With a touch of festy fatigue setting in, the masses rallied on the third packed day of music at SXSW. The highest profile event of the day was undoubtedly the Luck Reunion taking place in the Hill Country just outside Austin on Willie Nelson’s ranch, but there were also tons of shows taking place back in town. While Glide’s Greg Ackerman explored all of the musical goodness that Luck had to offer, Neil Ferguson and Tim O’Neill checked out acts around Austin.
Shakey Graves at Luck Reunion
When Shakey Graves first played Luck Reunion, the event had a different name and the singer performed solo with only his guitar and vintage Samsonite/kick drum hybrid in the tiny Luck Chapel at the entrance to the Western town that served as the set for Nelson’s film, The Red-Headed Stranger. Yesterday, the Austin singer-songwriter returned the Luck, this time to perform on the main stage with a full band in the magical sundown set slot. Graves’ progression from relatively unknown solo act to regularly selling out tour dates all over the country mirrors the growth of the event, which began with modest attendance numbers and two stages, to a veritable mini-festival with four stages (if you count the new artist-curated beer garden stage) and a few thousand fans. Luck is still intimate, however, and the bucolic setting was perfect for the still rising star that is Shakey Graves. He delivered yet another stellar set that he began by performing his decidedly Texas style folk rock music solo and finishing the performance with a full band, putting a bow on a gorgeous Hill Country sunset. –Greg Ackerman
Low Cut Connie at Luck Reunion
Piano rockers Low Cut Connie made their first appearance at Luck Reunion in the appropriately monikered Revival Tent. Indeed, front man Adam Weiner took the crowd to afternoon church with his band’s Jerry Lee Lewis meets Bruce Springsteen vibe. The over-the-top, flamboyant approach Low Cut Connie bring to their performance pulls each and every audience member into the show. At one point the charismatic bandleader stood atop the pit barricade supported only by one female fan who he’d locked hands with. He jokingly teased her, “You better not drop me lady or I’m gonna sue you for $250,000.” With tracks like “Dirty Water” and “Shake It Little Tina”, Low Cut Connie owned the audience by the time they were done with their 40-minute set. The entire tent was abuzz following the show, grins plastered across their satisfied faces. –Greg Ackerman
The Nude Party at Luck Reunion
North Carolina buzz act The Nude Party hit the Revival Tent stage just prior to Low Cut Connie making for a stellar double bill. The group’s music is equal parts Sixties mod, classic Southern, and garage rock. Singer Patton McGee looks as though he stepped out of a scene from a Mod-era issue of New Music Express with his Beatles haircut and a dark, vaguely Sixties Brit-hipster fashion sense. His bandmates on the other hand look as though they stepped off the back of the pickup truck used in that old Georgia Satellites video. The contrast in their stage appearance is noticeable. Their music has turned heads both domestically and abroad, booking top tier music festivals and touring constantly. We noticed a number of fellow musicians watching from backstage to see what the buzz is about. Y’all should check ‘em out too. –Greg Ackerman
James McMurtry at the Broken Spoke
Salty Texas rocker James McMurtry doesn’t like small talk, but as demonstrated at the Broken Spoke on Thursday afternoon, if you give the man a guitar and a microphone he’ll regale a room with longwinded Steinbeck-inspired yarns. Songs like “Choctaw Bingo”, “Copper Canteen”, and “You Got to Me” painted vivid pictures of simple, salt of the Earth type of folks struggling just to make it in the world today- hinting at something deeper without being outright topical. Because McMurtry’s lyrics are arguably some of the best ever penned and certainly some of the most poignant given our current political climate, it’s easy to forget the man is also an extremely proficient guitar player with a distinctive, unmistakeable style. His abbreviated half-hour set was the perfect balance of sharp, biting songwriting and bouncy, dirt road rocking, and the fact that it was in the Broken Spoke – Austin’s last true honky tonk dance hall – made it all the more sweeter. –Tim O’Neill
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Mike Krol at Hotel Vegas
The four stages of Hotel Vegas on East Sixth are basically ground zero for all things rock and roll during SXSW. This is something of a double-edged sword because, on the one hand, it’s a feast for those who want to listen to all things punk, garage, and psychedelic, but if you spend enough time there, most of the bands will start blending together. This was not the case for Mike Krol’s set on the patio stage, where he kicked ass every which way. Playing songs off his recently released album, the aptly titled Power Chords, Krol and his band pummeled the crowd with a wall of fuzzy garage rock. Most of the set found Krol writhing around on vocals and belting out lyrics as loud as possible, bringing raw punk energy to some straight up rock and roll. The set culminated with Krol forming a ball and rolling – mike in hand – through the entire crowd and back to the stage as he closed out on a high note that distinguished him from the rest of the bands playing Hotel Vegas. –Neil Ferguson
All gallery photos by Maggie Boyd.
See coverage of SXSW Music Day 1 and Day 2!
