The crowds have thinned, the clubs have fallen silent, and the realization that I've slept 15 hours over the past five days has set in. (So that explains those dark circles under my eyes.) With the ear plugs finally out, I'll leave you with the way I began at SXSW: a snippet of breakout star Janelle Monáe wowing a crowd, this time with a soaring cover of the Great American Songbook classic "Smile." How fitting since no one else made me smile this week quite like Monáe did.

Running an hour late for her midnight set at Buffalo Billiards on Saturday, Solange Knowles had to contend with sound problems and an audience obviously frustrated by the delay. Knowles, Beyoncé's kid sister, explained that she had rushed over from playing at Perez Hilton's party, where the line to get in snaked around the corner a few hours in advance. To her credit, Knowles, with two back-up singers and a full band behind her, kicked into high gear with a set of frenetic and infectious R&B pop that was worth the wait.

South by Southwest isn't just for discovering the next wave of hot indie-rock bands. More and more heritage acts (R.E.M., last year) are showing up in headlining slots, often hoping to connect with diverse audiences and generate buzz ahead of a new project.

This year's lineup featured performances by '80s hitmakers Echo & the Bunnymen and Devo, both of whom will have new albums out later this year, along with '60s garage-rockers the Sonics. Oldies but goodies such as Cajun legend Doug Kershaw, swamp-blues king Tony Joe White, and folk raconteur Rosalie Sorrels played one-off shows. Metallica made a not-so-secret appearance, and the Indigo Girls shared a bill with PJ Harvey and John Parish, who release a new album, "A Woman a Man Walked By," on March 31.

Confessing that it was her first trip to SXSW, and to Austin, Harvey said she and her longtime collaborator Parish felt very welcome at the festival. With Harvey on vocals and Parish playing guitar and ukulele, they gave a generous sneak peek of the new album, their first together since 1996's "Dance Hall at Louse Point." Behold a first taste of what's to come:

Half the fun of SXSW comes from the late-night scene on the streets, particularly 6th Street, the epicenter of the action. With music spilling out of the clubs and throngs of people winding up and down the road, it's nonstop sensory overload. Imagine Lansdowne Street when the Sox are playing -- with U2 as the game's special musical guests.

You never know whom you're going to see down here, starting with all the street musicians who don't have a venue but still want to jam al fresco:

But nothing has topped this stroke of brilliance: a little food stand called Meatheads, which peddles burgers and sausages but lures you in with '80s videos playing on a screen. Boston really needs this:

Making Providence proud since 2004, homegrown indie-rock band Deer Tick gave a moving and compelling performance last night, the kind that suggests those guys are finally on the verge of a much-deserved breakthrough. And frontman John McCauley won the award for most poignant song dedication at SXSW. Let's roll the tape:

Underground hip-hop has been a staple on stages at this year's SXSW, with a number of the genre's next generation of stars packing clubs: Charles Hamilton, Jean Grae, Brother Ali, and Brazilian trio Choc Quib Town.

Kid Cudi was supposed to make his SXSW debut Thursday, but five minutes past 1 a.m. at Aces Lounge, someone else took the stage with bad news: Kid Cudi was a no-show. Boos and bickering with the club staff promptly ensued.

Minneapolis rapper P.O.S. was a revelation for me, a magnetic performer whose nimble rhymes address everything from the recession to the war. It was hard not to respond to the guy's intensity:

Their name is in Spanish, their sound is distinctly '60s, and they could easily be the next big thing in world music. Brazil's La Pupuña got the crowd worked up at the club Copa last night with its infectious guitarrada music, essentially a hybrid of surf rock, cumbia, and Caribbean sounds. If you weren't dancing to this last night, you weren't listening. If you didn't have a caipirinha or Mojito in your hand, you missed out:

Making her SXSW debut, celebrated Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade played a headlining gig at the Flamingo Cafe last night. A line snaked outside the club a good 20 minutes before she started. The only problem? She and her band got a late start and therefore got to play just a few songs.

When the house lights blared at 2 a.m. on the dot, it was clear Lafourcade was finished. As fans booed the sound guy, Lafourcade shrugged her shoulders, thanked everyone for coming, and stuck around to take photos with eager fans.

Even with just a few songs, though, the beauty and simplicity of her music were capturely right here:

Yes, there were dozens of younger and hipper bands playing on 6th Street at midnight last night. But I doubt any of them could have exuded the wit and charm of Rosalie Sorrels. At 75, the singer-songwriter is a good example of how some old-timers -- Cajun master Doug Kershaw, swamp king Tony Joe White -- made quiet but poignant appearances at this year's festival.

