Art and Photography Blog

Photos of Our Brief Encounter with the 2013 Austin Music Scene

We recently stopped in Austin for two days on the way back from a family event in Dallas. I got introdcued the Austin music scene last year during SXSW (see - SXSW Notes: The Music Scene Part One: March 13). This time we enjoyed the music in Austin although it is a more limited palate than NOLA. We went to the Continental Club in the South Congress area twice. Here is the club and the vintage cars that are often parked out front. 

   

Here is the first band - a Texas honky tonk group, the Wagoneers, we heard on Sunday. 

     

Here is then an excellent old school blues band we heard at the Continental Club on Monday.

     

After the CC on Monday we discovered that Antone's, another old blues club, had moved from the 6th street area but found another club, The Thirsty Nickel, with a blues band, Sonny Wolf, on 6th street who I saw at SXSW last year (see below). The club Sonny played in last year, the Blue Moon, has also closed. It seems that blues is disappearing in Austin, at least in the 6th street area. Stevie Ray would not like it. Sonny was a Stevie Ray style player. We danced a bit to each band.

     

Here is Sonny in 2012 at the Blue Moon on 6th Street during SXSW. As mentioned ablove, the bar is now closed. 

   

Photos of Louisiana versus Texas BBQ

We recently drove to a family event in Dallas and then stopped at Austin for two nights of the music scene on the way back. Going there we stopped at Eddie's BBQ at a truck stop near Alexandria LA. We got pork ribs and chicken with two sides (see below) It had the traditional Southern sides: overcooked green beans :), mac and cheese, along with a LA addition, dirty rice and local option, potato casserole (like a twice cooked potato with cheese and bacon- really good).  Being that the crawfish were fresh in season we also got a pound of them. 

            

When in Austin we read about the Texas BBQ Trail and made a selection part of our return to New Orleans - Meyers' Smokehouse in Elgin Texas.  We got pork ribs, brisket, sausage (their speciality) with cole slaw and cream corn. See last two pictures. It has been around since the 1930s when Rudolph Meyer started making his sausages in the German style.

      

Both were really good. Despite all the hype, Eddie's was actually better except the ribs at Meyer's were slightly better than Eddie's. In LA there is the boudin trail but the state is left off the Southern BBQ trail for some unknown reason as the BBQ here is as good as anywhere. I guess I need to complain. You might like the site as it has the history of BBQ in every southern state except LA.  This needs to be fixed. 

 

Photos of BAMM.tv Music Cruise Part Two

Here are my photos of the second of two lake cruises with BAMM.tv duringSXSW 2012. In this case the bands are Lee Kock and Hollis Brown. BAMM.tv is a service that connects emerging artists with audiences through video. I wrote about BAMM.tv in an earlier post.

Lee Kock is an excellent solo singer songwriter. Both his voice and lyrics convey an experience beyond his apparent age. He is from the San Diego area and was a recent contestant on the TV show: the Voice. He was one his way to Nashville when he got this gig and now plans to try New Orleans and a few other places. I gave him some suggestions on where his sound might appeal in NOLA on Frenchman Street.  He did all his own songs, including “Same as Blood” about supporting a close friend. The one exception was an excellent cover of Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love.” He dedicated this to his wife who was on board and is a photographer who also mangers his web Site.

            

Hollis Brown was up next. They started with the singer and added a guitar player and finally the whole band joined in as they could on the boat format so there were no drums. They played great rock and as some one said, it is “music made for the road.”  They are a popular band with over 8 gigs at SXSW 2012. The singer commented on how you can hear the lyrics more with the reduced band. However, I got a CD and also enjoyed the full sound.  They are from Queens. They did a lot of their own work with a few things like the Velvet Underground thrown in. Their next CD, Nothing & the Famous No One has a release date of April 3, 2012. I think we will hear a lot more from them. In the last group photo Lee Kock joined them for a final number. 

                

 

 

Photos of Austin Architecture Part Two

I was pleased to be attending SXSW for the first time. I am grateful for Adobe Acrobat for enabling me to participate. While there I was impressed with the architecture of the city so here is the second two posts covering it. There are few scences thrownin. 

