4:00 PM
to 5:00 PM
TWiT TV Live: Tech News Today
30 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
4:00pm - Tech News Today
5:00pm - TWiT
7:00pm - TWiT Meetup
event::about
Join Leo Laporte, Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Brian Brushwood, Gina Trapani, Jeff Jarvis, Lisa Bettany and special guests for LIVE recordings of Tech News Today and This Week in Tech! Afterward, stick around for our official TWiT meetup to mingle and meet Leo, Tom, Sarah, Brian, and members of the awesome TWiT army.
Website http://inside.twit.tv/
5:00 PM
to 7:00 PM
TWiT TV Live: This Week In Tech
35 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
4:00pm - Tech News Today
5:00pm - TWiT
7:00pm - TWiT Meetup
event::about
Join Leo Laporte, Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Brian Brushwood, Gina Trapani, Jeff Jarvis, Lisa Bettany and special guests for LIVE recordings of Tech News Today and This Week in Tech! Afterward, stick around for our official TWiT meetup to mingle and meet Leo, Tom, Sarah, Brian, and members of the awesome TWiT army.
Website http://inside.twit.tv/
7:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
TWiT Meetup
27 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
4:00pm - Tech News Today
5:00pm - TWiT
7:00pm - TWiT Meetup
event::about
Join Leo Laporte, Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Brian Brushwood, Gina Trapani, Jeff Jarvis, Lisa Bettany and special guests for LIVE recordings of Tech News Today and This Week in Tech! Afterward, stick around for our official TWiT meetup to mingle and meet Leo, Tom, Sarah, Brian, and members of the awesome TWiT army.
Website http://inside.twit.tv/
5:00 PM
to 8:00 PM
Asleep SXSW Invisible Records / Austin Music Foundation Pre Party
23 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Kick off your SXSW and learn from these indie music luminaries as they share tips, secrets, and strategies to help bands more creatively and effectively promote themselves in today's DIY music business climate. Note: venue is subject to capacity restraints. Admission on a first come, first serve basis.
Free party hosted by Martin Atkins of Public Image Ltd., Killing Joke, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface / Invisible Records / Tour Smart. More info available at http://partysmart.eventbrite.com/
5:00 PM
to 8:00 PM
Party: Smart with Martin Atkins
41 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
Martin Atkins, Invisible Records, author of TOUR: SMART
Julie Neihoff, Constant Contact e-newsletter provider
Asleep
One-Eyed Doll
event::about
Kick off your SXSW week with Austin Music Foundation, Constant Contact and special guests Martin Atkins and the Memphis Music Foundation.
AMF brings you an event you won't want to miss. Part party, part music biz seminar, you'll gain knowledge about promotional strategies from Martin Atkins, author and music industry DIY expert, and Julie Niehoff, Senior Development Director with Constant Contact.
Music by Asleep (Youngstown, OH) and One Eyed Doll (Austin).
Complimentary food. Free to attend.
RSVP to http://partysmart.eventbrite.com/
TOUR:Smart and Break the Band author Martin Atkins
was a member of Public Image Ltd and Killing Joke, has contributed to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry and founded industrial supergroup Pigface, The Damage Manual, and Murder Inc. Martin is a producer, drummer, documentary film maker, DJ, professor and most recently started his own entrepreneurial school, Revolution Number Three. He has been organizing, booking, and managing multi-band package tours for over a decade.
Julie Niehoff is Senior Regional Development Director with Constant Contact, an email newsletter provider. She will speak about the benefits of email marketing and how bands can use email newsletters to keep in touch with fans and market themselves more effectively.
event::tags free food, educational, live music
5:00 PM
to 8:00 PM
Party:Smart
40 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Party
event::about
austin music foundation + memphis music foundation present:
PARTY:SMART
MARTIN ATKINS' SXSW KICK OFF PARTY
Kick off your SXSW and learn from these indie music luminaries as they share tips, secrets, and strategies to help bands more creatively and effectively promote themselves in today's DIY music business climate.
IN THIS FREE EVENT, you will learn:
• NEW STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
• how to create offline word of mouth
• how to use email marketing to reach your fans
• rock 'n roll from a 15' robot
• promotion strategies and more....
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Jessie Frye
2 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Jessie Frye
event::about It has been a whirlwind for Jessie Frye for the past year and a half. She released her debut EP titled The Delve in late 2008, and soon after received an invitation for her band to showcase at the 2009 South By Southwest music festival in Austin, TX. Which would result in the band getting invited back for another showcase in 2010. 2009 was spent in the studio recording Frye's second EP titled Fireworks Child, due out in the Fall 2010. It was produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Polyphonic Spree) and mixed by Joe McGrath (Ryan Adams, Morrissey, Green Day). The sound is more electric and edgier- but still contains a level of intimacy that had listener's of The Delve so intrigued. Frye's brightest moment came when she was offered to be the opening support for Pat Benatar at the House of Blues Dallas in August 2010. With rave reviews to follow, the whirlwind of Frye's musical journey seems to just keep on going. Jessie Frye was nominated for Best Female Vocalist in the 2010 Dallas Observer Awards and the 2009 Ft. Worth Weekly Awards
event::tags 18+
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
Cheyenne Marie Mize
35 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Cheyenne Marie Mize
event::about It’s a challenge not to fall in love with Cheyenne Marie Mize. Whimsical, haunting, dreamlike folk that’s dynamic and eschews the traditional folk formulae, her debut, Before Lately, is an amalgamation of contradictions – rugged and gentle, innocent and forlorn, spacious and intimate, desolate and uplifting. Guitar, piano, bells, occasional percussion, and honey-tinged vocals make up this simple, immaculate collection of vintage torch ballads, engrossed in twinkling bucolic imagery that showcases a soul twice her age. Mize’s talent certainly did not go unnoticed. While Mize is no stranger to her hometown of Louisville by way of her other bands, Arnett Hollow and the Carter Family-channeling Maiden Radio, she introduced herself internationally on the 10″ release Among the Gold with Bonnie “Prince” Billy – a collection of late 19th century American parlor music handpicked by Mize and Oldham. Mize continued her alliance with Ben Sollee as a major player in the Dear Companion tour supporting Ben and Daniel Martin Moore’s collaborative Sub Pop release in early 2010. More importantly, 2010 is the year in which Mize takes the front of the stage supporting her amazing solo debut. The challenge is on, but Mize will be hard to avoid in the near future.
