PJ Harvey, one of the most intriguing women on the planet.

I would’ve attended SX anyway, of course, but when I received the email from the PJ Harvey mailing list announcing the SXSW appearance, I screamed, emailed everyone I knew who would care, and focused on my only wish for the entire week in Austin - - - getting into that show.  As you can see from the photo, obviously, I did!  More on the actual show later, but suffice it to say for now that on Saturday I was singularly focused, and everything else I did that day was just icing.

A brief aside:  I never did get around to posting about the best day of my life (so far, at that point…) which was about a year and a half ago when I lucked into a first row seat to see PJ Harvey perform in London.  During the day, I’d seen the Lee Miller and The Golden Age of Couture exhibits at the Victoria & Albert Museum, AND spent several successful hours in an excellent vintage clothing store.  All and all a perfect Dana day, capped off by the PJ show (my first!) which was certainly the cherry on the sundae.

That show is hard to describe, but below is a 2007 interview and performance by PJH on Morning Becomes Eclectic.  The performances in this video are very similar to the show I saw in London.  Beware:  This is a 50 minute clip, so a commitment is required.  However, if you choose to watch, you’ll be rewarded with some insight into the artist/powerhouse that is PJ Harvey, AND, if you stick it out to the end, a ferocious version of “To Bring You My Love”.

Okay, back to real time and Day 4.

The always gracious and uber talented Chris Grabau of Magnolia Summer.

Roy had to hop to it in the morning as he was in charge of the outdoor stage at Jovita’s for the Twangfest party.  I took my time and cabbed it there later.  Lesson learned:  Getting a cab from a hotel on the outskirts of Austin during SXSW is not an easy task.  So, I got to Jovita’s later than I wanted to, just in time to catch the end of Steve Dawson’s set.

I procured a very fine Jovita’s Bloody Mary, and settled in to watch Magnolia Summer, who were, as always, fantastic.  Amazingly (embarassingly?), I had not seen the band play since the release of their sublime new album, “Lines from the Frame” although I had heard the new songs.  It was a perfect Austin day and I thoroughly enjoyed slipping into an early afternoon buzz while listening to one of my hometown favorites.

John Henry and the Engine.

Next up were John Henry and the Engine, another fine band from the Lou who played a spirited set despite having had all their equipment stolen on the way to Austin.  Ouch.  Poor guys.  I threw extra into the tip bucket upon hearing about that news.

One St Louis Lazaroff, plus one Austin Lazaroff = The Brothers Lazaroff.  That is my idea of bicoastal.

It was during the Brothers Lazaroff’s set (which I also thoroughly enjoyed) that decisions regarding next steps needed to be made.  As my singular goal for the day was to see PJ Harvey, I was really enjoying relaxing at Jovita’s and not thinking about running off to the next thing.  However, Annie Z and I were both having “should we see Echo & the Bunnymen” angst, and they WERE playing at the Bat Bar at the Convention Center that afternoon, which was not too far from Stubb’s, where PJ would be playing.  After just enough deliberation to make a slightly too late decision, Annie and I headed for downtown.

Sure enough, while I was attempting to park, Annie texted that the Echo line was insane.  We blew it off and agreed to meet at the Rockville, CA party.

Subtle innuendos follow Anya Mirana.  Who gets THAT lame 80s reference?

This was a private party, so the free booze was flowing.  Much to my delight, there was also swag, in the form of Rockville CA tshirts.  The shirts were just okay, and I didn’t really know what the hell Rockville CA WAS, so I didn’t swipe one.  Later, when I found out that it was the new web based teen drama by Josh Schwartz, creator of my late, beloved “The OC”, I wished I had. I guess I am just not destined for swag.  (Reference the Great Free Shoes Denial of SXSW 2007 at the Jane Magazine party.  Still not over that one.  Or the loss of Jane magazine.)

But that’s okay, because I got to see 2 people I never would’ve thought to see, and loved them both.  Anya Marina, from San Diego, and Janelle Monet, formerly with Outkast.  First up was Anya, who immediately impressed me with her use of tribal face paint.  Very Adam Ant.  Not many people can pull that off, or would even try, for that matter.

Anya played California pop songs from her new record, “Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II” (produced by Britt Daniel of Spoon, and some dude from Louis XIV) which regretably, I have yet to acquire.  Must work on this.

Janelle Monet does NOT mess around.

After a brief break, the insanity that was Janelle Monet took the stage, and I had another “I am not cool enough to be watching this performance” moment.  Epileptics beware, because there was a whole lotta strobein goin on, and the energy of Ms. Monet was not to be believed.  I guess you could say that it leant itself to strobe lighting.  The Outkast influence was clear, as was the fact that Janelle really doesn’t need them anymore.  It was pure luck that I happened into this set, and I’ve since seen Janelle Monet turn up on several music critics’ SXSW “Best Of” lists.

A photographic momento of this glorious night at Stubb’s.  But who was the super genius that thought up THIS lineup?  Really??????

Does anyone but me find it hilarious that Third Eye Blind would be HEADLINING a show that includes PJ Harvey in Austin, and then shortly thereafter, in St. Louis, playing Rib Fest, where has been 80s & 90s bands go to die?  Unbelievably, the buzz around Austin was that it would be hard to get in to see PJ BECAUSE OF THIRD EYE BLIND.  Are you kidding me?  I didn’t even like them when they WERE popular, let alone now.  BIZARRE.

Harry McVeigh of White Lies.

Anyway, we left the Rockville party in plenty of time to assure our admittance and to catch the 2 bands preceding PJ & John.  First:  White Lies.  I hadn’t heard of White Lies, but Annie clued me in that they were very 80s and pretty great.  I would describe them as a cross between Echo & the Bunnymen and The Killers (before they started sucking).

Razorlight.  Meh.  The picture kind of says it all.  You’ve seen this scene a couple thousand times.

Following was Razorlight, who actually HAD been on my list, and I had high hopes.  Those hopes were dashed, however, as they were BORRR-IIINNGG.  Bla bla bla generic Brit-rock with the exception of a few just okay songs.  Next.

PJ and John.

And finally, PJ.  (And okay, John Parish.)

This will quite possibly be the lamest post ever about a PJ Harvey show, especially coming from a fanzilla such as myself.  The reason for this is because I am really in such awe of her that I kind go into a trance and black out on details.  I know.  I’m a freak.  But PJ so immerses herself in her performance, especially with this record and the last, both of which were more conceptual that most of her previous efforts, that she takes you with her.  When it’s all over, it’s as if you’ve been tossed from a moving vehicle to the side of the road and you have to stand up, shake yourself off and wonder what the fuck just happened.

So yeah, don’t ask me which songs she (they) performed, because I don’t know.  I can tell you that they were only songs from the new album, “A Woman A Man Walked By”, and that each one was vastly different, ranging from rock, to guttural screaming (accompanied by music), to full-on performance art (which usually = hate in my book, but not if it’s PJH).

No caption needed.  Seriously.

And of course PJ LOOKED fabulous in a long, strapless Asian meets bondage-inspired white dress and white spikey hair ornaments.  Her choices are really impeccable.  Sigh.  I would fantasize about hanging out with PJ and talking fashion, art, and inspiration if I weren’t kind of afraid of her.  Randall Roberts, music editor for the LA Weekly and former RFT writer interviewed PJ & John in LA just after SXSW.  Check out his excellent piece and you’ll understand the source of my slight trepidation.  You’ll also understand the source of my angst for not seeing Echo & the Bunnymen (in addition to the fact that I’ve never seen them and really loved them back in the day).

So, I’m embarassed to admit this, but up until just a few days before this show, I really didn’t know much about John Parish.  A mini magazine included in my SXSW bag o’ stuff enlightened me to the fact that the first band PJ ever played in was John’s, that he has produced a good amount of her work (this I really should have known) and that they consider each other musical soul mates.  Although their previous record together didn’t grab me, I do love this one, and John is an incredible musician.

I will conclude the PJ Mania with yet another clip from Morning Becomes Eclectic, recorded the morning before the SXSW performance.  If you watched the first one, you will notice that this setting is much less glamorous (backdrop of cubicles? really?), but PJ still brings it on, FULL on.  And no, I don’t know what those chain link things in PJ’s hair (below) are.  Roy asked the same thing and I said I thought they looked like beer tabs.  Ha.   Okay, I’m done now.  But I warned you with the title of this post that I was going to go a little mad.

After the PJ Harvey (and John Parish) experience, I found Roy outside.  I was ridiculously content, and having no other wishes for my SXSW experience, told Roy he was in charge and that I would follow.  You will have to settle for my narrative regarding the rest of the evening however, as I decreed that my camera would go dark at this point.

Our next stop was all the way across downtown to the dreaded Prague to see Jimmy Webb and the Webb Brothers.  What a WEIRD place for anyone to play, but especially Jimmy Webb.  Now here is the part where I embarass myself for the billionth time by admitting that I don’t know who an artist is.  I knew Roy wouldn’t steer me wrong though, and of course he did not.  For anyone living under a rock as I apparently am, Jimmy Webb is probably one of the best songwriters of, like, ever.  His sons are in a band called the Webb Brothers, and this was the first time he’d ever played with them.  Despite having to be packed into the freaky basement bar that is Prague again, our long walk was well worth it.  I CRIED when Jimmy sang “Wichita Lineman” (which he wrote).  I am such a geek.

After what turned out to be a very moving performance by the Webbs, we headed back into the 6th Street mayhem to catch The Rosebuds at The Parish, which turned out to be the perfect antidote to my weepy sentimental outburst.  Yay!  Super happy pop rock!  And cuteness.  Loved them.

And finally, given that I was DONE making choices about what to see for the rest of the evening, we eschewed the final opportunity to see Echo & the Bunnymen, assuming it would be a madhouse.  (Yeah, and this is the show that PJH attended.  Could’ve stalked her.  Oh well.)  We decided to end the evening at Buffalo Billiards with Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears.

We got into the club with no problem and found a good spot.  What ensued next was very confusing.  First, a drawn out soul show instrumental introduction by a full band.  Then, no actual introduction that I can recall (or that I could hear), followed by a very attractive girl and a few backup singing other girls taking the stage.  Everyone (band and girls) wore ridiculous (in a very BAD way) outfits of baby blue, white and yellow.  UGH.  The band wore suit pants and vests in those colors….colors that nature would never combine.  I was really wishing I hadn’t put a moratorium on photos for the night so that I could’ve captured the horror, especially once we figured out who we were watching.

The lead singer girl was putting out and the other girls were dancing their asses off.  Initially, we thought this might be Black Joe’s band and backup singers.  After about the 10th song, we were really confused.  FINALLY, after a full set, they packed up and left.  It was only when Black Joe Lewis eventually took the stage close to 2AM, dedicated “Bitch I Love You” to Solange and made a crack about her not knowing when to get the hell off the stage that we realized we’d just seen Solange Knowles (little sis of Beyonce) fresh off her appearance at Perez Hilton’s party.  NOW I understood the hideous outfits!  House of Dereon (aka, Beyonce & Solange’s mom’s horrific fashion line) was to blame for that train wreck.

Black Joe played only a handful of songs before the hammer came down.  After much protest from the crowd (and grumbling by Joe between virtually every song), security came around to take everyone’s drinks so the band could come out to play 3 more.  Despite having been Solanged, BJL & the HB were great.  That boy is going to be a star, and I guarantee he won’t be ordering clothes for his entourage from The House of Dereon.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 29th, 2009 at 4:09 am and is filed under Music, Travelblog, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.