Local bands ready for a Texas-size party
Among the hundreds of bands performing at next week's annual South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, an eclectic bunch of local artists are also making the pilgrimage, many for the first time. We asked some of them what they're most looking forward to and hope to get out of the music fest, which runs March 12-16. Eating barbecue, drinking beer (maybe doing both with keynote speaker Lou Reed), and even listening to and playing some music placed high on their to-do lists. For live coverage from South by Southwest, check the Living/Arts section next week.
DRUG RUG
Sarah Cronin, singer-guitarist (Cambridge):
"This will be our first time at SXSW. We are hoping to find good, sunny weather as we will be camping on Frank Smith's [the band, which transplanted from Boston to Austin] lawn. We are hoping that we will find a tent to sleep in. If not, we will be sleeping under the glorious stars of Texas. We are hoping that the intense partying that is fabled to occur does not impair our ability to channel the correct energy through our music. Tommy [Allen] found a brand of spring water that comes in a bottle that looks like a pint of Smirnoff, and because we're just a bunch of nerds with weak immune systems, it may be put to good use as an optical illusion. We also heard Dolly Parton will be there, so we are going to try to find her and get her to sign our copy of 'Dolly.' "
STEVE SMITH
Singer-songwriter (Scituate):
"My band [Dirty Vegas] has never been there, so it'll be my first time. Obviously to do a good show would be the most important thing, but I'm looking forward to the luxury of being able to walk up and down Main Street and see everybody from Lou Reed to Sonic Youth to up-and-coming bands I'm into, like Vampire Weekend. Everybody in one place - that's what it's all about. You might be able to get drunk and speak to Thurston Moore. Nobody will remember the conversations!"
HOW'S YOUR NEWS?
Jeremy Vest, drummer (Boston):
"I have been to SXSW before, and it was a blast. I'm really looking forward to going down there and hanging out and meeting people. I love to get away from my house sometimes. I'm hoping we'll get to interview some bands, too. Maybe meet bands from other countries, like Finland or Portland, Ore. Is that a country? No, I know it's not. I wish Jimmy Buffett or Gene Simmons were going to be there. How about Dolly Parton? She's going, right?"
EZRA FURMAN & THE HARPOONS Ezra Furman, singer-guitarist (Medford):
"Somehow, our friends got this incredible house [in Austin] - there's a rope swing and a water slide - and that's where we'll be staying, so maybe we can have parties and invite people that we meet. We'll probably meet a lot of nice people who will swing on ropes with us. I don't see any reason to adhere to normal standards of decency while we're there. We're all supposed to graduate [from Tufts] in May - if we don't go to too many music festivals."
NEPTUNE
Dan Boucher, drums-synthesizer (Jamaica Plain):
"After close to 14 years of being independent and doing everything ourselves, we've released a record [on the Table of the Elements label], so for the first time we're going down to play a showcase. We've never been too thrilled with the industry side of music-making, so I think it's kept us away. But we have tons of friends from Boston who are going to be there, so we're pretty excited. We're bringing [homemade instruments] made out of wide, flat hacksaw blades, a synthesizer that runs on light switches, baritone guitars made out of scrap metal, and a gas-pipe xylophone."
FANTASY MIRRORS
Nathanael Bluhm, singer; Michael Potvin, synthesizers (Boston):
Potvin: "We've saved up all our money so once we get down there we can buy all the barbecue chicken the hipsters have to offer. My mom is lending us her van, so once we get to Texas, we'll have more money for barbecue chicken."
Bluhm: "We are ready for our spirit quest in the desert. Since Potvin's mom is lending us her van, when we get to Texas, we'll have enough money left over for some authentic Mexican food. Potvin will have his mind blown into outer space after so many frozen veggie burritos."
MEG HUTCHINSON
Singer-songwriter (Boston):
"This is indeed my first time. I just signed with Red House Records this fall, and I am excited to be attending SXSW with my new record in hand and with this terrific team at the label behind me. I hope to be surprised by someone amazing that I've never heard. I'll have plenty of time to get the full experience and maybe even a couple of hours of sleep, too, if I'm lucky!"
HALLELUJAH THE HILLS
Ryan Walsh, singer-guitarist (Boston):
"This is the first time the band has been to SXSW, first time I've been to Texas as well. I've been on the receiving end of lots of hype about the festival from friends and musical peers. I don't want to be spoiled by preconceived notions, so I just expect it to be possibly very fun. I hear Austin's a good town."
WILD LIGHT
Jordan Alexander, singer- guitarist (New Hampshire):
"We're just really excited to go down there and play as many shows as we can, and play with as many people as possible. Warm weather will be a nice change from the snowstorms up here. We're about to record an album, so it'll be good practice to warm up. It's going to be a good place to see what the reaction is and work out last-minute bugs in the songs."
TULSA
Carter Tanton, singer-songwriter (Boston):
"I've played SXSW two other times. Looking forward to seeing some friends in other bands who will be down there, too. Don't know what I'm hoping for or expect, sorry. Wow, what boring answers!" 