Kevin Bronson on March 14th, 2014

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[Foot rubs for our guest blogger?]

Trina Green (@dharma69) on Thursday at SXSW:

It took a little extra effort to get up and out and into the spirit of doing something as frivolous as enjoying music the morning after the tragedy that occurred on Red River, but it didn’t look like I was the only one: Crowds on 6th Street at South by Southwest seemed to be moving at a a less frenetic and more methodical pace, at least in the late morning/early afternoon. Perhaps it was the cooler temperatures, but I suspect most folks were still wrapping their heads around it – I know I was. Eventually the mental fog lifted, due to simply being glad to be here and grateful for the safety of friends and colleagues. As the day went on, the sun got brighter and my feet moved a little faster … which is surely why they’re so damned tired right now. But at the end of the day, there was this:

Ahhh, my Georgia peaches are back. Yes, I did say that out loud because I’m really fond of the Whigs, who are underrated, under-recognized purveyors of a good, raucous and rocking time, Southern or otherwise. Let’s just call them a fine American rock band and call it a day. The Athens, Ga.-bred trio of Parker Gispert (vocals), Timothy Deux (bass) and Julian Dorio (a whirling dervish and certainly the most masterfully controlled and concise drummer I’ve ever seen) kicked it on a rooftop stage at Cheers Shot Bar for their fourth (not a typo) set of the day, but there was no sign of SXSW fatigue. The trio very efficiently powered through their set of fan favorites, with “Staying Alive” never sounding so good live. It’s an 8-minute opus of awesome that harnesses the best that each band member has to offer. Not even the in and out of two of the amps during their closing cover of “Rebel, Rebel” broke their stride. the Whigs have a new album, “Modern Creation,” coming April 22. And I totally made Gispert pinky swear that they would come back to Los Angeles soon.

High-flying birds . . .

What do you do when the showcase that you rushed to is running 30 minutes late? Well, first you roll your eyes, but then you acknowledge that this is SXSW and it’s the nature of the beast and you adjust. Adjusting came in the form of hearing a brass section, soaring vocals and a grooviness that made me smile coming from the distance. Actually it was just across the street. Hello, Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds. Even after living in California for 14 years, the deep recesses of my Brooklyn heart still cheer with pride for hometown bands who rise above the median line of talent and cool. Arleigh Kincheloe is entirely too cute to sound so sexy/funky/soulfu,l but that’s her gig as Sister Sparrow, and her voice does fly and fly high. On an outdoor stage for a late-afternoon set, she and her eight-man crew threw down their fun, dirty, soulful, shake-your-money-maker tunes like the well-oiled machine that they are, with Sister Sparrow herself proving quite the dynamo. And cute. Did I mention cute?

Also notable. . .

Many here at SXSW have seen with their very own eyes my schedule/list of bands to see during the festival. It’s been called “daunting,” and even “ridiculous.” Still, my absolute favorite way to discover new music at SXWS is by aimlessly wandering the streets, popping into venues just to see/hear what’s going on. Walking past Bayou on 6th Street I heard a sound and a voice – a gruff thing with character – coming from inside. A quick left turn, there was Glasgow, Scotland’s Holy Esque. Pat Hynes is the guy with the voice who fronts this four-piece indie-rock outfit and the songs were so interesting: Nothing delicate or indie rock-sensitive, the music had muscle and a somewhat brutal energy to it. But Hynes’ heartfelt and emotive vocals get the better of that energy to balance it out. This was quality, it pleased me and I’d definitely go the extra mile for it but not if that extra mile involved eating haggis. Oh, hell no.