Abbey Fox writesAbbey Fox Goes to South by Southwest 2012 (Pt. 2)

CHIRP Radio’s Abbey Fox was nice enough to share her experiences at South by Southwest 2012 with us. Part 1 of her journal is here. We continue her story on Thursday night of the festival…

A couple hours of relaxation and then we were back on a bus heading to Auditorium Shores for their free outdoor concert series that is held in conjunction with SXSW. We made it right as The Shins started playing. Although I’ve been a fan since 2003 (I’ll own up, it was the Garden State soundtrack for me), I had never seen them live before. And true, I didn’t actually see them because there were so many thousands of people – but I did hear lead singer James Mercer in all of his glory. Their music is very comforting to me, probably because I’ve been listening to it so long so it was great to finally get the chance to rock out with them, even if it was a less than perfect outdoor venue.

Three more sets closed out our Thursday night. The aforementioned Tennis behind the port-a-potties happened in between the Springsteen-esque War on Drugs and the amazing and honorable (and a personal favorite) Sharon van Etten. It was the perfect ending to an exhausting day of music going.

Knowing Friday was our last full day at SXSW we decided to stick to a simple plan. Instead of running from venue to venue, we would camp out at one showcase for the entirety of the day. I had gone to Music by the Slice at Homeslice Pizza last year and we liked the line up this year so we decided to commit to it again. It was 11:30 a.m. and we were listening to the fun boy/girl danceable indie pop of Imperial Teen, Yukon Blonde, Canadian favorites The Darcys, Lost Lander, and Australia’s own Husky.

Strand of Oaks, out of Philadelphia, was next. They put on a strong, lower key set than the former bands which made our ears happy. But man, TYPHOON! followed Strand of Oaks for my top performance of SXSW. This band is epic is size (13 members), they have two drum kits on stage with them and all sorts of instruments (violins! horns! Guitars!). Their music is complex but accessible, they provide sing-along choruses and play with an intensity as if every single one of their thirteen lives depended on it. I’m in love with them.

Yellow Ostrich, who were my favorite find from last year, played a decent set. Just off the release of their second full length album, their sound has matured into a much harder, traditional rock sound. I miss the loop pedal. Dark, Dark, Dark followed, also showcases their new sunnier sound. They still have a great sound and continue to play a bit with jazz and Eastern European folk, with a bit more emphasis on pop these days. They were also great. Family of the Year provided the music for our last set at Homeslice. They are from California and their lyrics are made from sunshine.

We grabbed some tacos and burritos from Torchy’s and were back downtown. Exhausted, we decided to check out the Saddle Creek Records party at Lambert’s. Electronic indie band Icky Blossoms opened and thank god they did. They gave off the exact amount of energy we needed to make it for a couple more hours.

Big Harp, another band I heard of through CHIRP, played next. This husband and wife duo completely abandoned their folk roots and played plugged in, and with a drummer. They played a hard set that verged on the edge of garage rock. We left during the Mynabirds because we were so tired. And we needed water to drink. And our flights were leaving the next morning.

Our trip back to the airport was bittersweet, as it often is. I was exhausted and slightly deaf, but also exhilarated by the whirlwind experience of the past couple of days. My second trip to SXSW was definitely a bona-fide success: new bands to follow and listen to, old favorites to re-visit, and my obsession and commitment to independent music continues to grow.

A festival the size of SXSW provides a plethora of opportunities for listeners to create the experience they want, which can be overwhelming as hell. But the amazing root element of the overwhelming-ness is always present: the quest for the pulse of the constantly changing music scene, that new song that will become your new favorite and carry you for years, and being surrounded by folks that share this important – vital even – common interest with you. No need to explain yourself; you go to SXSW the same reason they do: for the music.