Odd Future had the best soundcheck I have ever heard. With no one on the stage, the loud voices came over the PA to check the mics, shouting “SWAG,” “666,” “Shut the fuck up,” and whatever else they could think of. Slowly, the entire posse took the stage, minus Tyler. And then the intro to “Sandwitches” began, with Tyler jumping to the stage as the “ashing blunts” line completed. From there, it was madness.
Tyler jumped into the crowd. Hodgy kicked a row of Sapporos on the crowd. Hodgy spotted a stage light that he smashed for a good minute, ending with the thought, “fuck you, light.” The group was ferocious, continuing with “French,” “Yonkers,” and a handful of other tunes I am less familiar with. Seeing Odd Future with a thousand dollar piece of machinery in your hand is scary. Hell, just seeing Odd Future is scary. But worth it, as a release, as a moment to get lost in the music and the crowd and the spirit. No one would want to have a conversation while this was going on. It was a captivating performance from a group that is very much deserving the attention they are getting.
And now, over a week later, the high of South By Southwest may have left a little, but these moments never will. Braids being overwhelmed that people liked their music so much, DFA 1979 hanging out together before their performance, Conor’s tender version of “Lua” to the masses, Julian tossing his sunglasses into the crowd at the closing of “Last Night,” fans helping The Head And The Heart finish their set, The Dodos jamming out the end of their set, every person singing and clapping to Okkervil River, I could go on and on. But, I won’t. I’ll stop. Now.
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