Hotel Cafe was a force to be reckoned with at SXSW. It seemed like at almost any hour of any day I could go and see a Hotel Cafe artist. Omnipresent beings these Hotel Cafers.
The first one I caught was the saucy Meiko inside the Convention Center on the Day Stage. Joined by a friend on trumpet, Meiko charmed the crowd, but dialed back her usual demeanor for the all ages crew. I later saw Meiko again at the Hotel Cafe showcase at The Parish.
Alice Russell rocked the roof at Maggie Mae’s with her soulful tunes. Her backing band was dressed all in white to make Russell stand out.
Over at the Ale House, I caught two piano rockers. Laura Jansen warmed the stage for the much buzzed about Elizabeth and the Catapult.
Perhaps my favorite of the Hotel Cafe kids is Theresa Andersson. I saw her over at Antone’s. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m recording myself live tonight,” she said as she recorded a loop on a drum before switching over to her violin and then singing a few “oh ohs” to self-harmonize with. Watching Andersson was like watching a female David Ford or Andrew Bird, which was nice for the many who probably got turned away from the latter’s packed performance at Stubb’s.
Thursday night at the Parish was the place to be. I missed out on a few Hotel Cafe artists, but showed up in time for Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. Tonal quality was fine, but showmanship was lacking from how I hear her usual performances go. Thao hugged the microphone for a majority of the set, barely stepping a foot away.
Also at the Parish, I caught some Greg Laswell. His inclusion of Austin in a song had the crowd thrilled. I think they liked how the evening sounded through his songs (get it?!).
Following Laswell was Hotel Cafe co-founder, Cary Brothers. Brothers was joined by several friends and put on a decent set, but I think many in the crowd were disappointed that he didn’t play “Blue Eyes”.
The real excitement for the Hotel Cafe Showcase happened after the official stuff. A piano was brought out for the special guest and to the audience’s delight, Sara Bareilles took the stage. Bareilles was having fun that night and in a playful mood, asking, “You guy’s doing OK? Need me to buy you a round?” She then responded with “Tough Luck”. Her stripped down set included “Bottle It Up”, a cover of her beloved U2‘s “What I’m Looking For” and a slowed down rearrangement of “Love Song”. I think it took away from the feistiness of the original, but it was cool to hear a new version.
The special guest business didn’t stop with Bareilles: The Proclaimers jumped up on stage for a surprise number as well. Then Brother Sal felt the need for an encore and he invited many of the Hotel Cafe kids back on stage for a raucous rendition of “This Little Light of Mine”. With JayMay, Laswell, Brothers and more joining him, this was the Hotel Cafe at their finest: pure, unadulterated fun. It was a fantastic way to end the showcase and the night.
Hotel Cafe Tour: website | myspace
Meiko: website | myspace
Alice Russell: website | myspace
Laura Jansen: myspace
Elizabeth and the Catapult: website | myspace
Theresa Andersson: website | myspace
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: website | myspace
Greg Laswell: website | myspace
Cary Brothers: website | myspace | interview
Sara Bareilles: website | myspace
The Proclaimers: website | myspace