by Sophie Block
SXSW can be enjoyed by poor locals, too! Without a wristband, badge, or any idea of where we were going to end up, my friends and I saw three free shows Thursday night--and drank for free, too. After waiting in line (to no avail) for an Aziz Ansari stand up show, we meandered over to Shiner’s Saloon on Congress. This second-story venue, equipped with cozy leather bar stools shaped like wooden barrels and other southwestern details, is having its own unofficial SXSW showcase with free music- seven nights a week. The small stage and gentle breeze flowing through the large open windows made this the perfect chill place to begin our evening.
Austin singer-songwriter Garret Endres and his band sang some fun country songs about whiskey, home and treating women right. Before his last song, Endres said that the band does not condone drug use--just drinking. The lyrics included the lines “drank the corn whiskey, let the cocaine be.” Ironically, the melody of the song was strikingly similar to Old Crow Medicine Show song “Cocaine Habit”, but that song is pretty much the opposite on the subject matter: “Well I love my whiskey and I love my gin, but the way I love my coke is a doggone sin.” Endres put on a great show, so go out and support this local artist when you get the chance.
I wasn’t too happy waiting in line for the Sony SXSW party at Trinity Lounge on 2nd St., because it didn’t look like much was going on from the outside. But there’s nothing like free entry, open bar, and good music to make a girl forget all about waiting on queue! Sony had the joint set up with several large TV’s and couches that party-goers could peruse their on-demand videos. I thought it was comical watching the Burlesque trailer while listening to a jam band, but beyond that short infatuation with shiny electronics, it was all about the music. The Mother Hips, a psychedelic band hailing from Cali, have been playing together for about two decades--and it shows. Singer/guitarist Tim Bluhm sounded great and was a lot of fun to watch. I couldn’t believe I stumbled upon this band for free! I will definitely check out more of their recordings.
En route to the car at what we thought was the end of the night, we asked the doorman at the W Hotel what was going on inside. Flogging Molly was playing--totally free! I hail from the Midwest, where a lot of people will shell out big bucks to see a Flogging Molly concert over and over again. I have never really cared to go to a show, but figured I’d see what all the fuss was about. My cousin just about lost her mind when she heard they were playing and ran through the doors.
Austin singer-songwriter Garret Endres and his band sang some fun country songs about whiskey, home and treating women right. Before his last song, Endres said that the band does not condone drug use--just drinking. The lyrics included the lines “drank the corn whiskey, let the cocaine be.” Ironically, the melody of the song was strikingly similar to Old Crow Medicine Show song “Cocaine Habit”, but that song is pretty much the opposite on the subject matter: “Well I love my whiskey and I love my gin, but the way I love my coke is a doggone sin.” Endres put on a great show, so go out and support this local artist when you get the chance.
I wasn’t too happy waiting in line for the Sony SXSW party at Trinity Lounge on 2nd St., because it didn’t look like much was going on from the outside. But there’s nothing like free entry, open bar, and good music to make a girl forget all about waiting on queue! Sony had the joint set up with several large TV’s and couches that party-goers could peruse their on-demand videos. I thought it was comical watching the Burlesque trailer while listening to a jam band, but beyond that short infatuation with shiny electronics, it was all about the music. The Mother Hips, a psychedelic band hailing from Cali, have been playing together for about two decades--and it shows. Singer/guitarist Tim Bluhm sounded great and was a lot of fun to watch. I couldn’t believe I stumbled upon this band for free! I will definitely check out more of their recordings.
En route to the car at what we thought was the end of the night, we asked the doorman at the W Hotel what was going on inside. Flogging Molly was playing--totally free! I hail from the Midwest, where a lot of people will shell out big bucks to see a Flogging Molly concert over and over again. I have never really cared to go to a show, but figured I’d see what all the fuss was about. My cousin just about lost her mind when she heard they were playing and ran through the doors.
They’re great! Who knew that punk and Irish music could blend together so perfectly? The crowd was going wild for the band, and I myself danced around to hardcore accordion and Irish jargon with glee. Although we came just before the encore, it felt like we saw a whole show because it lasted about 40 minutes--whew! I hope Flogging Molly saved some of their energy for St. Patty’s day, because I sure didn’t.
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