event::tags 18+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
Li'l Cap'n Travis
35 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Li'l Cap'n Travis
event::about Old friend, ‘tis been nigh on to ten or eleven years since Austin’s Li’l Cap’n Travis shoved its splintered craft off on a treacherous audio odyssey of country-style portions. 2011 finds LCT once again hunkered down in the ice caves on the outskirts of town conjuring the follow up to 2007’s mystical, masterful “Twilight on Sometimes Island”, the Li’l Cap’n's sound encompassing otherworldly honky-tonk, tear-filled handclaps, strange fuzz-blasted tales and basement epics. The diabolical roqueros of LCT continue to conduct live concert raids into woolly outposts in the heart of Comancheria—Marfa, TX, Norman, OK and Big D to name a few, not to mention mythical down-home throedowns on the weathered stages of Austin. Recent times have also found members of LCT lending cold, efficient expertise to the likes of Bill Callahan, Bruce Robison, the Lonesome Heroes, the North American motion picture industry, high-stakes table tennis and the Stone River Boys, only to reconvene invigorated, rowdy and bolstered, yet not unwary of the dangers that lay just beyond the palisaded plains.
event::tags 18+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Robbers On High Street
63 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Robbers On High Street
event::about It’s been three years since the release Robbers on High Street’s second LP. Now, with a new line up, some time off and a third album in the can, the band has grown into themselves - confident and unabashed in their grasp of late-60s Anglophilia a la the Pretty Things, and the brassy romp of early ‘70s AM rock. It’s a new sound for the band that if anything hearkens back to the rough, instantaneous pop appeal of their Peter Katis (Interpol, The National) produced 2005 debut album, Tree City. But much has changed for the Robbers since they were traveling the country with the likes of Hot Hot Heat, Cake, Fountains of Wayne and Brendan Benson in support of that album. In 2006, after parting ways with their original drummer, the trio (now with bassist Morgan King) entered the studio with Italian composer/producer Daniele Luppi (Gnarls Barkley, Broken Bells) to make their “L.A. record” – Grand Animals. Released the following year and now as a quintet with drummer Mikey Post (Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens, The Jay Vons) and keyboardist Dave Sherman (Grand Mal, The Silent League) the Robbers did several tours with The Redwalls, The Sea and Cake, Great Northern, and Brooklyn pals Longwave; released a video for the song “Crown Victoria”; and watched their single for “The Fatalist” end up on top-ten lists as well as in more film and television spots, including the movie Georgia Rule. Returning to Brooklyn in 2008 the band took a needed breather, but new songs and rehearsals emerged following the New Year. Recording started on their third album in October of 2009 on the boys’ newly purchased Tascam MS-16 1” tape machine, which was lovingly dragged to several studios across Northwest Brooklyn before settling at Tommy Brenneck’s (Budos Band, Menahan Street Band) Dunham Studio for mixdown this past May. Produced by Trokan with engineer Matt Shane (Flight of the Conchords, Rosanne Cash) this was the current line-up’s first foray into a proper recording session, drawing little help from the outside save that of a horn section borrowed from Daptone Records. Two tunes from the new album, “Electric Eye” and “Face In The Fog” were released as a limited run 7” single. Fans of the Robber’s previous work recognized the calculated strut of “Electric Eye”, which was well received and in its first week was the #11 most added song at CMJ. The new jam quickly made the rounds online, including a giveaway on WNYC and a Tripwire podcast. Always an exciting live act, coolly walking the line between syncopated bursts of song and Miller High Life, the Robbers on High Street spent parts of June and September touring in support of the “Electric Eye” 7” and after a successful CMJ Music Marathon will continue to play the Northeast throughout the remainder of 2010, looking forward to 2011.
event::tags 18+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
Patrice Pike
17 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Patrice Pike
event::about Pike is known to many as the electric front woman for the seminal Austin jam band Sister Seven which she co-founded when she was barely out of The High School for the performing and visual arts at Booker T. Washington in Dallas Texas. Their first major label album was a rare and unique live recording which at that time was unheard of in the music industry for a new breaking band. Patrice wrote and sang Sister Seven's top 10 Billboard hit 'Know What You Mean'. She was the USA Songwriting Competition Grand Prize Winner overall for the song 'My Three Wishes', co-written with her Sister Seven band members. In this contest she also garnered top prize for Pop category for 'Nobody Knows' written with famed songwriter/producer John Shanks. Over the past decade, she has independently released four acclaimed solo records, showcasing her socially astute, literate lyrics alongside her powerful vocals. Her music is eclectic and dynamic bringing together the best of her roots in rock, soul, folk, and electronic soundscapes. She has toured relentlessly, both in the U.S. and overseas, building an impressive grassroots fan base. The resilient Pike has been able to adapt repeatedly to a rapidly changing music landscape that bears no resemblance to the one she entered as a teenager. Patrice has been recently the youngest inducted into the Austin/Texas Music Hall of Fame when she also won Musician of the Year, Best Female Vocalist, and Song of the year in Austin for her song Beautiful Thing, which she debuted on the CBS primetime Television series 'Rockstar' as she had been invited on the show because of her strong talent as a songwriter and her vocal powerhouse. She has continued to grow and evolve as both a songwriter and a performer, and is currently producing arguably the finest work of her music career entitled, 'The Calling'. She has performed in every possible live scenario from shed tours of traveling festivals like Lilith and HORDE tour to music festival institutions like Austin City Limit's, High Sierra, Strawberry and Kerrville festivals as well as community theaters, clubs and house concerts. Long a respected social and environmental activist, she is also the co-founder and now executive director of the Grace Foundation of Texas, an organization that provides services for young adult survivors of homelessness. The Calling will be released later this year and we are seeking worldwide licensing interest as well as management partners.
event::tags 18+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
Tracy Bonham
37 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Tracy Bonham
event::about A native of Eugene, Oregon, Bonham began singing at age five, playing the violin at nine and piano at age 14. After earning a violin scholarship at University of Southern California, she transferred to Berklee College of Music to study voice and began writing and recording her own material. On her 1996 debut, The Burdens of Being Upright, Bonham established herself as a brash rocker with ironic nods to the emerging music of punk grrrrl bands. With blunt, direct observations on love and loss, the album went gold and earned the singer Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Female Vocalist. Critics took notice as well. Rolling Stone noted "this classically trained Boston singer-songwriter sets meandering Aimee Mann-like melodies over bright electro-pop folk with string-laden atmospherics." "Mother Mother", her first single, became a nationwide anthem and earned the singer an MTV Video Music Awards nomination. From the late 1990s to the mid 2000s, Bonham steadily recorded and performed both individually and with numerous groups, appearing with everyone from Blue Man Group and Aerosmith and to Ron Sexsmith and Juliana Hatfield. Following 2005's Blink the Brightest and the 2006 EP, In the City + In the Woods, the singer took some time to focus on other things, earning a yoga teaching certification while learning to live a more balanced life, not realizing initially that her non-musical experiences would be fodder for what would eventually become Masts.
event::tags 18+
11:00 AM
to 6:00 PM
Midriff Records/Liberty and Union Recording Co. Day Party
38 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
5 PM - The Beatings
4 PM - Baby Baby
3 PM - Louder My Dear
2 PM - These United States
1:40 - Dallas Higgins
1 PM - Eldridge Rodriguez
12 PM - Kingsley Flood
11:30 AM - Greg Lyon
11 AM - Get Help
event::about
CD giveaways and free stuff? Yep. Cool people? Only if you're there!
