sxsw2013 Fri Mar 15 2013

SXSW 2013 Tour Diary, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Day 2

By Anne Holub

A pair of updates from both Jayson and Billy of JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound about their second day in Austin for the SXSW music festival. The band's got a busy schedule that just won't quit!

Thursday

Today we started off with a short set at the Pandora/Americana Music Assoc. stage. It was cool and the food was great. Also because we were the first band we got a full sound check (which is a rarity here at SX) and the band agreed that it was the best sound we'd probably get during the festival.

It was a blistering 20-minutes after which we caught up with Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt who swung by to check out the set. The was thoughtful and complimentary and we talked about his restaurant and GD's new chapter, and he invited us to see the band tomorrow night at Austin City Limits. As someone who's loved Green Day since I was a kid and used to cover "She" and "Welcome To Paradise" with my band in high school, this was a coup. We left that gig as the next group was warming up with a folk cover of BoyzIIMen's "I'll make Love To You". It was rad.

We got over to Papi Tino's for the Mighty Deadly/Chicago Mixtape/Wine From the Moon/AudioTree/Do312 party. My voice was flagging, but I made it through -buoyed by my well-rehearsed band. I wanted to go rest after, but I stuck around for one of my favorite Chicago bands — White Mystery, and got to check out a killer set from PsalmOne to boot. All in all, I'm glad I hung out. We even fit in a live on-air interview with Jeannie form RadioOne Chicago — it was a lot of fun despite doing it next to a dumpster in the sun... Next the crew headed over to the Virgin House (because who doesn't have time for free booze?) and then finally I headed back to home base to rest up for tomorrow's early set for Rolling Stone.

-Jayson

Day 2

Before I begin here's a quick anecdote about bull fighting. If you ever go to a bull fight you should know in advance that they kill the bull. They drug it and they slowly kill it dead in the center of the ring. If you choose to go to a bull fight you're going to have to come to terms and accept this in advance. If you can't do that then don't bother going.

If you plan on going to SXSW you need accept that you may be dragging your equipment through crowded streets of sweaty people, that you will have your first drink around 11am everyday (at least if you consider yourself only a moderate drinker), that every corporation or trust fund BKLYN hipster either A) wants you at to attend their party/concert/orgy to enjoy their product- or B) does not want you at their party/concert/orgy because the guest list is full and you are not a taste-maker and Kendrick Lamar is going on late anyway and by the way have you tried POP CHIPS, they're sensational they're changing America as we speak.

So own it. And accept it.

At the Do312 party (Photos courtesy of the band)

And expect to see EVERYBODY you know. Like a mad dream. Oh, there's your old bass player. And there's Thurston Moore. And there's that chick you hooked up with behind a diner last July. And there's the head of the label. And there's your friends from High School. Wait, there's a dude in a Panda Bear costume riding a pedi-cab with Brian Austin Green in it. They're all here. And everyone is dressed like 1990-1992.

Everyone is HERE. Case in point...

First show of the day. Huge stage sponsored by Pandora and maybe The Voice. I'm not sure. But what I am sure of is that there was nobody out to see us in the highly art-directed vacant parking lot when we walked up on stage — yet its SXSW so you just go with it. And boom 16 bars into the first song all these people pour in. And one of those people was Mike Dirnt of Green Day who we met in antique shop last year. And he's super psyched to see us, playing air guitar to our songs, hanging out afterword like the nicest guy in the universe, and telling us tales of life of a crazy year as an international Rockstar.

So yes, there's some bullshit. But that was fucking cool. And a lot of SXSW is just that.

Chicago Mixtape's party also falls on that side of the highway. Psalm One, Snowmine, White Mystery, and Pearl and the Beard all played. And I think we played a great set — but every set feels good when your playing outdoors in the sunshine. I think our manager might have made a deal with some people about something too but everyone got to talking so fast I just quit listening. A photographer took our picture in an alley. She was like an alley Satorialist dressed like a Bboy circa '94. And there was another interview by a dumpster. There was also some journalist girl in our van who was really friendly but she talking very loud and I'm not sure I understood anything she was saying. I don't believe that talk is cheap, but I do find it surprisingly bereft of information.

I am however positive that there was some more cool shit after that, but I took a cab home with JC and played guitar in my hotel room. Cuz lets face it I like my guitar more than most of the people I'm liable to meet "networking" and besides its only day two of this bull fight.

Toro.

- Billy Bungeroth

Billy plays guitar in JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound and directs for the Second City in Chicago. You can follow him on Twitter @BillyBungeroth or learn more than you should about his continuing adventures at http://lessthan40.blogspot.com/ and http://www.thesecondcitynetwork.com.

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound in Austin, TX at SXSW 2013:

3/13/13
Getty Images party
Bourbon Girl
212 E. 6th St.
3pm

3/13/13
Brooklyn Vegan Chicago/Epitonic party

Barbarella patio
615 Red River St.
5:15pm

3/14/13
Pandora/Americana Music Assoc. party

Antone's Porch Stage
213 W. 5th St.
2:30pm

3/14/13
Mighty Deadly/Chicago Mixtape/Wine from the Moon/AudioTree/do312 party

Papi Tino's
1306 E. 6th St.
5:30pm

3/15/13
Rolling Stone Rock Room party

La Zona Rosa
612 W. 4th St.
11:30am

3/15/13
Bloodshot Records/Lagunitas Brewing party

Yard Dog Gallery
1510 S. Congress Ave.
4pm

3/15/13
JamBase SXSW showcase

Tap Room @ Six
311 Colorado St.
1am

3/16/13
KDHX Twangfest party

Broken Spoke
3201 S. Lamar Blvd
2pm

3/16/13
MillerCoors Third Shift Amber Lager party

Holy Mountain
617 E. 7th St.
5pm