After her show, I asked Sorrels if it was her first time at SXSW, and she it was, though she's played in Austin many times over the years. "The last time was a house party for Molly Ivins," she said. Talk about a perfect pairing.

Sorrels played to a small but attentive seated audience at the Victorian Room of the plush Driskill Hotel, closing with this reflective tune she wrote some years ago:

Ruthie Foster is a hometown star in Austin, where she lives, but she still rallied an impressive crowd that packed Mother Egan's Irish Pub last night. With her cousin on bass and a friend on drums, Foster was a force as she channeled the blues, reggae, and roots rock:

From South Africa, BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks) skewed the misconception of what African bands should sound like. (The Fader has an interesting story on BLK JKS's background and intentions at here.) Their thick, hulking songs often incorporate elements of African guitar playing, metal, and reggae.

Their big hit, "Lakeside," sounded especially good at the Mohawk last night:

Always a fan favorite down here, Phosphorescent is at this year's SXSW in support of "To Willie," a new tribute album to Austin's patron saint, Willie Nelson. Sadly, Phosphorescent's set at the Mohawk last night was a bit short, so the band didn't play anything off that album.

Here's Phosphorescent mastermind Matthew Houck and his crack band trying out a new song called "I Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down":

Trying to wrap your mind around the 1,800-plus bands at SXSW can give a music lover a real headache, which is why we really enjoy this humorous breakdown of band names on Paste magazine's blog.

"Anybody read my blog?"

New York rapper Charles Hamilton, who came to SXSW with a lot of love from music blogs (not to mention he's on the cover of The Fader magazine this month), was trying to gauge his fan base at the Back Alley Social last night.

He didn't look too pleased with the results, though, as he counted about 10 hands in the packed house. In fact, Hamilton didn't seem very happy with the crowd in general, stopping the show a few times to ask why everyone was so quiet. The audience wasn't having it, either, and gave him a lukewarm response.

Hamilton did score points for theatrics, at least. He asked one of his bandmates to give him his cell phone onstage. Hamilton boasted that he had a new girlfriend and called her mid-performance -- she didn't pick up.

Larkin Grimm, a surrealist singer-songwriter with a strong connection to mysticism and her Southern upbringing, is always compelling to watch. She played a loose, acoustic set last night with two backing musicians and true to form, offered the evening's best bit of banter: "How many ladies are menstruating right now?," she inquired with wide eyes and a wider smile. Grimm went on to talk about spirit orgasms (hint: she's found a planet where you can have them all the time) and ended her set with this gem, "My Justine":

It's not quite a full-fledged Kiwi Invasion, but Ladyhawke is among a double handful of New Zealand musicians performing at SXSW this year. Here's a clip of Ladyhawke playing her minimalist electro-pop last night at Stubb's right after Janelle Monáe:

I've never met an alien, but I feel confident saying Janelle Monáe might be from another planet, the fictitious one where Grace Jones, David Bowie, OutKast, and Labelle (circa '74) meet every Sunday looking fabulous for a spot of tea.

This rising R&B/hip-hop star is getting a lot of buzz down here at South by Southwest, and I understand why after watching Monáe's wild set at Stubb's last night. The woman is completely magnetic, a petite package as frenetic and fierce as her hair, which is shaved on the sides, sort of a cross between a pompadour and an Afro.

The lights went down right at 8 p.m., and after some gurgling, space-age introductory music, Monáe bounded onstage in a white tuxedo shirt tucked into black trousers, with matching black cummerbund. Here's Monáe digging into her opening number, "Violet Stars Happy Hunting," strutting like the love child of Chuck Berry and '70s funk diva Betty Davis. Like everyone around me with jaws ajar, I was hooked immediately.

Oh, and here's further proof that the lady knows how to work a crowd. You'll have to forgive the 13 seconds were the camera drops to the floor. Monáe was headed right toward me, and I did my part to get her back onstage.

Hey, folks. Live from sunny Austin, Texas, this is James Reed reporting from the South by Southwest music festival. Well, actually, it hasn't started yet (it runs March 18-22), but you'd never guess that from looks of the city so far.

