LIVE MUSIC South by Southwest Music Festival Austin, TX March 18-22, 1998

For those unfamiliar with the cultural phenomenon of South by Southwest, next year restring that guitar and get your paisley flowered minivan down to Austin in time for the big event. Every March the music industry embarks on a pilgrimmage to that Mecca of new music, Austin, TX. On this unacknowledged Spring Break of sorts, bands, labels, reporters all flock to the heart of Texas to partake in the strangely ritualistic bar hopping and free dining. Open to the public through the local sale of $60 wristbands, live music fans literally run from one club to the other catching as many brief showcases as possible up and down Austin's famed Sixth Street. This year's party, the festival's 12th since its inception, arrived in Austin with fair warning, though nothing ever prepares the patient citizens of central Texas for the southern migration of 6,000 professional party goers. Beer flowed though every nook and cranny, as did free merchandise with record companies practically begging attendees to grab CD samplers and singles galore between acts. A resourceful soul could easily snag invitations to industry sponsored barbeques, t-shirts, records, stickers and magazines, all compliments of some executive schmuck at a giant communications corporation somewhere in New York. Celebrities seem to saturate the already crowded streets, but music is the real soul of the five-day festival. Sonic Youth, godfathers of the so-called alternative sound, jump-started the festival at La Zona Rosa in support of their new album, A Thousand Leaves. Kim Gordon ripped the guitar through all songs but two of a very trancy, instrumental set. "Hits of Sunday" was an early crowd-pleaser as the band achieved their trademark shimmering electronic sound. In fact, everyone seemed pleased with the situation. Sonic Youth jumped for joy after receiving a hefty paycheck from sponsor CDNow (rumored to be in excess of $25,000). The wristband crowd (who purchased passes prior to SXSW) was pleased to get their money's worth on the second day of the festival. Geffen Record Company reps were clapping with delight after attracting so much attention to a major release this year, and of course, the much-adored venue La Zona Rosa was pleased to host such a high-profile event. Noella Hutton - Dressed head to toe in some sort of camouflage outfit and a generous supply of Irish wit to boot, this Irish singer/songwriter charmed the socks off her audience while still managing to overtly promote her new album between every song. "Get your friends to buy it, and if you don't have any friends, get some." Comparable to countrywoman Eleanor McEvoy with her stage presence and singing style, Hutton belted out songs such as "Just Unusual to be Happy" and the new "Breathe" with striking passion. She effectively captures the folk-punk attitude which endears Ani DiFranco to so many American audiences, equally intense, but with less social commentary. Sean Lennon - Yes, that Sean Lennon, offspring of the great Beatle himself, took the stage at Liberty Lunch on Saturday in his first major performance. The packed crowd waited, as quiet anticipation lingered over the hushed crowd. Once Lennon started, the general mood took a turn towards the bizarre, as an odd, uncomfortable silence prevailed between ambient pop songs, and Lennon grew increasingly (and visibly) frustrated on stage. Overall his performance failed to impress all the important people (who knows what repercussions await for Lennon's future), and he scampered out of town a disappointed young man. Addicted to Noise tracked him down at the airport as he waited for a delayed flight, obviously frustrated with his situation and the SXSW performance. "I felt like people weren't really getting into it," he said. "They weren't really reacting. It was weird." So, basically he's a lemon. Fat Amy - Following in the footsteps of Michigan pals The Verve Pipe, this band always seems on the brink of nuclear explosion. Lead singer Bobby Guiney looks like a preppy schoolboy with died blonde hair, and never stops beaming that precious smile. He sings like a choirboy on acid, with all the angst of Kurt Cobain and the pure vocal talent of Barry Manilow, creating an odd but strangely pleasing hybrid effect. Fat Amy put on a solid show of meat-and-potatoes, Midwestern rock, boasting raw, edgy guitars with steady rhythmic undercurrents, a shirtless drummer and a lead singer who habitually points his finger to the ground for no apparent reason as he belts out some truly impressive high notes. In the singer-songwriter tradition of New York City's famous Bottom Line club, several prominent names strolled into Westside Alley on for an intimate two hours of conversation and songwriting showmanship. Identical twins Karen and Dana Kletter impressed the crowd with some incredible vocals and an unspoken sibling rivalry onstage, as they silently debated over favorite songs. David Poe sunk into some characteristically sparse instrumentation on "Apartment" before rocking out on "Blue Glass Fall." Kathleen Wilhoite (familiar to audiences as the single mother Chloe, who ran off to Phoenix on NBC's ER) shared the spotlight with producer Kevin Salem on "Big Time" and "Olivia Says." She surprised the skeptical crowd with achingly beautiful vocals steeped in sincerity. The shining moment of the night occurred when Karen and Dana Kletter spontaneously joined David Poe for a version "Turn Me Around," (which he selected in the "Song I Wish I'd Written" category) sending whispers of admiration through the audience. Vertical Horizon -- Introducing a new bassist, bandleaders Matt Scannell and Keith Kane wowed the crowd with some old favorites and broke out two new tracks ("You're A God" and "Send it Up") from their upcoming studio album. This year Austin was blessed with the presence of actress Janeane Garofalo, who attracted attention as the "Austin Stories"-ish hipster correspondent for MTV. Filling in for Kathie Lee Gifford on "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" days later, Garofalo spilled the beans about her weekend antics. When asked about the last time she was passionately kissed, her surprising response (after a cleverly comic delaying tactic - You know, the "I'll really have to think about this one expression") was "Just last week at Austin's South by Southwest. I didn't get lucky." She gave no mention of the lucky lip locker's identity, but somebody should probably tell her that nobody gets lucky at SXSW. Other frequently sighted celebrities included Robyn Hitchcock, who seemed to be living in the streets of downtown Austin for five days, Austinite Matthew McConaughey, and Quentin Tarantino. That's a wrap. Until next year. -A. Clauson

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