One of the concerts I enjoyed the best at SXSW this year, was with The Zombies. The band started out 51 years ago, but hasn’t been together for many years. But the last twenty years they have played together off and on, and this year they delighted a packed venue at SXSW with their songs.
Denmark have had their own showcase festival, Spot, for some years now, just like Norway have by:Larm and the US have SXSW. The festival was held in its home town Aarhus this wekend, and many talented bands performed. The idea about festivals like this is to attract both the best talent and also the music business, to see if there might be any possibilities for both parties to luck out. This means that the festivals have a seminar program at daytime and many concerts at night. All the bands play 40 minutes shows, enough to get a feel of their repertoire and for them to show what they are worth. (Picture above: Kristine Stubbe Teglbjaerg)
Nidaros Blues Festival is one of Norway’s many local blues festival, but it is also one of the best organized. I have attended the festival for several years, and I have always liked the festival. It is held at a hotel with four stages, a congress hall, one restaurant, beside the lobby and in the night club downstairs. (Picture above: Nikki Hill) Continue reading
The Paladins were formed in 1980, when rockabilly was a novelty, due to among others, the Stray Cats. The Paladins mixed rockabilly, country and a touch of punk in their music, and they soon became a hit in their hometown of San Diego. They also got a reputation as a hard working live band, with tours all over USA and in Europe and Australia. In 2004 the band went on a hiatus, but a couple of years ago they started playing an touring again. I am glad they did!
One of the good things about festivals like SXSW is that you both get to see artists you have never heard of, and also that you get too see artists you have heard on CD, but never seen live. James Hunter is one of these, with some critically acclaimed CDs, plus one of the best songs after 2000, People Gonna Talk. I saw him at the Americana Association night at Antone’s.
Richard Thompson has been named one of the best guitarists in the music world, and also the one with the most characteristic sound. It is not that he plays everything very fast or loud, but more that his style is so personally unique and with influences from an eclectic range of sources.
I have written about Carolyn Wonderland before, and will probably do it again. During SXSW she played two official gigs, and I saw one of them, the closing act on the Continental Club Friday March 15th. Carolyn is playing the Blues in Hell festival in Norway in September, and for my Norwegian readers who are going there, look forward to it and be prepared for an even better show than the last time.
A musician’s musician is someone who every other musician and artists wants to play with, but who isn’t always known to the general audience. Buddy Miller is a musician’s musician, but fortunately he has been acknowledged and gained more popularity during the years. Jim Lauderdale is a great singer songwriter who has written songs for artists like Vince Gill, Patty Loveless and other artists, but who also has got more and more recognition for his own work the later years. Now the two have released a CD together, and they played Antone’s during SXSW.
Sometimes I see bands that I have never heard about, and because of that, my expectations are usually quite low. And often the expectations equals the experience. But not in the case of JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. Their concert at the Continental Club during SXSW was far above my expectations.
Argentinian tango orchestras aren’t my strongest subject, and I have avoided – not consciously – hearing an electrotango band, until the very last act on the closing day of SXSW. I came with my son from Red 7 and real hard and dark swamp metal with Black Tusk, and he recommended we stop by Bajofondo on the Stage on Sixth before going home. I didn’t regret that at all!
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