Music From Mexico, Portland, And Seattle At SXSW

Austin, Texas — The third day of SXSW Music began at Austin Convention Center with a showcase called “Torreblanca & Amigas,” which included Mexican songstress Natalia Lafourcade, Chilean electro-pop rock princess Javiera Mena, and Andrea Balency.  Initially I was hesitant about attending the show, considering that I’d already seen half the line up the previous day.  But my curiosity and love for Latin American music propelled me to go.

Torreblanca started off playing “Dejé de Ser Yo,” a tune so intense and infectious I couldn’t help humming along.  The band sounded a lot tighter and more impressive the second time around.  I mentioned this to Torreblanca’s drummer Jerson when I ran into him at a different showcase later in the evening. Jerson agreed saying that with all the commotion and moving around at SXSW, it was a difficult getting proper rehearsals and sound checks in and that they were better prepared for the set at the convention center.

Though she only performed a couple of songs, Andrea Balency sounded just as lovely as the night before and after her set Natalia Lafourcade got on stage and delighted the crowd by starting off with her popular hit “Casa.”  Later, the normally plugged in Javiera Mena played a couple of brief acoustic numbers, giving attendees only a tiny morsel of her talents and range.  The showcase ended with members of Torreblanca, Lafourcade, and Mena all on stage joining forces to become a fleeting Latin alternative super group, a moment in which I knew I was witnessing something truly special.

An hour before the sun started to set, I trekked six blocks away to watch Oregan band Gossip play a set on the top of a four story parking structure, a location that provided great aerial views of downtown Austin and the convention center.  Gossip started about 15 minutes late, but no one in the crowd could hold it against lead singer Beth Ditto, who charmed the crowd with her topical wit and banter, touching on subjects including 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains”, the Iowa Caucus, Subway sandwiches, being from Arkansas, and her love for Lil’ Wayne.  While her conversation was entertaining between songs, it was her incredible voice that left everyone completely awestruck.  She paid a little homage to Adele singing a few chords of “Rolling in the Deep,” then later had everyone running to the front of the stage when the first chords of “Standing in the Way of Control” began.

The end of Gossip’s set brought on the beginning of my last night in Austin, and I headed back down to the 6th Street area to catch Chile’s Kali Mutsa at the Buca Lounge. Her set was already a couple of songs in by the time I arrived, but I unfortunately was unable to stay for more than one song, due to the fact that the downstairs stage area reeked of old mop and raw sewage. It really was a shame and perhaps an explanation as to why the talented artist was only playing to a couple dozen people.

At this time it wasn’t quite 8:30 yet so I thought I might be able to watch the end of  Sweden’s The Bombettes a couple of blocks away at BD Riley’s.  But by the time I arrived at the door, the ladies had already finished their set and another band was setting up. The bar had big open windows that half exposed the stage to the street, meaning good ventilation, and a strong wifi signal so I stayed to check out Seattle band My Goodness without knowing what to expect.  And my goodness — I’m glad I stuck around! The duo, a drummer and a guitar playing vocalist, had a powerful sound that mixed blues and rock but was played with a sexy fierceness that had people gathered outside around the window to see what all the commotion was about.

Leaving the bar I thought about the impressive set I had just seen and how my experience watching My Goodness embodied all that is great about SXSW Music. To get the most out of the festival, it’s important to keep an open mind, have a backup plan, and, for better or for worse, expect the unexpected.

[Photos of Gossip and My Goodness by the author]

Subscribe today!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Must Read