Oh... and it's FREE!!!!
Beer specials provided by Magic Hat!
http://www.magichat.net/
While in Austin, our event info will be powered by Noti-Fi.com
http://noti-fi.com/
PLEASE NOTE: RSVP is NOT required. Entrance into this show is on a first-come, first-serve basis until we reach capacity. Then it will work on a one in/ one out system.
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Meklit Hadero
6 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
Awesome Tapes from Africa
28 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Awesome Tapes from Africa
event::about After a stint in Ghana researching the local hip-hop movement, Brooklyn's Brian Shimkovitz, a trained ethnomusicologist, has accumulated hundreds of cassette tapes of rare african music from Zimbabwe to Ethiopia to Senegal. He has been sharing his bounty through his immensely popular blog Awesome Tapes from Africam which he takes on the road as a DJ. Expect a highly explosive and danceable trip to the amazing and raw music cultures of an entire continent.
event::tags 18+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
David Wax Museum
54 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists David Wax Museum
event::about David Wax Museum, “one of Boston’s hottest new bands” (The Boston Globe), fuses exuberant Mexican roots music with homegrown country, folk and rock to create a unique Mexo-Americana sound. With Latin rhythms, call-and-response hollering, accordion pumping and donkey jawbone rattling, they have won over audiences across the country. After making a splash at this year’s Newport Folk Festival, NPR’s All Songs Considered featured their performance as one of the highlights of the festival. They have toured nationally with The Avett Brothers and the Old 97’s and shared the stage with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ben Kweller, The Low Anthem and Nathaniel Rateliff. David Wax Museum receives consistent play on XM Sirius Radio's Acoustic Coffeehouse; The Boston Globe selected the band’s album Carpenter Bird for its top 10 local albums of 2009; and NPR recently featured them on a segment about Mexico-centric indie rock. A new album produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Langhorne Slim, Erin McKeown) will be released in February 2011. David Wax's circuitous journey from mid-Missouri to the back roads of Mexico inspires David Wax Museum’s lively blend of traditional Mexican and American folk music. While attending Deep Springs College, an unconventional school that doubles as a cattle ranch, David spent summers working in rural Mexico with the American Friends Service Committee. He finished his degree at Harvard University before heading back to the Mexican countryside to study folk music on a year-long fellowship. There he began blending Midwestern folk with the instruments, rhythms, lyrical themes, and song structures of son mexicano. Homeschooled on a farm in rural Virginia, Suz Slezak was raised within a strong music community. With a background in old time, Irish and classical genres, Suz helps anchor David Wax Museum firmly in American roots music with her fiddling and harmony vocals. She graduated from Wellesley College, traveled around the world on a Watson Fellowship to study textiles, and then found herself back in Boston where she met David Wax, just back from his Mexican travels. He convinced her to track down a donkey jawbone, a traditional percussion instrument from Veracruz, and join his band. Since 2007, David and Suz have formed the core of the band. In addition to consistently selling out historic venues such as Boston's Club Passim and touring with national acts, David Wax Museum has been causing a ruckus in living rooms and backyards throughout the country. In these unique settings, the band's fiery and heart-wrenching shows have created an undeniable buzz and a devoted following. David Wax Museum draws on a talented crop of musicians for recording and touring: David’s cousin Jordan Wax (People's Republic of Klezmerica) on accordion and piano, Mike Roberts (Wooden Dinosaur) on upright bass and electric guitar, Greg Glassman (The Sacred Shakers) on drum kit and requinto, Jiro Kokubu on mandolin and dobro, Alec Spiegleman (Cuddle Magic) on baritone sax and clarinet, Brian O'Neill on percussion and Sam D’Agostino on upright bass and tenor sax.
event::tags 18+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Locos Por Juana
4 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Locos Por Juana
event::about Locos Por Juana is a bilingual Latin band most notably recognized by their energetic live performances and their unique fusion of Latin styles and influences. The band formed in Miami, Florida in the year 2000, though their lineup has undergone personnel changes and their style evolved over the years. The present lineup consists of vocalist Itagui Correa, guitarist Mark Kondrat, drummer Javier Delgado, percussionist Daniel Ferrer, and a horn section led by Lasim Richards on Trombone, though at times as many as five to seven guest musicians may join onstage for shows and tours. The group's sound is a distinct one, drawing not only from the members' own diverse backgrounds, but from other countries' musical styles as well. Still, the heart and soul of their hybrid style emanates from Colombia, the South American country's traditional styles everpresent in Locos Por Juana's unique modern take. Also integral to Locos Por Juana's style is the musical influence of the Caribbean islands, in particular reggae and dub from Jamaica. Funk also plays a crucial role in their music.
event::tags 18+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
Debo Band
6 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Debo Band
event::about DEBO BAND: An Ethiopian funk & groove collective. With a reverence for the vintage sounds of 1970s Ethiopian pop and a fresh approach all their own, Debo Band offers an exciting live show full of the searing horns, crooning vocals, and slinky funk grooves that brought renown to the Ethiopiques series. Founded by Ethiopian-America musician Danny Mekonnen, the group is committed to introducing Ethiopian music to new audiences far and wide. Since forming in 2006, this Boston-based collective of eleven members has made two pilgrimages to East Africa – with accordions, tubas, saxophones, guitars, and drums in tow. Along the way, Debo Band has struck up collaborations with traditional Ethiopian artists, played major African music festivals, and is currently working with a filmmaker on a documentary about their escapades. Debo Band recently produced its first two releases: Adderech Arada, a 7" single on the Brooklyn-based label Electric Cowbell Records, and Flamingoh (Pink Bird Dawn), a self-released EP/CD recorded live in Africa and the US, documenting their unique take on 1970s Ethiopian funk. In September 2010, Debo Band presented the debut U.S. tour of their project with Fendika, a dance and folk music ensemble from Addis Ababa, at the Chicago World Music Festival and Joe's Pub (NYC).
