SXSW 2011-Day 1 (3-16-2011)

Another year, another SXSW Music survived. It's crazy, it's five days of no sleep and eating on the run. But then you see that new band that knocks your socks off, or start chatting with that established musician whose music you've always loved on the street as you race from one venue to another, and no matter how tired you are, you know you're coming back next year.

Carrie Brownstein of Wild Flag @ NPR' Day Party @ The Parish

This year, I also covered acts from Washington, DC for the Washington City Paper, which you can read here. Wild Flag, a girl-super group of Mary Timony, Sleater-Kinney and Helium was tremendous. They may very well rank as my favorite act during SX. Other locals were These United States, Ted Leo, and the Bad Brains. I think the Nikon and I survived that madness by the grace of God and the 6'5 guy who stood behind me the whole time.

H.R. of Bad Brains @ Emo's Main Room

I'd never seen the Brains live before but I had a feeling it would be mayhem. What was really interesting though was watching while the crowd went insane, the band just stood there calm and collected-no leaping about for H.R. And he bowed to everyone, including the audience, after every song. Complete serenity in the midst of chaos. It was amazing to witness.

Other bands I caught Day 1 included Hayes Carll, The Tender Box, Duran Duran, and Fake Problems.

Hayes Carll @ American Songwriter's Day Party




The Tender Box @ Rusty Spurs







Duran Duran @ Stubbs








Fake Problems @ Dirty Dog Bar



(See the rest of the photos from each set here)

Lights That Flash in the Evening: 930 Club 30th Anniversary Show, Washington, DC (5-31-2010)

The awesome 930 Club here in DC turned 30 on Monday and to celebrate, it had a big ol' birthday party with a bunch of bands who played for free. It was a great celebration of all of the acts that helped put the 930 on the map as a club, as well as a great peek into the long string of bands that that came out of DC, many of whom owe their start in music because of the 930 Club. This history of the club is a great story and one that the Washington Post did an oral history of awhile back (definitely worth the read).

I had to miss the first couple of acts of the evening, Tiny Desk Units, who was the first band to ever grace the 930 Club stage back when it was on 930 F Street, The Fleshtones, the very first band then-independent promoter/now 930 Club owner Seth Hurwitz booked at the old location, and The Slickee Boys, the "the punk-psychedelic punk rock band may very well hold the all-time record of most times playing the 9:30 Club with 79 appearances." Sets were running about 15 minutes a piece so I did get there in time to catch the last song of Marti Jones & Don Dixon, which D.C.’s late, great alternative station, WHFS, helped break. Hurwitz sat in on drums for both the Jones/Dixon set, as well as The Fleshtones.

We were only allowed to shoot the first song of each set, and though I missed those bands, I'm really glad I got there in time for my first shots of the night to be of the great Tommy Keene.



This was my first time seeing him live and just...wow. Keene's biggest influence is said to be the 60s power pop band, The Raspberries and it shows, his songs are just so wonderfully uber hooky! Keene has worked with the likes of Paul Westerberg, and most recently, Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices. He's been an influence to tons of bands, whether they know it or not. If you haven't listened to his stuff yet, you absolutely should make your next purchase one of his.


There wasn't really a formal schedule of acts anywhere, but folks in the know around me were saying I should get upstairs in the balcony because the next act, The Evens, was going to play there. The balcony, really?? Kind of hard to imagine this setup upon first knowledge, but then Evens guitarist/singer Ian MacKaye has always been one to think outside the lines.


That's right, it was that Ian MacKaye, of Fugazi and Minor Threat, the rough and tumble hardcore punk bands, and his wife, drummer Amy Farina. Playing lovely harmonic songs that have simple but bursting melodies and hooks. Not at all what I expected, but I loved it. It's not aurally thrashing like "Waiting Room," and no, you can't slam dance to it. But it is still punk rock: utterly minimal and lovely yet still stripped down and strong.



And they played their set in the damn balcony like it was their living room! If that ain't punk rock, I dunno what is.


Henry Rollins was supposed to be the evening's MC but his plane had been delayed. So Hurwitz and Josh Burdette, the iconic 930-night manager (below), stepped up in the interim to introduce the next act.


