AXIS|OF|LIVE

Seeing Billy Bragg is always an event.  You get songs – and, oh, so much more.  Bragg is not one to mumble “The name of this next one is…..” before each song.  Saturday during the Utne Reader day party at The Thirsty Nickel, we got lots of chat – commentary on everything from American football (“What WE have is football because you use your *feet* – YOUR football should be called *running, throwing, and standing around for 20 minutes during the adverts.*”) to the insidiousness of cynicism.  The remarks about cynicism prefaced the song, I Keep Faith, from Bragg’s soon-to-be released CD, Mr. Love and Justice (it’s already available in the UK.)  He told the audience that he wrote this song because - while singer-songwriters can’t change the world, they do have a platform to publicize issues - it’s the audience that can cause substantive change and he has faith in the listeners to do just that.  He also played a few more songs from the new album – Farm Boy (about a young American soldier in Iraq), Sing Their Souls Back Home, and O Freedom (about Guantanamo Bay.)  Bragg also discussed something he’s been passionate about during the last few years – artists’ rights.  He’s been a part of successfully managing to get many of the social networking sites to rewrite their contracts with prospective musicians so that artists maintain control over their work.  This discourse preceded rousing versions of Bragg’s 1986 song, There Is Power In A Union and 2002’s NPWA (No Power Without Accountability.) There were so many special moments during this gig.  Bragg performed an a cappella version of I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night, Woody Guthrie’s I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore, and Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.  He was joined by the young, British singer-songwriter, Kate Nash (the two began performing together recently when they were both part of Australia’s Big Day Out festival) for the Shangri-Las’ hit, Give Him A Great Big Kiss.  Bragg played many times during the festival, including the Body of War showcase at Stubb’s along with Ben Harper, Serj Tankian, Tom Morello and others.  He also made stops at the SESAC Day Stage Café and radio station The Current’s live broadcasting stage, in addition to his official showcase at Cedar Street.  Bragg will be touring the US in June, promoting the new album and, as he did during his gig Saturday afternoon, I’m sure he’ll spend some time during those shows earnestly appealing to his audiences to make sure they vote in November!  Bragg may have been sharing his message of ‘emotional, sexual love and social justice’ for some 25 years now but that message is as relevant as ever.  See him if you get the chance; he’ll inspire you to go out and do some good!

I had not seen X since ‘back in the day’ - otherwise known as 1980 - in a small Decatur, Georgia club called Rumors; sadly, the club is now a store selling mattresses – I’m sure there’s a comment in there somewhere on where old-school punk has gone.  Their debut album, Los Angeles, had just come out and we were blown away by their raw energy and loud, coarse music.  Many years have passed since then, but you wouldn’t have known it at the X gig on Friday night.  All the members are now in their 50s, with the exception of Billy Zoom who turned 60 earlier this year, but they put as much energy into that gig as they might have back in the 80s.  All the songs from Los Angeles and their second album, Wild Gift, were there.  They opened with Your Phone’s Off the Hook, But You’re Not and continued to pound them out – Los Angeles, The World’s A Mess; It’s In My Kiss, Johnny Hit and Run Pauline, We’re Desperate, White Girl.  The gig was broadcast live by DIRECTV so cameras were everywhere.  That allowed Billy Zoom to flash his trademark grin and wink at all the girls up front.  Exene Cervenka stomped and swaggered around the stage as she’s always done and D J Bonebrake, pork pie hat atop his balding head, flailed away at his drum set.  John Doe was dripping sweat early in the gig, pounding his bass, and roaring out his vocals.  The band was tight – I’ve read they play together regularly and it showed - the audience loved it.  The anticipation was strong for this gig – the line to get in The Bat Bar stretched down one side of the conference center and around the corner – many more people than I expected wanted to see this band.  I thought that was terrific!  There was a great mixture of folks – those, like me, who probably first saw them back in the 80s, and young kids in their early 20s.  Everybody was pogo-ing, bumping into each other, stepping on feet, but no one cared – this was X, after all.  Aside from John Doe responding with, “Get used to it!” to someone in the crowd shouting, “We’re desperate!” just before things got started, there wasn’t a lot of conversation with the audience.  But we didn’t need conversation – we needed that energy and power that X has always been known for and we certainly got it.  I think everyone was a little disappointed that the gig couldn’t go all night when things wound down.  Even Moby, who stood right behind us during the gig, I think would’ve liked the band to keep on playing.   Definitely catch these guys on their upcoming tour if you get the chance; I don’t think you’ll regret it.

The days are short and the nights are long….

Today I got any early start and actually made it downtown and out of traffic by noon.  Badge in hand I made my way to The Mohawk for The Rhapsody Rocks Austin showcase.  At this showcase you had choice of complimentary Blue Moon Beer or Coors.  The venue wasn’t mad packed on the count it was still early, but there were plenty of people at the front of the stage to check out British Sea Power.  They’re a four man indie pop band from Brighton, England whose first single, Waving Flags, has been in heavy rotation even before they were announced on the SXSW lineup. I guess all the hype worked, because at the first strum of their guitars the venue went from semi vacant to shoulder to shoulder.  Their sweeping guitar pop fit well with the cool weather.  After their set I made my way over to the British Embassy Bar B Que.  