Already 6th Street -- the stretch of bars, restaurants, and clubs that's the epicenter of activity this week as 1,800 bands descend on Austin -- is abuzz with revelers checking out music as much as one another. From all the green attire and shamrock hats, I couldn't tell if tonight's merriment was in honor of St. Patrick or just an excuse to get the party started early. I suspect both. And, of course, it didn't hurt that it was nothing but blue skies and 80-degree weather here today. (Funny how Boston and its March snowstorms make you forget how great the warmth of the sun truly feels.)

Even before I touched down in Austin, it was already resembling a rock festival on my connecting flight from Houston. I was 80 percent sure Ryan Adams was two rows behind me, but then I realized Ryan Adams probably wouldn't be sitting in coach and asking the flight attendant for a Diet Coke. Everyone on my flight, in fact, could have been at a casting call for the next member of the Strokes -- that is, lots of skinny dudes in skinny jeans, wearing tattered cowboy hats and boots they probably bought anywhere but in Texas.

I was lucky enough to sit next to a charming fellow named Ernest, who was also rocking a fedora (hey, when in Rome...). Ernest is an audio engineer and musician who works with Natalia Lafourcade, an exceptional singer-songwriter from Mexico City whom I'm checking out either tomorrow or Thursday night. Lafourcade, who's as feisty as her quirky alt-rock suggests, told me she and her band are in town for their first SXSW appearance, bolstered by a new single, "Azul," that's climbing the pop charts in Mexico. Take a listen here.

So in between figuring out the bands I hope to catch tomorrow -- I already have 15 on my list, a good five too many -- I used tonight to get a feel for the city. And by that, I mean this:

With or without that cupcake, stay tuned for more updates on the big buzz out of Austin. Bleary-eyed at 3 in the morning, I'll be happily reporting for duty.

Tulsa, an indie-rock band from Boston fronted by Carter Tanton, was a big hit at its last SXSW appearance Saturday night at Emo's Annex. After the trio's set, a young guy from Alabama near the front was incredulous. "Man, no offense, but that didn't sound like it was from Boston at all," he told me. "It sounded Southern. They should be opening for My Morning Jacket."

Crowd excitement was palpable at Ezra Furman & the Harpoons' final SXSW performance, a spot on the Minty Fresh showcase Saturday just after 11 p.m. at Habana Annex. Furman, who's finishing his last semester at Tufts, had his mother, father, and sister in the audience.

Fresh from playing a Lou Reed tribute three nights prior, indie singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur covered the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes" at an intimate show at the Red Fez Saturday afternoon.

Boston-based electro-pop band Fantasy Mirrors, featuring Nathanael Bluhm on vocals, performed its showcase at Karma Lounge Friday. By the end of the night, the audience had moved to the front and danced along with Bluhm and bandmates.

Boston indie-rock band Drug Rug played its final SXSW show at the Jackalope Saturday, wrapping up the night with the gritty "For the Rest of Your Life."

Joe Shepard, who used to tend bar at Zuzu in Cambridge, lives in Brooklyn now and performs as a dancer (in spandex!) and back-up singer in Heloise & the Savoir Faire.

Heloise Williams leads the brash disco-rock band Heloise & the Savoir Faire, which played at BUST magazine's party at Habana Calle 6 Friday. The band is signed to actor Elijah Wood's Simian Records label.

Elijah Wood was at SXSW for a Saturday showcase for the label he owns, Simian Records. Heloise & the Savoir Faire is the second artist Wood signed, after the Apples in Stereo. He spent most of Heloise's performance snapping photos with adoring fans who approached him nearly every five minutes.

Beloved indie-country rocker Matthew Houck, leader of Phosphorescent, got a late start for his set at Mohawk Patio Thursday night. He and the band waited a little bit for the many fans waiting outside in the long line to fill up the venue.

Aussie dance-pop chanteuse Sia played to a full house as part of a live TV taping Thursday afternoon. She and her band have been opening their shows in neon cardboard costumes that glow in the dark.

Drawing more from Marvin Gaye than Tito Puente, Cuban singer-songwriter Alex Cuba treated a dancing crowd to his soul tunes at Copa Thursday night.

Martha Wainwright previewed songs from her upcoming album, "I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too," at a live TV taping Thursday afternoon. Producer-musician Daniel Lanois dropped by for a cameo as well.

This night comes to an end with us watching a video of last night's performance, courtesy of Gene and John McCullagh. Man, looking back, I was not exaggerating how fun last night was. It was just one of those special moments for the band. I hope to get some videos up soon, but for now, we can gawk at this nice write-up and photo gallery on Mass Culture.