event::tags 18+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
Khaira Arby and her Band
19 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Khaira Arby and her Band
event::about KHAIRA ARBY Khaïra Arby bridges the multicultural Mali in the desert blues of her music. The woman’s voice of Mali’s north, Khaira expresses pride in the people and their struggle to survive in her desert homeland. Her soulful music takes the listener across the Sahara to Timbuktu, crossroads of epochs, religions and cultures. With her rocking band, she sings about love, family, women and the toll of war. Khaira’s hot band rips the stage with a smooth blend of traditional instruments and electric guitars. Complex rhythms intertwined with Khaira's clear shout bring the audience to their feet dancing. Born in the Saharan desert village of Abaradjou, Khaira’s parents were from different ethnic backgrounds. You can hear these cultures mix in her music as she sings in several languages, sometimes within the same song. The instrumentation and rhythms are just as varied with electric guitar, bass, calabash, ngoni, traditional violin, and trap drum kit, creating a complex sounds and structure. While her music is rooted in tradition, Khaïra surrounds herself with young musicians influenced by the contemporary world and western music. This is the contemporary desert rock and roll of Mali. After her first marriage ended in divorce, Khaïra was singing with the Orchestre Regional de Tombouctou. It wasn’t long before she was invited to sing with the famous Orchestre Badema in Bamako. She earned her stripes beside such Malian superstars as her cousin, Ali Farka Touré, and the widely influential Fissa Maïga. Since 1990 Khaïra has focused most of her energies on her music. While rooted in tradition, Khaïra surrounds herself with young musicians influenced by the contemporary world and western rock and roll. The listener is taken on a complex audio journey across the desert to the essence of Timbuktu Mali, past and present. Khaïra continues to live in Timbuktu with her family. She performs at private events, concert halls, festivals and clubs throughout Mali. She has appeared with her band at the Festival on the Niger River in Segou and at the mythic Festival in the Desert in Essakane. In 2006 she was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mali.
event::tags 18+
12:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Planet LA Records + Indie On Air + Not For Sale + StageIT + MusicBox Showcase
37 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
Featuring Antonia Bennett at 3pm and Big Kettledrum at 4pm
with Planet LA bands Djinn, Evolove and Native June
and friends Danika Holmes, David Martinez Band, Lovebettie, Red Wine Rewind and more TBA!
event::about
Planet LA Records and Indie on Air present a showcase at Momo's on Fri Mar 18th from noon to 6pm to raise awareness for the Not For Sale campaign global efforts to combat human trafficking.
Featuring up to 12 artists and StageIt.com broadcasting live on the Internet, along with partners MusicBox Library, Blue Microphones, Bogner Amplification, Schecter Guitars, SongsInc.com, HelloMusic.com, JakPrints, Honest Tea, KIND snack bars, Whole Foods and more.
Raffle with prizes including an iPad, guitars, gift certificates with all proceeds to Not For Sale.
event::tags Planet LA Records, Momos, Indie on Air, Free Drinks, Prizes, Not For Sale Campaign, StageIt
Website www.planetlarecords.com
3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM
Antonia Bennett
1 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
Antonia Bennett
event::about
For more info
www.AntoniaBennett.com
ASCAP Magazine
"A captivating combination of contemporary and timeless, Antonia Bennett’s voice can be simultaneously sultry and familiar, sassy and classy. Like her legendary father Tony, Antonia Bennett knows how to make a tune her own."
Jazz Times
"Liza Minnelli. Natalie Cole. Norah Jones. Now, Antonia Bennett can be added to the list of second-generation vocalists with the potential to rival an iconic parent’s pizzazz."
Website www.AntoniaBennett.com
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Marco Benevento
29 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Marco Benevento
event::about For an exhilarating glimpse into the future of rock piano, look no further than 33-year old Brooklyn-based artist Marco Benevento. A melodically inventive musical adventurer who artfully employs pedals, amplifiers, circuit-bent toys and sundry effects around his acoustic piano set-up, Benevento has forged a fascinating repertoire of songs, including both wildly original compositions and renditions of those by the likes of Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd and Beck. Benevento first came to national attention with the experimental electric rock influenced Benevento-Russo Duo for which he partnered with drummer John Russo. Together they brought a bracing jolt of improvisation into settings like Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock and Bonnaroo. On his own Benevento has collaborated with the likes of Mark Eitzel, Matt Chamberlain and Trey Anastasio, while also holding down keys in the bands Garage A Trois and Surprise Me Mr. Davis. Currently Benevento’s primary focus is with his own trio and in the solo piano setting. His latest album Between The Needles & Nightfall is a gorgeously textured effort that’s steeped in explosive piano rock and edgy art jazz. "Benevento jams with a concentration on the textures and colors available in his keyboards and arsenal of manipulated pedals and effects. Between the Needles and Nightfall (Royal Potato Family), his latest release, is deceptively rich -- catchy melodies and straight-ahead grooves that expand with subtle mounting gestures." - Rolling Stone "...a musician so original that he can ultimately only be judged against his own standard." - All Music Guide "Marco Benevento is one of the most talented keys players of our time." - CBS Radio Street Date "Imaginative at heart, Benevento demands you to be too when engaging with his work. Otherwise, you probably are missing out on something special. Trained and driven to experiment with chords and melodies with the intention of getting a little dirty along the way, Benevento’s collisional approach is refreshing and absolutely delightful." - Consequence of Sound "Benevento employs various pedals and effects and progressive techniques in the creation of his songs, and they’re better for it. It’s done so expertly that the simplicity and cleanness of the composition belie how intricately and carefully crafted it actually is, and it’s what sets 'Between The Needles & Nightfall' apart." - URB "Indescribable and highly evocative stuff." - Keyboard Magazine
event::tags 18+
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
Sarah Jaffe
109 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Sarah Jaffe
event::about Sarah Jaffe – Suburban Nature If there is one thing that Sarah Jaffe will never have to contend with it is the idea that she is a female singer for females. There was once a time when being a female singer meant you would undoubtedly be put into an all too snug box. Is she an angry singer? An activist singer? A singer for the victims or the singer your mom bonds with you over? To be honest, when Sarah’s new cd Suburban Nature is released on May 18th she will insert herself into and destroy all those boxes simultaneously, because Sarah is a truth singer …and no matter who or what we are, we all need, and want, our singers to be truth singers. Jaffe’s words and voice seem like they are speaking to you, only to you, yet they contain a universal appeal evidenced by the fact that she’s recently toured with Midlake and Norah Jones. Two completely different audiences whom Jaffe, equally endearing and confident, easily won over. Growing up in Red Oak, Texas might not be ideal circumstances for breeding the kind of talent that is encompassed in Sarah’s songs, but it does beg the question of nature verses nurture. What we have in us before we are even us, and what we interpret because of life circumstances. Writing since her early teens, many of the songs featured on Suburban Nature were written long before she could even enter the clubs where they are now performed. Interestingly enough the first single “Vulnerable,” was written when Sarah was only 17, long before even the material on her first EP, the acclaimed Even Born Again, was produced. Even so, it comprises everything that matters about her voice. If there is one thread that flows through all of Sarah’s work, it is grappling with the self-serving cycles that are in all of us, and the aftermath that those needs deal out. “I’m a fan of life’s wicked ironies. These things that reveal the truth from an aerial view nowhere near your perspective of the situation, and through these realizations you find redemption.” And so it is with Suburban Nature. From opening track “Before You Go,” everything sounds as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon, the sonic spread covering every degree of the mix. It’s thick enough to feel when you breathe, but spatial enough to allow for the one thing that truly matters with singer/songwriters: their voice. When talking to the albums producer and engineer John Congleton (St Vincent, Polyphonic Spree, Explosions in the Sky, Clinic) about the spacious feel of the album, he had this to say on the matter: “I think it was intentional. Both Sarah’s and my feelings on this was that the vocals should be the focal point and have as much space as possible, while the music provided an emotional backdrop.” Skilled players such as Kris Youmans - cello (Bill Callahan, The Paper Chase, Micah P Hinson) Becki Howard – violin (The Crash That Took Me) Jeff Ryan – percussion (The Baptist Generals, St Vincent, Pleasant Grove) and Robert Gomez - guitar (as himself) provide this essential emotional backdrop. Just take a listen to “Pretender” for an example of the power and talent contained in this group of players. Layers of moveable music float in, out, under and over lines such as “So here we stand, like flowers in the cold, wilt and wither/Here's your chance/Tell me what you want/I'm a forgiver.” In other situations the group provides the perfect backbeat so Sarah is free to spin yarn that might not always be fact, but like we said, is certainly truth. On “Clementine,” she sings, “We were young, we were young, we were young, we didn't care.” Although only 24 you actually believe her. You believe her because you believe that no matter what her actual age, she lived through the war of a relationship or fifty that aged her to her core, and now her soul speaks to yours in the places where you have aged, and set down roots that flow as grid in a suburb becoming part of your nature. This is why we need singers like Sarah Jaffe and albums like Suburban Nature: We need a truth singer to be a soothsayer, and help heal us in the broken places of our time.
