"We're all worn out." That's what we heard time and again from some of the Boston-area bands that played at South by Southwest. But it sounds like they had a good time on the way to exhausting themselves. . .
DRUG RUG
Tommy Allen, singer-guitarist
"Someone told us that My Morning Jacket mentioned us on a blog. [Frontman Jim James] said we were one of the bands he wanted to see at South by Southwest. I'm a big fan, so that was cool to hear. He was maybe going to come to our show [Saturday night], but I don't know if he was here since we went on late."
FANTASY MIRRORS
Ian Beck, manager
"It's been mind-blowing, we're all exhausted, and I don't know how I'm awake right now. We've met a lot of great people. [Synth player] Michael Potvin and I ended up DJing a blogger party. We saw [UK band] the Whip, and they were phenomenal."
EZRA FURMAN & THE HARPOONS
Ezra Furman, singer-guitarist
"Our first show we played here was a Lou Reed tribute, and I met Lou. He was really supportive and taking pictures of us, but thankfully I didn't know that until after the show. I think I was melting into a puddle."
STEVE SMITH
Singer-songwriter
"My trip was like a zoo. It was my first time, and I didn't really know what to expect. I saw Jason Collett, British Sea Power, and also Liam Finn. He's really, really good. I got exactly what I wanted, played a great show, found some new friends, met some industry people. And the barbecue - oh, my God - it was amazing." TULSA Carter Tanton, singer-guitarist "I think the crowds were bigger this time [this was Tanton's third SXSW performance]. There was more momentum, and I think it was easier to get people out to the shows because they had heard our album."
HALLELUJAH THE HILLS
Ryan Walsh, singer-guitarist
"We did three shows. The label showcase [for Misra], that was the big thing. Then we did the Berklee alumni show, and then the Upright Citizen's Brigade had a thing at Alamo Draft House. Mostly it was stand-up and sketches. Matt Besser, who's a part of that group, likes us and invited us to be the house band. It was a good way to mix it up."
HOW'S YOUR NEWS?
Arthur Bradford, director
"We're doing double duty here. We played two showcases, and we've interviewed 35 bands and people attending the festival. We're actually shooting a six-part series for MTV right now, and this is one of the episodes. We've been driving around town, and so many people have seen the [documentary about the group] and come up to say hi."
MEG HUTCHINSON
Singer-songwriter
"I had no idea what I was getting into it. It was amazing. It definitely made me want to have a band; just hearing some of the great backing bands down here makes you want to travel with one, but I was here by myself."
NEPTUNE
Dan Boucher, drummer
"I had an amazing time, saw friends from all over the world. Making business connections has never been of much interest to us. Our record label had a showcase, so we figured why not. We more hung out and watched bands. I drew a lot of inspiration from what I saw. It was definitely a worthwhile experience."
WILD LIGHT
Jordan Alexander, multi-instrumentalist
"We're exhausted. We're happy to be done. We played an afternoon show, and it turned out there were three relatively well-known people in the audience that saw us play. I guess that's the point. It can be a drag when you're loading in equipment and you're double-parked and you play to five people, but you get a little stronger from doing those things."
- JOAN ANDERMAN, SARAH RODMAN, JAMES REED
