From Austin to Memphis March 20, 2011

Last Day of SXSW March 19, 2011

Third Day of SXSW March 18, 2011

Second Day of SXSW March 17, 2011

First day of SXSW March 16, 2011

Breakfast at the Omlettery, registration, trade show, showcases- in all a busy day.

From Shreveport to Austin March 15, 2011

Driving from Shreveport through Marshall, Longview and Dallas (dinner with regional rap legend Mr. Lucci) and on to Austin.

SXSW: The View from Austin

SXSW 2009 was one of the high points of my life, so I was thrilled to be asked to be a panel moderator at this year's SXSW. Based on the assumption that a picture's worth a thousand words, I'm going to just give a final overview of this year's event, and then post lots of pictures. HIGH POINTS-The Keeping It Real Hip-Hop Panel, the Where They At bounce music exhibit at the Birdland Gallery, the Louisiana Music tent performances, great food everywhere, but especially at the Omelettry, 24 Diner, Pappadeaux, Texas Land and Cattle, Kerbey Lane Cafe and the Hut Hamburgers, spending way too much money at Waterloo Records, getting to see Billy Bragg live at Prague, the Nappy Roots show at ND, the lakefront Texas NARAS reception, running into lots of friends, including Matt Sonzala, Michael "5000" Watts, Kazy D, Ms. Tee, DJ Jubilee, Big Sid, Quietus Khan, Pete Johnson from Select-O-Hits, Partners-N-Crime, Skipp Coon, Truth Universal and Cameron Mann from the Memphis Music Foundation, and the Austin Record Show in the convention center. LOW POINTS-The death of Alex Chilton (who was supposed to be the honoree at this year's SXSW), parking and congestion problems, particularly in East Austin, the lack of shuttles to SXSW events, the unexpected cold snap Saturday morning which also ruined the Sunday softball event for me, extremely crowded venues everywhere, many standing room only, and some where you could not see the performers on stage for the crowds, and losing my leather iPhone case while running underneath I-35 toward the Music Gym. I spent way too much money, and wore myself out, but I had a great time, conducted some business, hopefully educated some young artists and can't wait to go back next year, Lord willing.

March 21, 2009 Austin, TX

After breakfast at Jim's, I picked up Al and Vince and we rode downtown for Al and Vince to do a Memphis Music Foundation interview. I wanted to go to the Austin Record Show that was being held as part of South By Southwest in the Convention Center, but it was a small show and I didn't find much there. I did run into Missy Querry and Kim Martini, two of Select-O-Hits' sales reps who were there with the owner of Perris Records. After the interview Al and Vince were hanging out with friends at the Courtyard Marriott, and I walked over to Z Pizza for a small lunch, running into a couple of rappers from Atlanta who were there. On the walk back I stopped by a gelato shop, and then waited in the lobby of the Marriott, trying to get updates on the University of Memphis game. When Al and Vince came downstairs, we caught the van over to the Austin Civic Center for another large rap show. The people running this event were rude, however, not wanting to allow us in the green room and not allowing anyone to do sound checks. Al Kapone's show with a live band captured the crowd however, and those who came after him just couldn't do anything to equal the enthusiasm that a live band brings. Vince and I went to the Magnolia Cafe afterwards for dinner, and then I drove back to the hotel. The University of Memphis won their tournament game. 

