Friday, Day 3 of SXSW was exhausting, but super fun. I was out, trolling around Austin from 1 in the afternoon until 2 at night. My feet were just straight red when I got home. I started my day intending to catch Handsome Furs at the Insound Party at Club Deville, and totally missed it because it was so tough to get a cab downtown. Bummer. But, I caught School of Seven Bells at Emo’s Jr.. They drew a surisingly loyal crowd, and their effortless pop-psych rock, featuring the very cute and angelic Deheza twins on guitar and keyboards was easy to listen to. Wanting to get out of the cave-like venue and into the sun, I strolled to the other side of town for the Village Voice Party. On my way, I stopped into a coffee shop and saw Devo, who were on a SXSW Panel and played a show down here, hanging outside of the Hilton Hotel (in jumpsuits, carrying their iconic red hats, naturally)! M. Ward headlined the show and I was psyched, because I’m a longtime fan and have never seen him live. He played a quick 6-song set and was an endearingly awkward performer, but still engaging to watch. He got all bluesy jazz face while he was playing guitar, and I tried to get pics, but alas, I need to start a fundraiser for a new camera. Mine is the worst in dark venues! So frustrating!
Then I headed over to the myopenbar.com party to catch a punk rock extravaganza with roller skating and free Budweiser all day. Read about why that’s a bad combo after the jump!
(Photo, Pree at myopenbar)
Saucony sponsored the party (which was 4 stages in a square set off by bleachers, in the middle of a lot) and, I guess brought a skating rink along with them. You could out-trick other skaters in a competition for free shoes. This girl to the left took the sneaks, and deserved them because she was a gymnast out there. Crazy.
I did not partake in skating, though I was hanging out with two of Shunda K.’ s dancers, and we all wanted to test our balance and moves for some free kicks. With all the free beer around, (I had been drinking since 2 pm, you just can’t avoid it) I didn’t want to take my chances of wiping out, because I would so be that girl.
After super-noisy UK punks, Pree played, and their lead lady stomped around and freaked out in tights and a t-shirt, Atlanta’s Dark Meat got on an opposite-facing stage and pretty much threw a party. Streamers and confetti flew into the crowd, and whether or not you were digging their messy, southern-fried noise, the sun was setting over Austin, the beer was flowing and it was hard not to be feeling the night.