event::tags 18+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
The Bright Light Social Hour
102 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists The Bright Light Social Hour
event::about The Bright Light Social Hour is an American rock band from Austin, Texas. Born out of a university art-rock collective, The Bright Light Social Hour has evolved into an unabashedly wide-screen rock group, melding fists-up rock and roll with muscular funk, soul, and psychedelia. Named 'Best Indie Band' at the 2010 Austin Music Awards, the Central Texas-raised young men of The Bright Light Social Hour have built their growing reputation through several EPs and exhilarating widely-acclaimed live shows, including the 2009 Austin City Limits Festival. In culmination of their long, studied development, the band is releasing their debut full-length album, simply titled "The Bright Light Social Hour." Recorded in five studios around Austin during summer 2010, the album is founded on sun-drenched optimism, raucous youth, and an innovative brew of American music of varying types - classic rock, contemporary indie, rhythm and blues, dance, and soul. Producer Danny Reisch of Good Danny's utilized the best elements of vintage and modern recording to achieve a sound both forward-looking and evocative of 1970s hi-fi. The first track, "Shanty," pairs southern rock with hard disco, featuring the searing slide licks of guitarist Curtis Roush. Following the lean, exuberant stomp of "Bare Hands Bare Feet," the band settles into the dark psychedelic-funk of "La Piedra De La Iguana," led by keyboardist A.J. Vincent's dusky vocal and Farfisa organ work. Throughout the middle of the record, the solemn rhythm and blues of "Detroit" is juxtaposed with "Back And Forth," a four-on-the-floor disco-funk romp. On "Garden Of The Gods," the album's penultimate 10-minute epic, the band evolves from stately ballroom Americana to an expansive, ensemble anthem, conjuring up their limber and unrelenting live sets. The fiery "Rhubarb Jam" closes out the record, featuring the agile, booming funk of bassist Jack O'Brien and drummer Joseph Mirasole. The Bright Light Social Hour will be touring nationwide in support of their debut album throughout 2011. Replete with their vital sound, deep brotherhood, and ever-growing facial hair, the band is steadfast in their singular aim - enduring rock and roll.
event::tags 18+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
North Mississippi Allstars
81 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists North Mississippi Allstars
event::about Keys to the Kingdom, the new album from the North Mississippi Allstars, is a celebratory declaration of life in the face of death. The origins of the album are honest and raw: a father died and a child was born. Brother’s Luther and Cody Dickinson lost their father, Jim Dickinson, only months before Luther became one. At the heart of the record is the journey that traverses through the mirrored gates of life and death. Produced in absentia by their father, Keys to the Kingdom, is the Allstars’ finest collaboration yet.
event::tags 18+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
Givers
106 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists GIVERS
event::about What do Givers give? It is an often overlooked, yet all too important question concerning these starry-eyed melodi-mystic rebels. They take hearts, this much is known. They certainly take away any restraint one may have had concerning revealing dance moves. They take time, they take care, they take naps, they STEAL attention… but what do they GIVE?! I stare intently between songs, through lasers, feathers, sweat, confetti, paint, at these friends who i must now call people as they are at once also strangers in the throes of the prismauditory hallucination that is their music. The colors, tones, shapes, and threads, up-beat, weaving, psych-folk, meshing, afro-delic, beckoning my mind out into the open, much as a dream catcher above one’s bed. Then it hits me: Givers give dreams. Seeing them perform is to be overloaded with blissful information. More than one’s mind could ever hope to descramble and classify within any 24 hour period. Their music is not only music; it is motivation, inspiration, and a celebration of the world around us. To experience it is to be changed forever, for the better; to know that you yourself have more to Give. -Jake Hebert GIVERS were picked by Dirty Projectors for a an east coast/south east Fall 09 Tour. With 2 successful follow up headlining tours in 2010, GIVERS were able to build a " grass root" following and win fans along the way. Do to a successful 2010 , GIVERS were selected by Ra Ra Riot for a 2010 Fall tour. Recently GIVERS were picked by Stereogum as the band to Watch for August as well as their top 40 bands of 2010. Our first full length LP is finished and ready to be released. We are just deciding on a home for it.