March 20, 2009 Austin, TX

Al and Vince and I all went to Jim's Restaurant for breakfast, and then Al had to go downtown for an interview. Vince and I ended up going back out to Backspin Records again, and then to a coffee bar on the eastside called Hot Mama's. Leaving there, we got caught up in a tremendous traffic jam outside a warehouse that was selling jeans and shoes in conjunction with the South By Southwest week. Live bands were playing there, and there was a line out the door and around the building. Vince went with me to Texas Land and Cattle Company for dinner, and then we rode out to a dessert and coffee cafe called Dolce Vita, and even they had a live DJ playing out on the patio. I wanted to go to the Continental Club in South Austin to catch the Bo-Keys, Classie Ballou and Barbara Lynn, so I dropped Vince back off at his hotel, and headed down there. I had to pay for parking, and it was quite a long distance from the venue, but the weather was nice, and there were crowds everywhere, so I didn't mind the walk. Across from the Continental Club was an old art-deco hotel called the Hotel San Jose, with a courtyard where a stage had been set up, and about a thousand people or so were out there listening to bands. The Continental Club was also packed to the rafters, but I managed to find a seat. Classie Ballou is a blues legend from Lake Charles, and he performed a number of swamp pop and blues hits, and later Barbara Lynn came on stage, performing a number of her best-known songs. The concert was sponsored by the Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau and the Ponderosa Stomp, and was being broadcast by New Orleans' WWOZ radio, and at one point the MC silenced the crowd and announced the tragic news that Eddie Bo had passed away. I caught the Bo-Keys first set, but afterwards, it became so hot and stuffy in the little, over-crowded club that I left. The coffee bar across the street next door to the hotel had already closed, so I walked back to the car and drove back to the hotel. 

March 19, 2009 Austin, TX

Somebody had recommended the Magnolia Cafe for breakfast, so I drove down the Mo Pac Expressway to Lake Austin Boulevard, and to the restaurant, but there was no place to park, and I had to park down by the lake and walk a block up the hill. There was a wait for a table as well, but the breakfast was worth the wait. From there, I drove down into South Austin to a record store called End Of An Ear, where there was a live DJ performing for the South By Southwest crowd.  I was beginning to notice that all kinds of businesses had booked live bands during the festival. I bought a few things there (and could have spent a lot more), then drove back up to Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse for a latte. Sir Vince had called me from the Drury Inn and told me that he and Al Kapone had made it to Austin, so I met them at the hotel. Vince wanted to ride out with me to some more record stores, so we headed over to Backspin Records on the eastside, where there was an outdoor stage with a female band playing. The store had a great selection of reasonably-priced 45's, and I bought a few singles there. The owner there recommended another store in South Austin called Friends Of Sound, so we drove over there, and they also had a live band playing, but the prices there were very steep indeed. For dinner, Vince and I went to a place called Chez Zee, an "american bistro" which offered very good food at reasonable prices. After dinner, it was time to head downtown to meet Al Kapone for the Memphis Music Foundation show at the Dirty Dog. Al and his live band were the high point of a show that also included the Tennessee Tearjerkers, River City Tan Lines and Free Sol. Walking back to the car, I grabbed a cappuccino from a coffee bar in the Hilton, before dropping Al and Vince off at their hotel and driving back to the room. 

March 18, 2009 Beaumont, TX; Houston, TX; Austin, TX

I ate breakfast at Early Bird's Cafe on Washington Boulevard, and then I drove west to Houston, stopping at Black Dog Records, but I didn't buy anything there because everything was so expensive. The book store next door had a couple of books that I bought, and then I drove around to Cactus Records and browsed there for a minute. After noon, I headed out Highway 290 toward Austin, stopping for a coffee at Nestle's Toll House Cafe. Between Houston and Austin were fields of bluebonnets in bloom, with families stopping to take pictures among them, but the drive seemed to take forever. It was nearly 4 PM when I arrived in Austin, and I went straight downtown to the Convention Center to get registered for the South By Southwest Conference, but I had to wait for Mike, Al Kapone's road manager to get there so I could register. Afterwards, I walked around the downtown area and over to 6th Street, where most of the clubs and crowds were located. As the afternoon progressed, I walked down 6th Street past a number of clubs and cafes with bands playing, and over to Waterloo Records, where there was a Leonard Cohen tribute in progress. I bought some classical CDs there, and then stopped by the Amy's Ice Cream next door for refreshment before I started walking back toward the convention center. After I checked into my hotel room at the Springhill Suites by Marriott, I drove down to the Pappadeaux's on I-35 and ate dinner, and then headed back downtown to a club on Neches Street called Fuze, where there was a hip-hop showcase in progress. I ran into the Dallas rapper Money Waters, and some of the people from Swisha House records, and then, as it got later, I walked back to my car and headed back out to the hotel.