The British BBQ is by far my favorite event of SXSW.  I went last year and had a blast, so there was no way I was going to miss it.  Once in you could either get in the long line for the free bbq or get in the even longer line for the free drinks.  Seeing as I hadn’t eaten I chose the grub.  Belly full I wandered to the stage to check out The Rascals.  Now NME has labeled them the band of 2008, so I was expecting a lot.  After their first song, I was amazed. The sound is this dark and it has this pseudo psycadelic - 60’s cult noir  vibe. The set was tight and the crowd was pleased.  They are my new favorite band, hands down.  Throughout the festival they will play show after show, but you can’t make any stone promises to see the same band twice. It never works out that way, no matter how much you love them.

On my way to meet up with some friends I stopped back by the Rhapsody party to check out Clipse.  After being a no show at SXSW a couple of years ago and disputes with their label I never thought Clipse would hit this festival circuit. Once they hit the stage they were greeted with mad applause and a heavy smell of spliff in the air.  They played the favorites, Grinding and What Happened To That Boy, and some new ones of their bootleg album that you could get outside the venue.  We don’t need no stinkin’ label.

The sun was going down and everyone was going into party mode.  It would all start at the Fader Fort.  There Thurston Moore would take the stage with his band and play a couple of songs for a crazed crowd. The peak of his set came when he sang I’m Not A Young Man Anymore. The words and the performance couldn’t have been more contradictory to the songs title.  He trashed around and screamed like a mad man, a twenty year old mad man.  He even made his way into the crowd via cannon ball.  Even is a sea of arms and hands he never missed a note.  After his set Moby took the stage with the legendary Lou Reed, who isn’t a young man anymore (and I say this with all the respect in the world), and sang Walk On The Wild Side.  Maybe it was the free booze or maybe the heat exhaustion, but I noticed many people becoming very emotional.  The Fader Fort had swelled to capacity for the next act. N.E.R.D was going to play and every girl in the audience made her way to the front, shamefully I was one of them.  After setting up loads of keyboards and drums N.E.R.D took the stage 45 minutes later.  It was worth the wait. As they played songs from their new album and crowd favorites like Lapdance and Rockstar, I noticed an all too familiar smell….think back to the Clipse show.  The show was full overtly sexy and a lot of fun.  You can check it out on Youtube.com. As much as I wanted to stay till the end, I had to make my way to the Dim Mak party.  

This party was like a secret stealth covert mission. Sansa Playground had arranged for shuttles and pedicabs to take party goers to the secret location, but you had to meet at a secret location to catch a ride.  Against my will some friends and I took the pedicabs.  About 15 minutes later we arrived at the Elks Lodge.  I really thought it was a joke until I saw all the cars and heard the music.  Once in it was a maze of activities and partying.  Downstairs were live bands, 21, two pools, and an open bar.  Upstairs had a mechanical bull, an open bar, and a dance floor.  Music was provided by DJ MOMJEANS (aka Danny Masterson) and Steve Aoki (the mastermind behind Dim Mak records).  It turned out that tonight was DJ MOMJEANS birthday, and he was ultimately surprised with a cake and all the trimmings.  After the birthday song was sung the party went into overdrive.  DJ Steve Aoki  Kid Millionaire made way to the tables full throttle.  After a couple of  Red Bulls and vodkas I joined in. If you’ve never seen him live then you’re beyond missing out.  After having some cake and a couple more drinks (yeah, it was a good idea at the time) I had to say goodbye and made my exit.  Next stop the Playboy party.

My main reason for attending the Playboy “Rock the Rabbit” party was to see Justice. I had seen them a couple of weeks earlier and vowed to see them again.  The Playboy list was locked, if you weren’t on it you weren’t getting in. I tried not to make eye contact with the mass of people waiting to get in, no way bad karma was going to mess up my chances of seeing them.  Before walking up to the show I had to stop by the bar first.  It was a bit more taxing than one would think.  The party was held in a huge warehouse that was filled with smoke and red lights. There were even the girls walking around in the Playboy Bunny outfits, but they didn’t have drink trays.  You had to go to the bar for that.  The free beverage was…I really couldn’t tell you what it was but I do remember it having Jack Daniels in it, but I can tell you that Moby is a very nice guy.  After getting my drink I followed the music and found Justice on a small stage.  Before they started there were a few technical difficulties, but once sorted out it was like they never happened. There was sweat, dancing, photographers, and more smoke.  After playing DVNO and We Are Your Friends a few people bailed, but the true partiers kept on partying.  After another drink I noticed that the Bunnies were on the stage dancing, but then there were full on  plush bunny costumes bouncing on the stage.  That’s when I decided to put the cup down and call it a night.

If this keeps up SXSW will stand for South By So Wasted.