sxsw2011 Mon Mar 14 2011

SXSW Band Diary: Netherfriends -- Sunday & Monday

Sunday

SXSW is a lot like New Years Eve. It's a great way of finding out which of your friends drink heavily on a regular basis and which of them do not.

I was convinced that Sunday would be the day of relaxing. I was wrong. Yes, there were a bunch of open bar events, but not lot of music. I rode my bike downtown to meet up with my friend Kevin, who is another Austin host of mine. Can I please plead with people heading down to SXSW, if it's not too late: bring a bike!!!!! Taxis are hard to find and the bike rickshaw things are pricey. I severely dislike walking and HATE walking through large masses of drunk assholes. So we really had no plan of action when we got downtown. We hit up a coffee shop on the east side of 6th Street called Rio Rita to use internet to find some last minute events and drink iced tea in the sun.

We found an open bar event sponsored by Heywire. Only in the future can you RSVP to an open bar thing only a couple hours before the start of the event. On our way to the bar, we ran into my other Austin host, Talia, and went to an Etsy-sponsored show where this band Quintron and Miss Pussycat played. Quintron needs to lose Miss Pussycat. He played drums, keys, sang and played a bunch of analog-looking noise devices. Call me a misogynist, but the last thing I want to see in a band is another cute blonde girl in a funny outfit playing maracas in the shape of ice-cream cones and screaming in a mic every so often.

People handed us drink tickets because they thought we were cool(?)... I have no idea why. The Heywire event was like being in a Britney Spears music video with people over the age of 35. There were some crazy laser lights triggered by this guy on a keyboard. What is with that? Seriously dude, it's night, time take your free swag neon green sunglasses off.

Monday

SXSW is kinda like Disney World. Always a long line, it's never worth the wait, and some people in line have no idea what they are waiting for.

I met up with a friend from Tucson named Amber. This was her first time in Austin. We met at the 2nd annual Milwaukee Beer and Brats Fest for some free veggie brats and PBRs. Also ran into some other Chicago acquaintances who are now Austinites. We won some free Milwaukee coffee and then split to wait in some long lines. We showed up early to wait in a line to get some free tacos, which turned into a sick joke. The tacos were lethal. They were the spiciest tacos I have ever eaten. The vegetarian tacos were a two out five in spiciness and my mouth was numb for a few hours. We actually had to sign a waiver before eating them. Yikes. After that we basked in the sun and then headed to the Spider House to see ...And You will Know Us by the Trail of Dead free show. It wasn't as bad as I expected. Although did they stop smashing their instruments when Interscope dropped them? The night ended with me drunkenly breaking into the house I was staying in because someone deadbolted the top lock (which I had no key for) of the front door.

--Shawn from Netherfriends

Netherfriends SXSW Tour 2011

March 12 - Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive In
2326 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX
7pm

March 15 - Cedar Street Courtyard - Chicago's PBR Blast Off
208 West 4th Street, Austin, TX
8:15pm

March 16 - Paradise on 6th
401 E. 6th St., Austin, TX
5pm

March 17 - Pita Pit
Downtown location, Congress and 7th, Austin, TX
3pm

March 18 - The Happening House
51st and Westmore, Austin, TX
8:30pm

March 19 - Your Mom's Burger Bar
1701 East Cesar Chavez Ste. B, Austin, TX
1pm

March 19 - House of 88 Chicago Party
3508 E. 17th St, Austin, TX.
5pm

March 19 - Skinny's Ballroom
115 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, TX
8pm