event::tags 18+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3/ The Baseball Project
66 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
event::about STEVE WYNN NORTHERN AGGRESSION Steve Wynn remembers the day that he and the Miracle 3 entered the city limits of Richmond, VA last fall ready to embark on recording the band’s first new album together in more than five years. Wynn got on the phone with his old pal and band mate Stephen McCarthy who jokingly warned him to “leave your northern aggression at the door.” The phrase seemed funny, ironic, apropos and, as a result, naturally became the favorite catch phrase of the session and, inevitably, the title. Wynn and his partners in crime were the fast-talking, hard hitting, hyped up, tightly coiled Yankees—that’s not a baseball reference, let’s save that for Wynn’s other combo, The Baseball Project—sliding into the slower, easier, drawling, mysterious Southern lifestyle for a week. Anyone who has followed Wynn’s long recording history knows his love for throwing himself into unfamiliar territory, leaving open the possibility of surprise, befuddlement, inspiration and adventure. Working with the father-son engineering team of Bruce and Adrian Olsen (the former engineered both Gutterball albums) allowed Wynn and the band, which includes Jason Victor, Linda Pitmon and Dave Decastro, the chance to work around the clock. Bruce was behind the board at 8 a.m.; Adrian would close up shop about 18 hours later. They all slept at some point in between. As for the result? “Northern Aggression” –the title is a reference to what some below the Mason Dixon line call the Civil War—is psychedelic, greasy, sneaky, manic, wise, seasoned, nervous and ragged in all the right places. Mixed in Brooklyn by Nicolas Vernhes (Spoon, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, Stephen Malkmus) this is no civil war, no bloody battle, no historical reenactment. No, this is Wynn and the Miracle 3 doing what they do best-colliding against each other and their surroundings, not holding back and barely taking stock until all was done. It's what they do. To paraphrase Ornette Coleman, this is their Northern Aggression. Enjoy. ***** In 1982 Steve Wynn broke onto the music scene with The Dream Syndicate and “The Days of Wine and Roses.” In the years since, he has made more than 20 records, played more than 2,000 shows around the world and continues to evolve as a recording and touring artist. He has also performed with Gutterball, Danny & Dusty, Smack Dab and The Baseball Project. Formed in 2001, Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 have made three albums together. “Northern Aggression” is their latest.
event::tags 18+
7:00 PM
to 8:00 PM
Suzanna Choffel
22 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Suzanna Choffel
event::about "...Suzanna's learned from some of the greats about phrasing, playing around with delivery and beat, singing the emotions and the words rather than merely the melody. She slots nicely alongside Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux and Fiona Apple." Steve Hochman, Los Angeles Times. Suzanna Choffel is from Austin – born and raised. But shake the stereotype of Texas singer/songwriter like a snow globe; with influences that range from Erykah Badu and Paul Simon to Bebel Gilberto and Marie Daulne, Suzanna is as unique as the maelstrom of snow inside the glass ball. “I’m influenced by a lot of different things. I listened to World music in college, Reggae and Brazilian music and African music . . . I love jazz, I love hip-hop, I love pop. I love a really sweet story or emotional kind of experience and that’s what I strive for in my songwriting...visual lyrics and a strong melody, where the music is able to move people.” Suzanna’s music is difficult to categorize. Rock music critic Jim DeRogatis, sums it well: “equal parts beat poetry, smoky soul grooves and indie-pop eccentricity.” Whatever the descriptors may be, she has a distinctive sound for an artist from Texas, but it is still Texan. “Texas music is soulful and rootsy. Whether it’s rock, pop, blues, folk or country, it always has a raw feel to it and tends to have a sway and a swagger. I believe that comes from the heat. A lot of southern music shares that element, but Texas is unique in that it has a bit of the west, too, and the influences of our neighbors south of the border.” Suzanna captured the big musical heart of Austin with her independently released debut album, Shudder & Rings. Margaret Moser, the grand dame of the Austin music scene and music editor of The Austin Chronicle, dubbed her Austin’s "Next Fun Fearless Female Rock Star.” Driven by the single, “Hey Mister,” and a YouTube hit for the video of “Raincloud,” Suzanna wrapped-up three-years of promoting and touring for the album by winning the Austin Music Award for “Indie Artist of the Year” in 2009. Along the way she also won top honors in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, International Songwriting Competition, and the FameCast competition. On her upcoming album, Steady Eye Shaky Bow, Suzanna weaves a rich tapestry of colorful emotions and delivers, lyrically and musically, on the new voice in town promise of her debut. The album’s title is taken from, “Archer,” a lamenting song of disaffection wherein she sketches her lover with a “steady eye but a shaky bow,” and then calls him out, “you shot too low.” “Animal” continues on the theme of vexed love, “First you win my heart, then you tear it apart! You're a liar, that's what kind of animal you are.” "They've been in some of the best bands in Austin over the last 15, 20 years. So when I first got with this band, I was super-nervous until it became apparent they liked playing with me. My name's on the marquee – 'Suzanna Choffel' – but the music includes everyone. We're a band.” While putting the finishing touches on her new album a nice surprise fell into Suzanna’s lap in the form of an unwitting on-screen appearance in the documentary film, Catfish. Suzanna is heard and seen in the film via a YouTube clip of her sultry performance of the Jimmy Driftwood classic, “Tennessee Stud.” How the video made it into the film is as intriguing as the plot line itself but suffice to say that she got hooked into the movie on the web in a twist-filled true story of the filmmaker’s personal tale of a virtual relationship. Steady Eye Shaky Bow is due out in February 2011. It was produced in Austin by Danny Reisch, whose recent work includes White Denim and Bright Light Social Hour.
event::tags 18+
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
The Autumn Defense
42 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists The Autumn Defense
event::about By day John Stirratt and Patrick Sansone sell thousands of albums, tour the world with indie juggernaut Wilco and lend their writing, playing and producing abilities to dozens of high-profile recordings. But by night these renowned pros are able to sit down, relax and create something special that comes straight from the heart of why they pursued music as a career - and that's the Autumn Defense. After releasing 2007's The Autumn Defense on their own Broadmoor label, Stirratt and Sansone have now teamed up with North Carolina's Yep Rock Records to release their latest full-length work, Once Around. For the past nine years, this pair of Southerners-turned-Chicagoans have quietly been nurturing the reverent, classic pop of the Autumn Defense. Though the outset of the band saw Stirratt handling the bulk of the songwriting while Sansone lent his talents to production, the duo has steadily evolved into a partnership in both respects. From 2000's debut LP The Green Hour to the critically lauded, salt-of-the-earth folk rock of 2003's Circles, the Autumn Defense developed its late afternoon kickback sound like a fine wine develops and deepens with time. Once Around is a formidable tapestry of thoughtful, intricate sunshine wrapped around a core of timeless, experienced songwriting. It's the kind of record that needed to be made, for the audience but also for the artists. But that part didn't come easily. 'I think the possibility of an Autumn Defense album after the self-titled LP was a little bit in question,' Sansone says. 'It wasn't explicit...but I think we needed a little bit of time to reconnect with why we do this, and realize how much we enjoy it.' The majority of that reconnecting occurred while Stirratt and Sansone were in New Zealand last year to record the Seven Worlds Collide charity LP with singer/songwriter Neil Finn and a host of other talented musicians. 'The experience in New Zealand was instrumental in this,' Sansone recalls. 'We were spontaneously writing new songs, having other musicians that we really respect recording with us and reacting so positively to the Autumn Defense material.' The result is a distinctly Autumn Defense record, full of lush melodic textures, invitingly delicate pop arrangements and frequents nods to the AM gold, soul and radio rock that dominated the group's formative years. But the band has also had its ear to the groundswell of modern independent music. 'Seeing a lot of the newer, vocal based groups like Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes makes me appreciate the vocal sound that we've always had,' Stirratt notes. 'It's prompted me to highlight the harmony aspect of our group even more than before.' While those groups are currently selling out theaters and headlining festivals, the Autumn Defense is content to quietly lead the resurgence of the Laurel Canyon folk movement, much as they have for nearly a decade. Trends in pop music come and go like the fashions that accompany them, and rare is the outfit that knows itself well enough to hang its hat on the belief that melody, harmony and a healthy record collection are the foundational elements of great music. The Autumn Defense embodies a sound that doesn't worry about fitting into the current independent cannon, chiefly because it's a sound that never goes out of style.
