Sandra Day O'Clobber

This has, so far, been my favorite sxsw ever.

The Noisettes were amazing last night, and if you've never heard them, I recommend that you check them out, especially if you're fond of girls who rock impossibly hard. I chatted a bit with Shingai Shoniwa before the show and was amazed at how tiny she was - her presence is huge. She was fumbling with a shirt that wasn't closing right, and asked if I had a safety pin. I didn't, but I asked around for her. This was actually a mistake. None of the folks I was with had one, and I think that I scared the soccer mom sitting near me when I asked her. "You want a WHAT?"

A safety pin. Have you got one?

"NO! What do you want THAT for???"

Part of the magic of SXSW is going to shows alongside people who have never been inside a rock club, or not in years. I came away pinless, and with the distinct impression that she thought that I must have wanted to use it for nefarious drug-related activities.

Tonight, I came as close to witnessing a twee-boy riot as anyone reading this ever will. Islands were disgruntled at being kicked off the stage earlier than they wanted, and their dual violins and Dutch-boy looking guitarists kept playing even as the stage crew besieged them and shut down their amps and ran off with their cables. As I left the club, I could still hear them shouting, "Fuck you! Fuck you!"

The Pigeon Detectives set was one of those great ones where you dance and shout along at the top of your lungs until you almost pass out. They took 30 minutes to set up, so I found a seat. A terrible seat. I turned to the person sitting next to me and said as much, and he looked at me funny. Aye, he said, it's a fookin ladder, innit? And it was. No wonder it kept tipping over whenever anyone shifted.

Another great thing about this year has been meeting Jennifer, who's here from Berkeley. I turned 34 last week, and rocking out with a 47 year old has kept me from moping about how old I'm getting. Between soaking up her good influence and getting hit on by several 22-year-olds, I'm pretty sure that I have at least 13 more good years in me.

This year marks the 20th year that I've been going to shows, and the magic hasn't worn off yet.

Tags: music
Current Mood: elated

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