Of all the acts of the evening, probably the youngest was Justin Jones. Jones' musicial style is in an alt-country vein with a side of Springsteen. He and his band, The Driving Rain, are mainstays in local DC-area clubs.


Around this time, I happened to glance over the backstage area and lo and behold...Rollins in the house!

(My very poor attempt at capturing MacKaye and Rollins together)
Rollins, MacKaye, and Bob Mould stood in the sidestage area for a bit and it was an almost-comical contest amongst the photographers as to who could catch the best shot of all of them together (tough, as a ton of folks were milling about).

Rollins came onstage to a loud wave of shouts and cheers. He first apologized for his delay (flight issues), then went on to introduce Mould. Rollins spoke of Mould's history and amazing chameleon musical changes from punk (Husker Du), to pop (Sugar), to pro-wrestling scriptwriter, to dance music (Mould's Blowoff DJ nights have been a 930-club staple for years now). Rollins also said that Mould has an auto-biography coming out next spring!!


Mould's long been a huge favorite of mine so his set was one I was most looking forward to (favorite living-in-DC story: I ran into Mould once at the meat counter of the local Whole Foods- yes, I totally dorked out, and yes, he was totally nice).


The man still rips up an electric guitar like no one else, tearing up tracks like "See a Little Light" and "Hoover Dam." His acoustic tour back in the early 90s was the first show I saw as an undergrad, and I obtained a whole new appreciation for his songs. To this day, I'm still trying to find an acoustic version of "Hardly Getting Over It."

Following Mould is hard if you're anyone, but Ted Leo gave it a hell of a try.


His set was interesting, and he pulled out a song that he wrote "back when I lived up in Mount Pleasant," a DC-neighborhood, "and haven't played it in as many years." His voice let out towards the end of it but he soldiered on. He twittered throughout the night about the show, and about his set, he said "Hey - thank you for your kind tweets about my set - sorry my voice crapped out - fatigue, et al. 'Twas fun though, & I'm honored to be here."

Rumors abounded since the show's announcement last week as to whether DC-native/club owner/VA property owner Dave Grohl would be appearing. And, as Rollins' said in his intro, "Well sports fans I have an answer for you, and that answer is yes, yes, yes." As you can imagine, the place went nuts.



Grohl went into a solo version of "Everlong," which was nice. However, the reunion with his first band Scream for the rest of the set is what blew the house down, because a) it was Scream, and b) they were doing covers of fellow DC-band The Bad Brains. Thank God for earplugs because the 930 crowd went ballistic.


The last band I stayed for was The Pietasters. Ska was a big part of DC music back in the day, so having the 'Tasters play was an obvious choice. Perfect music for a summer night.

See additional photos from all sets here
I couldn't stick around for the final bands, Clutch and Trouble Funk, but all accounts said they were just as great. Chris Richards from the Washington Post, did a great write up on the show with details that you should read (he even namechecked yours truly!!!)

All in all, it was a thrilling night to capture. The 930 Club is a super special place to a lot of people for a lot of reasons, and consistently remains the best place anywhere to see a show. If you ever get to DC, do not miss an opportunity to visit. It may not be made of marble and packed with tourists, but make no mistake, the 930 Club is just as much of a DC-monument as anything along the National Mall. Happy 30th 930 Club, and here's to many more!

Washington's 930 Club to Host Mammoth Show for 30th Anniversary Celebration This Monday...for Free!

DC has become my adopted city since I moved here after grad school for my first "real" job. It's a city that has its problems, but it also contains some amazing aspects as well. For a music dork like myself, at the top of this list of amazing DC elements definitely includes the 930 Club.

My first experience to the 930 was at its old location, on 930 F St.,to see Paul Westerberg on his first solo tour after the Replacements in 1993. By the time I'd moved back in 2002, the club had relocated six years prior to a bigger and better (and definitely cleaner) location at 815 V St. The place routinely gets the bigger name acts in terms of indie rock and there's really not a bad sight-line in the place. Definitely one of the better places to see a show.

