Looking back, I learned a few things from my time in Austin, Texas as a rookie journalist at South by Southwest in 2009. After standing in line for roughly four hours last year, I arrived in Austin early, hoping to get all the paperwork and non-specifics out of the way. Dodging the Wednesday crowd really seemed to help, as I got my band and photo creds in ten minutes, leaving time to make my way over to pick up my entrance pass to the Purevolume House to catch a few bands.
By the time I got into the venue, Joshua James was finishing up his set. I shuffled through the drink line for a water before making my way to the front to set up for Johnny Flynn’s 10:00 p.m. time slot.
Flynn and company had literally just stepped off the runway of Austin’s International airport and onto the stage of the venue for this set. It honestly doesn’t get more rough than that. Hailing from London, their bodies were left shaking off the feeling of jet lag equaling a 4 a.m. start time. Regardless of fatigue, the guys stayed the course, presenting me with a quality jumping off point for my 2010 SXSW.
Somewhere between Ryan Adams and The Swell Season, Flynn’s set showed his diversity as he wielded multiple duties between acoustic guitar, mandolin, trumpet, vocals and charm. With sweet alt. country songs and lyrics written with talent and depth, I expect big things from Flynn. I walked away from the stage a fan. I honestly plan on catching them again before I leave Austin, this time with all of their energy intact.
Following Flynn, Jakob Dylan of both Wallflowers and solo fame was set to take stage. Ironically, Dylan happened to also be the first band I caught at Austin City Limits in 2009. However, this time around his cast would be a little different. His band, Three Legs which features Neko Case, would be playing for the first time in front of a crowd. It doesn’t get much more exciting than that.
However, it does lead a person to wonder how anyone managed to get Neko Case to stand in the shadows of a project. With a presence on stage that borders on being bold and commands attention I think there are a number of musical personalities who would shy away from sharing the stage with Case. They might worry about the spotlight shifting slightly to stage left. However, in this situation, the combination would work flawlessly. Dylan shows his humility playing with a star that might honestly be a bigger name than he, while Case stands calmly by his side, performing her role as one of the legs of the band instead of trying to be the spine.
That spine is Dylan. Of all his projects, this one is the strongest. His voice is mature and wise, reminding me at times of the protest singer style that his father dawned. However at times a little Johnny Cash can be found in him as well. Beautiful slide guitar riffs fill the stage as he sings about sadness.
But those are always the best songs anyway right?
"That spine is Dylan." Love that line! Yummy writing.