event::tags 18+
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
Head for the Hills
8 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Head for the Hills
event::about Rooted in the tradition of bluegrass, the music of Head for the Hills is a vibrant mixture of homegrown compositions, traditional harmonies, and a progressive approach to improvisation. The group’s engaging lyrical nature and songwriting seems to evoke reminiscent feelings of inspiration & timelessness while also visiting modern society. In the live setting, Head for the Hills can venture into a myriad of musical styles and sonic landscapes that caters to a boundless array of listeners. 2010 has been an outright explosive year for the quartet, having been voted by the Westword (Denver, CO) as the “Best Bluegrass” band in Colorado, a highly esteemed honor. Additionally, the band has been receiving national radio recognition and attention, from their recently released self-titled studio effort (Produced by Drew Emmitt) which peaked at #111 on the CMJ Top 200. This endearing release captures the true essence of the consistently evolving group. . Many respected avenues have sighted Head for the Hills as the next breath of fresh air to emerge from the acoustic realm. With their new release Head for the Hills and an ever evolving approach to progressive acoustic music, there is no telling what successes lay ahead for this group of talented musicians.
event::tags 18+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
US Navy Band - Country Current
7 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists US Navy Band - Country Current
event::about United States Navy Band's Country Current country-bluegrass group is the Navy's premier country music ensemble. The seven-member group was formed in 1973 and quickly established itself in all aspects of country and bluegrass music. The group is under the direction of banjoist Senior Chief Musician Keith M. Arneson. Touring the country each year in support of Navy Recruiting, they have performed with such artists as Boots Randolph, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill and David Ball. Country Current performed at the "Branson CaresHelp Start the Healing" tribute to the citizens of Oklahoma City and at the Glen Campbell Goodtime Theatre in Branson, Mo., on Memorial Day in 1995. Country Current performed at Branson's Silver Dollar City with Rhonda Vincent and Bradley Walker in May of 2008. The group performed at the Grand Ol' Opry in Nashville, Tenn. in September of 2007. They played for thousands of NASCAR race fans in 2006 at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C., and the DirecTV 500 in Martinsville, Va. In 2004, they performed at the G-8 Summit in Sea Island, Ga., hosted by President George W. Bush. They celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2003 with a concert featuring past members Bill Emerson and Jerry Gilmore. They performed at the 24th Annual Congressional Barbecue in 2002, hosted by President and Mrs. Bush. The group features an acoustic bluegrass quintet and in March 2000, they were featured at the Mississippi Country-Bluegrass Spectacular in Columbia, Miss. In February 1999, the group performed with country music singer David Ball as part of The Pentagon Pops Musical Salute to America's "Guardians of Freedom" at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. In July 1998, the group performed for over 100,000 people at the Fort Vancouver 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular in Ft. Vancouver, Wash. In June 1994, they appeared at the Nova Scotia International Tattoo and in September 1992 at the Swedish Army Tattoo in Stockholm. In February 1989, they entertained Chinese officials in Beijing at a dinner hosted by former President and Mrs. George Bush.
event::tags 18+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Terri Clark
5 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Terri Clark
event::about With more than five million albums sold and nearly a dozen Top 10 hits to her credit, Terri Clark has emerged as a singular voice on the country music landscape – driving, passionate, spirited – and every bit her own woman. A dynamic, no-holds-barred live performer – and one of the rare female country artists capable of throwing down some impressive guitar work – the Alberta, Canada native has toured with such superstars as Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, and George Strait on her way to becoming a eight-time, fan-voted Canadian Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year. A prolific songwriter and hard-charging traditionalist, Clark spent years playing dive bars and entering talent competitions before she first hit the charts in 1995 with “Better Things to Do” and never looked back. She is the first Canadian female to be inducted into the prestigious Grand Ole Opry and has received multiple CMA and ACM Female Vocalist nominations, in addition to a pair of Juno Awards and a remarkable 17 CCMA trophies. For close to three years, Terri was the only woman in country music to score a #1 single when she soared up the charts with “I Just Wanna Be Mad,” one of a long string of successes including such hits as “You’re Easy on the Eyes,” “When Boy Meets Girl,” “I Wanna Do It All,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” and “Girls Lie Too.” As songwriter, vocalist, entertainer, and personality, Terri connects with listeners in a very genuine way, at least in part because of her willingness to reach past the obvious for the real-life bottom line in her music, embracing strength and vulnerability, playfulness, sexiness, and a refreshing emotional candor.
event::tags 18+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
The Trishas
11 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists The Trishas, !!!
event::about The Trishas got together in January of 2009 for what they thought was only going to be one show. The four songstresses; Jamie Wilson, Liz Foster, Kelley Mickwee, and Savannah Welch came together to do just that. Sing...for the sake of the songs. And sing they did, around one microphone until there wasn't a single dry eye in the place. From the moment they stepped off the stage, it was obvious to all attending that this wasn't just for one show, no matter what.
