Random Closing Thoughts on SXSW 2006

Here are just a few odds and ends to close the book on Beetsolonely's award-winning coverage of SXSW:

On Friday night, I rode in an elevator with Patience Hodgson, singer of budding Brisbane, Australia indie-rock sensation The Grates and one of my many musical crushes at the moment. I complimented her on their day show at the Filter magazine party and we chatted a bit. She was friendly and ebullient in a manner that reflected her onstage persona. The Grates have the same guitar/drum/vocals makeup as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but Hodgson is sort of like the anti-Karen O. She gets crazy like Karen, but it’s a fun, good-natured kind of crazy. I can’t envision Hodgson singing, “As a fuck, son, you sucked.” If I was in an elevator with Karen O., I wouldn’t speak unless spoken to for fear of just such a soul-crushing retort.

I sure wish I’d known Honky was doing a set at the Crazy Lady on Saturday night. Going to gentlemen's clubs is a lot less unseemly when there’s a live band playing. I think there’s even a Bible verse about that.

What the hell was up with loudspeaker-equipped vans passing out samples of super-duper vitamin energy water around the convention center? You’d just be walking down the street minding your own beeswax when the amplified voice of a girl pretending to talk like a dumb guy boomed, “Dude, want some super-duper vitamin energy water?” over a subliminal bed of shitty techno music. Isn’t their some sort of law against that? And if not, what’s to stop someone from driving up and down Congress screaming out amplified diatribes against Christo-fascism over a subliminal bed of shitty techno music? Anyone wanna go in on that with me?

On the other hand, I have nothing but good things to say about the Capitol Records-sponsored ice cream truck handing out free frozen novelties in front of Stubb’s on Thursday night.

Just because someone hands you a flyer you don’t want doesn’t give you the right to throw it on the street. Quit making the Indian on the horse cry, you littering turdlets!

There sure are a lot of asshole drivers in downtown Austin. During the day, it was self-important, three-pieced jerk-offs in SUVs who made blind right turns with no regard for crosswalk pedestrians in their path with the right of way. At night, their excreted progeny assumed the mantle of regal inattention. I’m happy to report at least one fed-up female pedestrian hauled off and kicked the vehicle that cut her off. I dig your big balls, woman.