Today, we spent much of the day with The Sterns, coming to realize we'd actually met Emeen and Andrew before when we played with Age Rings last summer in New York City, and they were filling in. We went for burgers, and to this little local mom-and-pop shop called Guitar Center, before sending them on their way. Fear not, we'll meet again in Austin.

We ended up doing an impromptu house party in Denton tonight, which was pretty cool. There's something about doing a Monday night show in a college town during exams week that's just unsettling. It seemed like a recipe for disaster (i.e. angry neighbors and police), but alas, we pulled out a quick set of fan favorites for the local loyals, in this order: Shotgun Wedding / Loose Lips / On The Lam / Whitewashed / Shine A Light / You Better, You Better (cover)

We depart in a matter of hours for San Antonio with my main man Mike driving most of the equipment and a few friends helping get the bodies down there. We still don't have a drumset for the trip. However, we'll make it work -- we've got one coming in time for the Waco show, it appears, and the rest of the week we'll be backlining. I'm working very hard to confirm another Austin show, since our SXSW party has a limit to the amount of guests allowed and we want to make sure we can play to our fans' hearts' content.

If any Boston bands are looking for a show in Austin this week, we're trying to set something up down there. Contact us at cassavettesband@hotmail.com.

I feel kind of strange and exposed being the only one blogging so far. But then again, SXSW doesn't start for another couple days, so it makes sense that I should entertain in the interim with wild stories of the road. So, here goes...

Tonight, Cassavettes played a headlining set at Rubber Gloves in Denton, a legendary club in this town that's as cozy as it is familiar. I've been seeing shows there since I started going to shows, but I've only played there once -- a solo show two years ago. Tonight easily topped that. In fact, tonight I'd say was in my top three Cassavettes shows of all time (my short list: 1) Cassavettes' anniversary show at the Middle East, July 11, 2006; 2) TT the Bear's Place, April 2006 or Rodfest, Paradise Rock Club, Jan. 19. 2007; 3) Rubber Gloves, March 11, 2007). The crowd was lively, the place was comfortable, and the drinks were flowing. We played with Boston's own, The Sterns, a fine band of fine gentlemen who have a fine taste for fine drinks. In fact, it was Emeen's 23rd birthday, and considering he was celebrating it with us in our hometown, I made sure he was properly taken care of. But seriously, these guys are a hard-touring machine. I really have a lot of respect for what they're doing. So, after getting them properly fed at Steak & Shake, we found some places for them to sleep tonight to ensure they make it to Austin.

One of the things I was really looking forward to about these Texas shows are the lax set times. In Boston, everything is on a proper schedule (which is awesome because it keeps things running smoothly, ensuring most folks get their money's worth before the last T departs), but here, there are no trains to catch (also cool). There are no limits about how late you can play. So, we took some liberties with the set, and went for a robust 12-song lineup. It even included an impromptu surprise: Before the show, a young woman came up to me and told me she went to the New England Conservatory and that we had a mutual friend (and a mutual love of Pete & Pete DVDs). After some talking, I found out she's a viola player, now attending the nearby University of North Texas. I told her we have a song with a violin part, and if she was willing to learn its two simple parts, it'd be a real treat to get her onstage. Much to her credit, she learned it in less than 30 minutes and jumped into the mix, joining Scott and I on a rare live version of "Set Free." We'd never tried it before, and it was pretty cool to give it a shot. But the whole night was awesome, beginning to end. It's one of those times when you're onstage and don't want the night to end. Luckily, when you're playing a dozen songs (one of which is nearly 10 minutes long), it doesn't really feel like it's ending any time soon. I'll try to get some videos and pictures up ASAP. Until then, it's time to sleep.

SET LIST: Carolyn, Don't Leave Like This / Shotgun Wedding / Debts / Trouble From The Start / Like Secrets Beneath / Set Free / The Nadir / Loose Lips / On The Lam / We Could Be Solo Acts / Lightning In A Bottle / It's Gonna Be Alright

We have arrived! I forgot how big Texas' sky is, and how much I love just driving with no particular location in mind. My boyhood town has sadly developed most of the rural parts I remember, but that's the way it goes, I guess. On the plus side, it was 87 degrees when we got in, so we spent a fair bit of the day shirtless, playing a game our bassist invented years ago, and I'm fairly certain we found a cult in the countryside. Pretty nutty. Anyhow, today, most of the day was spent at the airport, arriving first then returning to pick up various band members and stragglers as they made their way to Dallas/Ft. Worth. From here, we'll get a van and equipment and head south Tuesday. But first, Cassavettes has a big show tomorrow, which has been rumored to have a fair-sized crowd.