event::tags 18+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
Bleu Edmondson
16 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Music
Artists Bleu Edmondson
event::about With The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be, Bleu Edmondson’s long-awaited follow-up to 2007’s critically acclaimed Lost Boy, the southern-fried country rocker embarked on a search for truth, stripping back layers of regret, loss, and longing to uncover a renewed, albeit somewhat painfully soul-baring, view of himself and the world around him. He dug deeper into what the music meant to him as a musician, a writer and a man. “Writing is like holding up a mirror to those darkest corners of our lives that we keep hidden,” confides the raspy-throated singer. “It’s not always a pretty reflection, but it’s real and it matters.” The collection of songs ministers to the saint and the sinner in each of us. It is an amalgamation of those touch points and influences that give us permission to question, confront and raise a little hell on Saturday night. Bleu’s early years were spent focused on sports rather than music. He picked up a guitar for the first time during college, learned a few chords and his future was set. Bleu soon discovered that some of his favorite musical acts – Robert Earl Keen, Radney Foster, Uncle Tupelo – shared a common thread: Lloyd Maines either produced or played steel guitar on their recordings. A short time later, using a tape player in his dorm room, Bleu made guitar/vocal demos of some of his songs and sent the tape to Maines. Quickly recognizing the raw talent on that homemade cassette tape, Maines contacted Bleu and ultimately became his producer. The pairing made two records together – Southland and The Band Plays On – and Bleu credits Maines with giving him his start in the music business. On the new disc’s debut single, “No Room for Mercy,” the soulful singer/songwriter paints a vivid picture of the painful unraveling of a relationship, with a south Texas thunderstorm as a symbolic backdrop. The raw wounds of deception, anger and disappointment are ripped wide open as the betrayed singer tells his lover that there is a price for what she has done and “you won’t lie to me anymore.” Unlike some of his songwriting peers in other genres, Bleu chooses not to resolve the situation – or to explain in detail the circumstances involved – opting instead to allow the listener room to weave their own experiences into the song’s storyline. Edmondson’s lyrics convey a worldly perspective of one who has lived a life balanced on the edge – of success and failure, love and hate, elation and despair – with his trademark grit and unselfconscious vulnerability intact. There is no sugar-coating in his songs; he simply calls it like he sees it. His men are flawed, with the brooding darkness of one who has loved, lied and lost but for reason untold, repeats his mistakes time and again; and they are also vulnerable, with a desolate loneliness of someone who has been loved, been lied to and been left behind. Sometimes they are scared little boys, strangers to themselves and mysteries to those around them. But at the end of the day, they love a good party. The women in Edmondson’s songs are innocent in one moment, insincere in the next, and unable to love the man who is willing to give them his heart. They dance, they cry, they lose faith, they scream, and they love and hate interchangeably. They are omnipresent, sometimes appearing as a barefoot angel sent to save the lost souls living life on the outside, or other times as a past-her-prime party girl who still has the boys fighting for her attention – and anything else she might surrender. The couples he writes of lose their minds, quench each other’s thirsts, lie and fail to keep their promises; they fear, they take chances and through it all they love, with an urgent intensity that speaks to the desperation in their lives. The title cut finds the singer, having first lost his way and then lost his lover, coming to terms with the realization that “there ain’t no heart that goes scot-free.” In “Life on the Outside,” homage is paid to those standing on society’s fringes, out of pride, battered, bruised, and suffering. The subject of war is broached in “Black and White,” which finds a young man contemplating enlistment, due in part to his inability to find a job, but also at the urging of a man down at the school in a real nice uniform. Before leaving home he attempts to alleviate his mother’s worries by assuring her “this ain’t no Vietnam.” Edmondson also knows how to crank up the amps and throw down hard. From the ‘take no prisoners’ Springsteen-esque “I’m Still Here” to the unofficial party anthem of Dallas’ Greenville Avenue, “Riot Night,” the hometown-boy roots-rocker is not afraid to show off his chops. His raucous live show has earned him street cred and respect among his fans as well as his musical co-horts throughout Texas, a state that can lay claim to more than its fair share of the musical talent gene pool. The celebrations are never ending – filled with twilight strollers, rock-n-rollers, young lovers and jesters, and always a few girls dancing on the bars in crowded beer joints. But even in the midst of the fun, there are suggestions of unforeseen dangers lurking nearby, with poetic references to “suicide doors” on a “blood red” car, and a fair warning not to “stray too far.” Musically the tracks are bold, powerful, bright, and decidedly more rocking than his prior releases. This is the second round in the studio for Edmondson and Baker (influential Austin producer, Dwight Baker); the pair joined forces previously on the 2007 Lost Boy CD. Bleu’s signature rasp has a wrapped-in-silk quality, and Baker keeps him forefront in the mix, supported with a metronomic backbeat cushion as only a drummer-turned-producer can do. Edmondson’s rapidly growing fan base, “The Southland Mob,” takes its name from his debut CD. His road-dog touring ethic, particularly since signing with powerhouse talent bookers, Creative Artist Agency (CAA), keeps him running down blacktops and back roads in excess of 150 days each year. As Edmondson’s popularity has grown so has his touring radius, much to the delight of his out-of-Texas fans. Recent shows have found him stepping beyond the borders of the Lone Star state, with stops in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and New Jersey. Released on his own record label, American Saint Records, Bleu shrugs off the comparisons of his new disc to 2007's Lost Boy, “I am proud of this new CD. Dwight and I knew it might be hard to follow up, but The Future is its own thing. I am in a different place in my life now, so naturally my writing reflects that, and I believe my fans will find something they love on this one. I really do.” x x x
event::tags 18+
11:00 AM
to 12:30 PM
Rodeo Church
3 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
11:00 AM
to 7:30 PM
Visions & Dirty Water Sound Presents: A Showcase to Benefit The Austin Humane Society
53 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
11:00AM-11:30AM Rodeo Church (Boston, MA)
11:40AM- 11:10AM The Blue Pages (Brooklyn, NY)
12:20PM- 12:50PM The Spring Standards (New York, NY)
1:00PM-1:30PM Analog Rebellion (Dallas, TX)
3:00PM-3:45PM Visions (Boston, MA)
4:00PM-4:45PM Caspian (Beverly, MA)
5:30PM-6:15PM The Rocketboys (Austin, TX)
6:30PM-7:00PM Refried Ice Cream (El Paso, TX)
event::about
Visions & Dirty Water Sound present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
When: March 20th, 11am-7pm
Where: Momo’s Club 618 West 6th St (at Rio Grande), Austin TX
Visions and Dirty Water Sound are excited to announce their first unofficial SXSW event, showcasing talent from across the county!
The event will be FREE, but a $2 donation is suggested. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Austin Humane Society, Austin’s largest, longest standing no-kill, non-profit animal shelter. There will also be a beer open bar provided by Collier West, and free cupcakes and pastries provided by Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop.
The Lineup is as follows:
11:00 AM Rodeo Church (Boston, MA)
11:40 AM The Blue Pages (Brooklyn, NY)
12:20 PM The Spring Standards (New York, NY)
1:00 PM Analog Rebellion (Dallas, TX)
3:00 PM Visions (Boston, MA)
4:00 PM Caspian (Beverly, MA)
5:30 PM The Rocketboys (Austin, TX)
6:30 PM Refried Ice Cream (El Paso, TX)
Thanks to Danny Brito for this incredible flyer!
event::tags free food, free booze, unofficial, music, human society, puppies and kitties
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
11:45 AM
to 12:15 PM
The Blue Pages
4 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
12:15 PM
to 12:45 PM
The Spring Standards
8 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
1:00 PM
to 1:45 PM
Analog Rebellion
14 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM
Visions
2 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://tellthemtobescared.com
3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM
Visions
2 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://tellthemtobescared.com
4:00 PM
to 4:45 PM
Caspian
23 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
5:30 PM
to 6:15 PM
The Rocketboys
16 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
6:30 PM
to 7:15 PM
Refried Ice Cream
8 schedule::attendees
Location
Momo's
eventtype Unofficial Music
event::about
Part of the Visions & Dirty Water Sound Present: A Showcase To Benefit The Austin Humane Society
Company Dirty Water Sound
Website http://ahssxsw.eventbrite.com/
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