Five Shows That Ruled SXSW 2010

by Patrick Rapa

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Published: Mar 23, 2010

[ tex mix ]

Quasi

(March 18, Cheer Up Charlie's)

Patrick Rapa

This was a new look for the beloved Portland mainstays: bassist added, Rocksichord deleted (SXSW's short sets favor simplicity). Wailing on his guitar and standing on his amp, Sam Coomes looked positively overjoyed to be rocking out in the open air. Janet Weiss, of course, killed it on drums.

Superchunk

(March 18, Cedar Street Courtyard)

Patrick Rapa

Word got tweeted around early that the secret special guest kicking off the Merge showcase was the label's flagship band. Yes. (Also: Duh.) Waiting to get in, I tried to explain to some She & Him fans who Superchunk is. They named their favorite Zooey Deschanel movies. Inside, the Chunk schooled them in a tight set that started with "Throwing Things" and ended with "Hyper Enough."

Best Coast

(March 19, Klub Krucial; March 20, Barbarella)

Patrick Rapa

Sleeper hit of the weekend? L.A. singer-guitarist Bethany Cosentino's pretty, infectious garage rock drove the kids wild. I caught two of the band's eight or 10 SXSW shows (I'm on vacation!), and even as her voice turned to gravel, we bought what she brought.

Hole

(March 19, Dirty Dog Bar)

Patrick Rapa

"I'm doing this for me, not for you. If you like it, great. If you don't, suck it." Courtney Love's never been the cleverest mouse in the maze, and she hasn't exactly been honing her chops over the last decade, but Miss World can still rock when she wants to. Apparently, for a couple days in Austin at least, she wanted to. Love hired some dudes, called them Hole and put on a few kinda-sorta comeback shows. In a club smaller than she's played in forever, probably, Love and co. plowed through some new material, including a sloppy version of the new "Skinny Little Bitch," and some old ones, like "Doll Parts," which, thanks to her smoked-out rasp, sounded appropriately gritty. Playing that song, she told us, was a selfless act, her only concession that she wanted to please the crowd (which included both Matthew McConaughey and Nardwuar the Human Serviette). The between-song banter was a laundry list of complaints, nutty declarations and a little bit of sad Botoxed lip service to Perez Hilton. So weird. Like it or suck it, Love remembers how put on a memorable rock show.

Slow Club

(March 20, Latitude 30)

Patrick Rapa

Cute-as-a-bug British folk-poppers Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson sing heartfelt ditties about getting old and getting dead, but they play it with such goofy street-busker gusto you just don't dwell. A buoyant, bubbly way to say goodbye to Austin. 

Read more/see more from SXSW 2010 at citypaper.net/criticalmass.

Last Emperor
Love is All
Lawrence Arabia
Brazil!
JJ
Tressel In
Wye Oak
Sugar Town
Miles Kurosky