                           

 

Photos of Austin Architecture Part One

I was pleased to be attending SXSW for the first time. I am grateful for Adobe Acrobat for enabling me to participate. While there I was impressed with the architecture of the city so here is the first of two posts covering it. There a few scences from the city thrown in. 

               

         

 

Photos of SXSW Music Scene March 14

Here is more on SXSW music. I was pleased to attend SXSW for the first time. Except for the long lines, it exceeded expectations for both the tech part and the music part. I am grateful for Adobe Acrobat for enabling me to attend. For the first four days and nights I focused on the Interactive part, both sessions during the day and the parties at night. Then I switched to the music on the evening of March 14. I realized then that maybe I should have gone to some of the Sixth Street music bars before then. Next year I will know better. I will do a few more posts on SXSW music in the upcoming days.

 The day started with the BAMM.ty music cruise that I will write about on other posts. When it was over around 5 I walked back from the lake and into a concert in front of Austin City Hall with a good band of unknown name.

   

I learned that Leah Segal, who was on the first BAMM.tv music cruise and fronts for Firehorse, was also going to be in a very different music event at the French Litigation Museum across town at 7:30. It was a New York style cabernet in what turned to be a beautiful setting. So you will see below. But first I took a slow walk up Sixth Street to see the action as you can see directly below.

    

Here are pictures of The Citizen’s Band, performing at the French Litigation Museum. You can Leah in her new persona on the right. 

         

I then tried another of the official bands for SXSW but they were not my taste so I went back to the Blue Moon for more blues with a different band but a few of the same players from the night before. It was once again great. And once again I had to leave at 2 to catch my shuttle bus while they were still going strong. They said that play 2 blues bands a night 365 days a year so I will be back. 

         

 

Photos of SXSW Music Scene March 13

I was pleased to attend SXSW for the first time. Except for the long lines, it exceeded expectations for both the tech part and the music part. I am grateful for Adobe Acrobat for enabling me to attend. For the first four days and nights I focused on the Interactive part, both sessions during the day and the parties at night. Then I switched to the music on the evening of March 13. I realized then that maybe I should have gone to some of the Sixth Street music bars before then. Next year I will know better. I will do a few more posts on SXSW music in the upcoming days.

I began the evening at Headhunters 720 Red River St. They did not have food but the door guy said I go get some good cue up the street (at the place to the left) and bring it back to eat at their bar with one if their beers. I took his advice and listened to a high energy rock band that I believe are called the Audics. There were not on the program but served as a good opener to go with the cue and beer.

      

At 8 the Bipolar Gentlemen were fronted by a high-energy female lead. AS the program describes them, “Better than years of therapy. More effective than expensive prescription medication. It's the band all the critics are calling a quartet.” There were two guitars and percussionist who included objects like large metal springs and an empty (I hope) propane tank. They kicked the energy up another notch.

      

Scorpio Rising took things up another level. Described as an “electro/dance/rock band from Austin, Texas, whose recordings and intense live performances have made them one of Austin’s premiere entertainment commodities. Hailed as one of Austin’s best Goth/Industrial bands and DJ bands by the Austin Chronicle Music Poll.” I think this is accurate form what I saw. The energy they brought to the stage makes me think they could do well in some Boston dance clubs. We talked afterwards and I may make some recommendations for them.

      

I then switched over across the street to Elysium 705 Red River Street to see the StepKids from Connecticut.  These guys come out in all white with a white background and do some creative things with lights as you can see below. The music was solid rock and stood up the to the lights. They are described as a “futuristic electro soul recorded on a reel-to-reel; soaring harmonies sung by three singer/songwriters; Kandinsky-esque visuals that make for enigmatic live performances.” This is a good description. One of the guitarists, Jeff Gitelman, resigned from touring as Alicia Keys' guitarist to focus full time on the band. They all three write the songs and all three of sang.

          

Afterwards I wondered out to Sixth Street and walked into what was for me the treat of the night. Jo Hell from Montreal played some great blues standards with a group of local blues, they were mostly men but there was a female bass player as you can see. They did a lot of standards, including some Stevie Ray. I especially liked their cover of his cover of Hendryx. Voodoo Child.  They got the audience moving and often jumped down off the stage and moved with it. I only left at 2AM to not miss my shuttle bus back to the hotel. They were still going strong, as was the rest of Sixth Street.