Before I jump into my Québec travels, a quick reflection on some of my favorite musical sets from this year’s South by Southwest Music Festival.
The fest has come and gone. As usual, a whirlwind of too many shows and not enough time. I performed three gigs and put together choice cuts from my music collection to DJ at a closing event the last day.
There have been years I have performed three times as many shows with multiple bands. Either way, the Monday following the festival I’m completely exhausted and somewhat sad the opportunity to see so many global musical acts has slipped away.
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I saw Jacco Gardner twice. Hailing from The Netherlands, I’d been wanting to see him perform for several years, but always seemed to miss his sets in Austin.
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My favorite local Austin band is The Octopus Project. They are some of the hardest working artists I know and beyond creative.
They hosted a day show with two stages of music at Spiderhouse Cafe, which is just north of the University of Texas campus. They invited my band, Experimental Aircraft, to perform and when it was time for their set, I tried to gracefully sit on the ground, in a dress, to get some film shots and video footage. (Hit the full screen button!)
A film they scored the music for is currently being released in theatres across the United States. It’s called Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter and it’s gorgeous. Go see it!
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Wray is from Birmingham, Alabama and I first heard about them from members of The Octopus Project. I wish I had recorded more of their set. Their LP is hypnotic, but their live set is even more so.
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Prince Rama. A total surprise. They were performing above the venue where I performed an official SXSW showcase with Experimental Aircraft. Again, I wish I’d recorded more, but they were so engaged with the audience, it felt rude to have electronics between us.
(For some reason YouTube can’t seem to process all of the lights and has made my video a bit shaky. Apologies!)
If you have an opportunity to see them live, go! It’s surreal, fun, beautiful, and a total trip. I dare you to dance. They begin a North American tour next week!
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I heard Irish band Dott for the first time. They performed on the same showcase as my band and then again at the closing party where I was spinning records. Perfectly executed garage-pop with sweet female harmonies.
May your journey be your muse,
Rachel
Related posts: SXSW 2013: A Visual Diary on 35mm Film
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