My SXSW
By Jared Paul Boulanger
By Jared Paul Boulanger, Fri., March 16, 2012
The band I'm in (Austin's Sour Notes) found out we were officially showcasing at South by Southwest a few weeks ago. We're a band that plays rock music for people who might not use that term. Prior to getting into this year's Festival, we preemptively booked nine shows between March 10-17 to try and get some exposure. All after working our 40-hour-a-week day jobs.
My first day of SXSW was spent shooting a mysterious album-cover photo with Rubberneck photographer Renate Winter on the lakeshores of Windy Point in the rain. Later that day, the Sour Notes played at a three-day party our friends Zac and Sam of Zorch put together called Escapes. Zorch throws this party every year and is one of the hardest working bands I know. What it gives back to the community is more than just music!
On day two, we got the chance to open for Wavves, Japandroids, and Beach Fossils at the Mohawk with a slew of local mind-blowing Austin acts including Grape St., the Young, and Sleep Over. Tuesday was the last day of SXSW Interactive. Whoa! The Interactives party harder than the rest of the Festival.
On day three, our DIY music collective, No Play Music, hosted a 33-band minifest at Cheer Up Charlie's called All Tamara's Parties. It was out of control. Out of control meaning not capable of being governed, guided, or restrained. The lineup consisted of some of our favorite local acts (Bobby Jealousy, Dana Falconberry) and Atlanta's Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun. Tamara, owner of Charlie's, is an artist who values artistic integrity and freedom of expression.
Have you heard of the package-free/zero-waste grocery store opening up on Manor Road? It's called In.gredients and the people who run it are ab-fab! The Sour Notes visited the future site of the In.gredients storefront to perform a song from our upcoming album. We drank some fine cider, recorded the song live on video, and made some new friends.
This brings us to Thursday. After a long day of helping other people load gear at work, the Sour Notes went to East Avenue Lounge for Deadbird Records' the Big Knife Party. Before the show, I read an Australian blog review of my stage antics from an earlier SXSW show this week saying I "gyrated myself through a highly energetic and entertaining set." I'm pretty sure I'm now postshow sweaty enough to say I topped it. Lately, I've been having more fun than ever playing live music, letting my emotions run wild and my limbs dangle whichever way the rhythm carries them.
It's now 4:30am Friday morning – day six! I still haven't gone to sleep from the night before, and I have to be up in a few hours for work. I also have to finish writing this, plus I'm still drinking beer for some reason. Our official SXSW showcase is tonight at B.D. Riley's with the dB's. We're playing three more times after that ....
The Sour Notes help top Saturday's Tombs Tradition bill at the Scottish Rite Theatre (207 W. 18th)
Seryn (2pm)
Les Rav (3)
Mother Falcon (4)
The Silent Comedy (5)
Agent Ribbons (6)
The Colts (7)
The Diamond Center (8)
Hellfire Social (9)
Family Wagon (10)
The Sour Notes (11)
The Silver Chords (12mid)
RSVP for free entry:
