S oh, Richard Buckner Liberty Lunch, Friday 26 Long plagued with a reputation for erratic live performances, Sebadoh's last trip through Austin yielded both a brilliant show at Liberty Lunch and proof that the band had found their feet and conquered the stage. Yet as Lou Barlow, one of the band's two frontmen, becomes busier and more diversified, what with the mass appeal of his other project Folk Implosion and all, the lengthy hiatus between appearances may have had some fans concerned. "Sometimes I would imagine that this time around there's gonna be this fear of, 'Why am I playing loud rock music? I've been doing this for years, blah blah blah,'" says Barlow from his new home in Los Angeles. "But when we started playing, it kind of felt like it did when we were making the record, which was really good, really full. It felt like I still have a lot to learn as a guitar player, and that there's so much more to understand about playing live. I like that feeling, like 'Oh, I could do this for another couple years.' "It's cool, there's something there to be followed up on." Part of the blame for the delay goes to label wranglings, as time and negotiations were required to release The Sebadoh with a double imprint of Sub Pop and Sire, which Barlow also sees as a good thing. "I think Sire has a desire to do well by us, or do well by the record, so I think they wanted some time where they could realistically listen to the record, hold the record, decide what they wanted to do with the record. That takes time. It's worked out well. I've been working on finishing up a Folk Implosion record, tying up a lot of loose ends at home and trying to lock in deals before we hit the road and throw our lives into the record, into touring. It's kind of cool that we have a little bit of time." And as far as beating the rep? "I try to shut out what other bands are doing live and how great Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was last time they were in town and try to focus on my own relationship to playing live and not to worry too much about how great it is or whether people are gonna love it. I try to improve what I know I can improve and try to focus on that. When I focus on that, I'm not as nervous when I play -- 'cause that's the worst. Sometimes it can make for a good show, but a lot of times it just makes me, like ... defensive. I can be kind of a jerk." Jerk or not, Sebadoh have the live show nailed down, and considering the wealth of benchmark tunes in the band's nine-record catalog, well, this is the kind of rock show Liberty Lunch was made for.
Celebration of Humanity Victory Grill, Friday 26 The name Denise Brooks is probably not familiar to most Austinites, even though she was born here and has conquered Broadway stages in productions of mega-hits like The Wiz and Ain't Misbehavin'. That's because Brooks left Austin in the mid-Seventies to study at Juilliard and has since split time in residence between New York, Paris, and Africa, as well as touring with such notables as David Bowie and Nancy Wilson. Brooks is an entertainer of the first degree, a powerful vocalist whose style includes the passion of jazz and the energy of funk and R&B. She's backed here by the Thomas Hughes Trio for this return engagement, the proceeds from which go to the United Negro College Fund.
The Mighty Zor, Delphines Antone's, Friday 26 & Saturday 27 Got the post-SXSW blues? All-star Antone's collectives don't get much more dependable than the Mighty Zor: Doyle Bramhall II, Denny Freeman, and Double Trouble. Not only have they not played together since last October, but Bramhall's been busy readying a new solo album for RCA, meaning this could be the last Mighty Zor stand for some time. Add the good chance that one extra guitarist stops by to lay the foundation for a much-rumored reunion tour, and a good bet looks even better. Kathy Valentine's pop-punky trio the Delphines open both nights. -- Andy Langer
Sara Hickman & the Will Taylor Quartet La Zona Rosa, Saturday 27 A stroke of genius is what it is. This Saturday night, singer-songwriter Sara Hickman takes the stage with Will Taylor's string quartet to perform new arrangements Taylor has made of Hickman's songs. An exciting prospect, yes, but not without its hazards: "When we play together I really have to concentrate on what I'm doing," says Hickman, "because if I start listening to them I get pretty choked up. There's just something very moving about listening to strings." The quintet made an appearance at last week's SXSW conference, and though a tough forum to unveil a new project, the reception was astounding. The addition of so many strings could be intimidating to some guitarists, but not Hickman. "It's a good thing, because I'm a really competent guitar player, and I think a lot of people assume to this day that when a woman picks up a guitar it's like another accessory. It means a lot to me to be able to play my guitar and have this amazing string sound surrounding me so that people can hear my guitar for once, because I don't have a whole band with me. I'm a fifth string, basically." Will Taylor's quartet will play an opening set.
Little Jack Melody & His Young Turks Cactus Cafe, Saturday 27 "When you wake up in a blue ashtray joined at the hip with a waitress whose name you can't quite remember," confided Little Jack Melody, leaning with a wan and sinister smile into the Speakeasy microphone during his Thursday SXSW set, "there's a high probability you were slouching towards Bethlehem." Maybe so, Jack, maybe so, but what better guide than the muy suave Little Jack Melody and his swanky Young Turk backing band? Moody, stylish, and egregiously talented, the Young Turks churn out prime slouching music, a neo-cabaret built from organ, banjo, bass, sax, traps, trumpet, and the droll and tender romance of Little Jack himself. One of a kind.-- Jay Hardwig
Tito & Tarantula Stubb's, Sunday 28 The five things you need to know about Tito Larriva: 1) The Plugz. 2) The Cruzados. 3) Steamboat, SXSW 97. 4) The Continental Club, December, same year. 5) Close personal friend of Salma Hayek. Really, it's only that last one that matters, but this L.A.-based quartet has been known to blow a few walls out here in Austin. Out in support of their second release, Hungry Sally & Other Killer Lullabies, a dangerously sinister follow-up to Tarantism -- which came in the wake of Larriva's appearances in Robert Rodriguez's Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn -- this killer live act injects some serious venom into their blues bite, so if Tito can cough up a phone number, maybe Salma will come suck out the poison. Hombre!-- Raoul Hernandez
Lefty Frizzell's Birthday Party Broken Spoke, Wednesday 31 Easily one of the most literate and talented writers in country music history, Lefty Frizzell's death by stroke in 1975 at the age of 47 was one of the most devastating losses the genre has experienced. Anyone worth a damn singing country today has some signs of Frizzell's influence, from Willie Nelson to Merle Haggard to Randy Travis, and a big bunch of them are gonna be gathering at the Broken Spoke to celebrate what would have been his 71st birthday. Confirmed participants include Ray Benson, Don Walser, Gurf Morlix, Susanna Van Tassell, James Hand, Alvin Crow, Cornell Hurd, Blackie White, Ted Roddy, and Justin Treviño, in addition to a revolving all-star band and event organizer and longtime occupant of the Broken Spoke's Tuesday nights, the Zydecowgirl Debra Peters, who says the RSVPs keep on rolling in. The list of "they might show up but don't print it" artists is stunning, and if you've ever danced to "I Love You a Thousand Ways" or drank to "Saginaw, Michigan," this is an event you won't want to miss.
ALSO PLAYING: Friday: Ten Foot Pole, Diesel Boy, Digger, Cruel & Unusual, Emo's; Jerry Jeff Walker, Broken Spoke Saturday: Damnations TX, Okeh Wranglers, Continental Club; Derailers, Clay Baker, Dessau Music Hall Sunday: Benefit for Ray Jacaldo with Ta Mère, Tribal Nation, Big Game Hunter, DJ Tres, the Mercury; Season to Risk, Molly McGuires, Emo's Monday: Women of Kerrville, Cactus Cafe Tuesday: Hum Machine, Six Mo' Bit, Emo's Wednesday: Kacy Crowley, Cactus Cafe Thursday: Strangefolk, Stubb's |