Our bass player Scott and I were seated next to each other on the plane ride here. This gave us plenty of time to talk through the important issues: growing "tour beards," coming up with a motto for this trip (see this blog's subject line), and reminiscing about old Saturday Night Live skits, much to the chagrin of those seated around us, I'm sure. Either way, we also had a chance to talk about the state of the band, an imperative before you play a string of a few shows. Once our drummer Matt arrived, we were able to talk about potential songs we'd like to get to on this mini-tour. Matt revealed he's extremely excited about the new songs we're playing this go-round, which is always uplifting. It shows we're all hitting on the same page at the right time. An important job in organizing the group's thoughts is to make sure we're collectively focusing on the same goals, both short-term and long-term. For instance, the goal of this trip is to make an impression and have a good time. Relatively simple, yet harder to execute than you may think. We have to be hitting on all cylinders and to all have our hearts into what we're putting forth. I know it's simple in theory, but getting four heads to meld into a common goal is the most common and frequent struggle a band faces. Therefore, I think it's promising that we're all not putting too much pressure on making this trip into more than we should; we're just riding it and seeing what happens.

Today I got a call from old pal, the affable Jake Brennan, who has taken a different route to get to SXSW -- he's driving down a couple other bands' equipment, like Buffalo Tom. He asked if we needed anything brought down, which would have been perfect, if only we'd known sooner. Either way, we decided to meet up in Austin for a beer and some tunes. I'm actually planning to seek out a number of locals down there, in between doing our best to hit the streets. In sadder news, I found out that local legend, and producer of our last album, Jabe Beyer is officially moving to Nashville in May. While I'm sad to see Boston lose yet another great musician, I wish him all the luck in the world.

But we've got some pressing issues to sort through. For now, I've just got to track down some equipment we're without (a keyboard and some drums), find another means of transport from Dallas down south, and find a place for everyone to sleep tonight. In fact, I'm lucky enough I found a place to blog! But, hey, you make time for what's important.

Let's get straight to the introductions here: My name is Glenn Yoder. I sing and play guitar and piano in the local group Cassavettes. In another shameless plug, I also manage the band independently, and write about the successes and failures on my own blog. I have worked at the Globe in various capacities for the past three years as I made my way through college. So, when Cassavettes decided to head back to our native Texas to lurk around in the shadows of South By Southwest and do a mini-tour, it was natural for me to start blogging about the "musician's experience." This was grand news to me, because now I don't have to walk that fine line between being an unethical journalist and an overzealous musician. I can apparently talk about Cassavettes as much as I wish! But before I realized that I foolishly asked Joan Anderman and Sarah Rodman if they wanted any original reporting from me at SXSW. Then, I put it together -- "Oh wait, they're the pros here." My bad. So, that's that. Hello, nice to meet you.

Anyhow, tonight is the eve of our departure for Texas. It's a sort of homecoming. Three of the four members of the band, myself included, grew up in northeastern Texas, about 40 minutes from Dallas. When I was in high school, I once ventured south to Austin for SXSW but I've never played the festival. Actually, I haven't played anything close to it. But what I learned on that trip is crucial to what I hope makes this trip a success: There are A&R reps literally everywhere. We saw bands play in every nook and cranny of the city, from clubs and street corners to record stores and Urban Outfitters. And the swag, ahh, the swag. So, obviously, my top priority while packing tonight was to cram as many free CDs as I could fit into my bag. You never know who you'll run into, so the plan is to canvas the town. Wish us luck.

The whole thing promises to be an eye-opening affair, if nothing else. It's valuable "tour experience," something we haven't yet had the opportunity to fully test out as I finish school (we've just made short jaunts around the northeast primarily). But here, we're playing several shows -- Denton on Sunday, San Antonio on Tuesday, Austin for the remainder of the work-week, and Waco on Saturday. I'll be writing as we go, and hopefully I'll get some video and maybe audio working, too.

So, for now, I'm getting everything squared away and making sure we have everything we need when we reach home base. But we'll miss Boston while we're gone, that's for sure. This city's been really good to us. Just today, in fact, we landed a big headlining slot at the Middle East Downstairs on July 7 with some of our favorite bands, Three Day Threshold, Girls Guns & Glory, and Jason Anderson.

You gotta love Boston. This is a city that properly kisses you goodbye on your way out the door.