I have liked Hedvig Mollestad Trio since the first time I saw them. This year they play several gigs at SXSW, and I got to see a off-festival gig at Leeann’s Traveling Barn Dance at Maria’s Taco XPress yesterday. Their music is hard and loud guitar-based jazz rock, and they showed us how the experts do it.
I have been fascinated by Patricia Vonne for a long time, since the first time I first saw her during SXSW in Austin in 2002. In 2006 she played at Bergen Fest, and I also saw her again in Austin three years ago. Last night she played at the Continental Club for an enthusiastic audience, and her show was tighter and better than ever.
Guy Forsyth is one of my all time favorite Austin musicians. I have written about him on this blog before, and Friday night I saw him at another pre SXSW late night show at the Saxon Pub. I can’t count all the different settings I have seen and heard him in, everything from solo, with a tuba, with the Asylum Street Spankers to a pop band setting some 10 years go. This time he was reunited with his old compadre George Rarey, and he played one of the best sets I have ever heard from him.
Few of us have got the honor of getting our own day. Rosie Flores is one of those few, and August 31st is official Rosie Flores Day in Austin, Texas. From yesterday and all of next week the town is filled up with SXSW attendees, and it is a great tradition to start it all at the Continental Club the night we get in, and last night Rosie Flores was the main attraction there.
Saturday was the closing day of this year’s by:Larm. The festival, including the conference has been a success with lots of people visiting the venues and high quality booking and also seminars. The official numbers and evaluation isn’t done yet, but having attended all 17 by:Larms since it started in 1998, I feel safe to say that this must be one of the best. (Picture above: Deathcrush)
Friday night at by:Larm was different from Thursday in that there were less bands with a direct appeal to my taste, but on the other hand, I got to see bands I would have avoided in another setting. Two of the artists impressed me, but in diametrically opposite ways – Linkoban from Denmark and Kaja Gunnufsen from Norway. (Picture above: Linkoban)
By:Larm – the Norwegian showcase festival – is a yearly event in Oslo, located in the center, around Youngstorget. The town square is filled with tents that function as venues for the festival. Yesterday night was the first night of showcases on these and the surrounding venues. Here are some pictures of the acts I managed to see last night. (Picture above: Veronica Maggio and a photographer)
The band highasakite originally started at the jazz conservatory in Trondheim where two of the band’s members studied. They released their first album All That Floats WIll Rain in 2012 to great reviews. They also have had success live, with sold out venues. Just recently they released their second album, Silent Treatment to even better reviews than their first. Yesterday they played a packed Blaest in Trondheim.
Claudia Scott is born in Newcastle, but moved to Norway with her family when she was a child. Her father, Clive Scott, started Norway’s first country band, The Skywegians in the late 60’s, and Claudia performed with the band from when she was 10 years old. Yesterday she played a release concert for her newest CD, Follow The Lines, and she has come a long way musically since her recording debut in 1970.
We have many very good songwriters and artists in Norway, but few as good as Thomas Helland, or Thom Hell as he calls himself. He has released four solo albums plus a best of album in his own name, the latest, Six, was released a few weeks ago. Yesterday I saw his release concert at John Dee for Six in Oslo.
Artist Pictures Blog 