2010 marks the 930 Club's 30th anniversary (for a great oral history of the place, go here), and May 31st is the exact day in 1982 that the first concert was held. To celebrate, they're putting on an amazing anniversary show this Monday, 5/31...for free even! “We wanted to do something really different, we want to be surrounded by people who have made this place special, and we found out from the Virgin Mobile FreeFest how much fun it is to give tickets away, so we combined it altogether for our 30th Anniversary concert,” said I.M.P. Chairman and co-owner of the 9:30 Club Seth Hurwitz.

The lineup inclues surprise guests ("stars with D.C. roots") and "acts that hold special meaning to the 9:30 Club and its role in the independent music scene, that have been instrumental to the 9:30 Club’s history," they said.

No kidding...To start, the evening’s host will be D.C native Henry Rollins, which is worth it alone. And then there are the bands which will include:

Tiny Desk Unit – the first band to play at the original 9:30 Club. Its keyboard player is no stranger to the new club. It’s Bob Boilen, of NPR – the guy that broadcasts All Songs Considered shows from the 9:30 Club for the entire world to hear.

The Fleshtones – these CBGB grads were the very first band then-independent promoter Seth Hurwitz booked at the 9:30 Club, back when Carter was in office. Since then, Seth and partner Rich Heinecke bought the Club, Jimmy went on to start Habitat for Humanity and the Fleshtones have been doing what they do: recording and touring.

Tommy Keene – Bethesda native, played the original 9:30 Club with his band Razz, known for being one of the most critically acclaimed authentic power pop acts.

The Slickee Boys – the punk-psychedelic punk rock band may very well hold the all-time record of most times playing the 9:30 Club with 79 appearances. Monday will be 80!

The Psychedelic Furs – the very first “Big Act” booked at the 9:30 Club, the English rock band was one of the most successful acts spawned from the punk, new wave scene.

Marti Jones & Don Dixon - back when radio “broke” artists – D.C.’s alternative station WHFS catapulted this duo to fame, and they packed the Club with fans eager to hear hits like “Praying Mantis”

Clutch - Germantown, Md., based internationally-traveling metal funk band cut its teeth at the 9:30 Club, and returns every year to sold out houses. The band just released a two-disc DVD “Clutch Live at the 9:30 Club” with material going back as far as 1991.

Trouble Funk - one of the best live bands ever gave the 9:30 Club patrons their first taste of Go-Go. Like they say, once you go Go-Go, you never go back.

The Evens – is headed by the seminal figure in alternative music Ian MacKaye. While known around the world as the front man of Minor Threat and Fugazi, and a bastion of rock integrity in the music industry, he’s always been “just Ian” to the 9:30 Club.

Justin Jones – represents the future of the 9:30 Club, with his soul-filled Americana sound, Justin has opened the club a dozen times for acts like ZZ Top, Loretta Lynn and Cheryl Crow. His next CD will be the 1st release on the 9:30 Club record label later this summer.

The Pietasters - they met at Virginia Tech, horns in hand 20 years ago – and the soul ska band comes back home to D.C. playing to full 9:30 Club houses every time.

Ted Leo – though he was born in Indiana and grew up in Jersey, Washington D.C. and the 9:30 Club are running through the veins of this Indie rock doc, most notably known for his association with pharmacists.

Bob Mould - in all his incarnations, starting with alternative rock band Hüsker Dü, Bob has always considered the 9:30 Club his home. In other worlds, getting the blowoff is a bad thing. But thanks to Bob Mould, it’s a D.C. favorite. Bob, who lived in D.C. for years, takes his Blowoff dance party to the 9:30 Club every month, and now he takes that show on the road. (from press release)

In terms of tickets...

-Members of the 9:30 Club Forum, and subscribers to Volume, the 9:30 Club’s print newsletter, and the 9:30 Club's email list will receive the first opportunity to secure tickets by lottery. Instructions will be sent out via these forums today about lottery inclusion. If you're in, you'll be notified no later than Sunday.

-A very limited number of tickets will be available at the door on Monday, 5/31, first come, first served. We'll provide an update as soon as we hear an exact time.

Update (5/28): Looks like doors are opening at 5 pm. However, if you're hoping to score a ticket at the door, it's highly recommended you get there well before that.