SXSW 2012 - Austin Music Awards
SXSW Music day two!
My assignment for tonight was the Austin Music Awards at the Austin Music Hall. But we'll get to that in a minute...
I was really excited about today because I got to see one of my new favorite bands, Light Asylum. I've been pretty much obsessed with these guys ever since I heard the song "A Certain Person."
I knew that Light Asylum was playing a bunch of shows during SXSW, but they were all at night when I would be on assignment elsewhere. I was resigned to the fact that I probably wasn't going to see them, and this made me very, very sad. The previous day, I had actually met the photographer who was assigned to one of their shows. He was a lovely chap, but that didn't stop me from cursing his name repeatedly within mere minutes of meeting him. However, it appeared that fate (overlooking my childish, jealous temper tantrums) was smiling upon me. I discovered that Light Asylum were playing a free daytime show at Shangri-La, and all was right with the world again.
Being an outdoor, daytime slot, I think that certain visual elements of Light Asylum's regular live show were missing (lasers, smoke machines, etc.). Nonetheless, Shannon Funchess, their frontwoman, is amazing to watch, and I loved every minute of their set.
OK, on to the Austin Music Awards. Here was the lineup:
- Quiet Company
- Joe "King" Carrasco and the Crowns
- Sixteen Deluxe
- Carolyn Wonderland
- Ruthie Foster
- Christopher Cross
- Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys
I was looking forward to this assignment for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Austin Music Hall is a big venue, and I had access to the photographers' pit in front of the stage. Most of my assignments for SXSW are in tiny venues, and whenever I'm in front of the stage I'm usually squashed right up against it with the rest of the audience. Having the freedom to move around is a very much appreciated luxury. Secondly, upon my arrival at the venue, I was told that none other than Bruce Springsteen would be making a special guest appearance! I can tell you without any shame or embarrassment, dear reader, that I almost peed my pants with excitement. I am a huge Springsteen fan (to a nearly incontinence-inducing degree, apparently), and here I was, resting my elbows on the very stage he would be performing on.
The night as a whole was fantastic. In between sets, a slew of awards would be given out. Another of my favorite recent discoveries, White Ghost Shivers, won the "Best None of the Above" award. These guys are Austin-based, and they've been around for years now, but they only came to my attention in the last month or so. They play 1920s / 1930s-style swing band music, and they're awesome. If you live in Austin or nearby, I urge you to check them out.
Sadly, they didn't perform, but there was some fine musical talent on display regardless. Bruce Springsteen's appearance was hinted at all night, and he finally showed up towards the end of Alejandro Escovedo's set, which up until that point had already seen an impressive number of guest stars. Springsteen walked on after a request was cheekily made for "one more guitar player," and the whole venue just erupted. He played four songs with the band, including a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden." I went home a happy man.
SXSW 2012 - ONErpm Showcase at the Whiskey Room
SXSW Music 2012 kicks off! My first assignment was the ONErpm showcase at the Whiskey Room on 6th Street. The lineup was as follows:
- Candy
- Il Abanico
- Telebit
- Jotdog
- Mr. Bleat
- Mr. Pauer
All of the musicians hailed from either Colombia or Mexico. Now I'll be the first to admit, I'm not hip to the Colombian or Mexican music scene in any way, but this is one of the reasons I love SXSW so much - it's easy to get exposed to music you wouldn't normally get exposed to. This was a fun night.
Gearing Up For SXSW
SXSW (South By Southwest if you're saying it out loud, but usually just referred to as "South By") is upon us again. For those of you reading this who might not be familiar with it, it's basically a massive ten day event that's held in Austin every March. It's split into three main components - SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film and SXSW Music. Roughly a gazillion people descend on Austin for the festival and the town remains in utter chaos for the duration.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to be selected to be part of the SXSW photography crew as a music photographer. This year I've been selected again, the lucky bugger that I am.
SXSW started out as a small music festival for industry insiders. It was where bands would go to hopefully get discovered by record labels. Whenever I hear criticism aimed at SXSW, it's usually that it's an "industry event" and not really for music fans. While this may have been true at one point, I would argue that it's definitely not the case anymore. The atmosphere downtown is absolutely electric while the music festival is going on. Every bar and restaurant is packed to the rafters, there are street performers on every corner, and even if you don't have a wristband or badge you can catch a free show at any time of the day. You could have a fantastic time during SXSW without spending a single penny.
I got assigned to some really cool showcases last year and got some great shots, a few of which I've already included in my music gallery on this site. When I wasn't covering a performance, though, I'd wander around town for hours, soaking up the ambiance and snapping a few pictures here and there. I'd thought I'd share some of my favorites...
Addison's 1st Birthday
I don't think these pictures fully do the moment justice, but Addison absolutely went to town on her birthday cake. It was a fantastic sight to see.
You may also notice the abundance of bubbles in one of these pictures. These are being produced by a bubble gun just outside the frame. I don't know about you, but when I was a young lad growing up in the 80s I would have killed for one of those. I had to make do with my tiny plastic stick and small bottle of bubble mixture like some kind of chump. Depending on the quality of said plastic stick, you weren't even guaranteed any bubbles at all. They either popped before becoming fully formed, or the mixture just dribbled pathetically on to your shoes. So while I had fun taking pictures at this party, I did perhaps spend too much time being jealous of the one year old birthday girl...
Sonia's Bachelorette Weekend
I have a piece of trivia for you, international fact fans. If I was back home in Scotland, this would be called a hen weekend.
Shut up. I didn't say it had to be a particularly interesting fact.
But I digress. This weekend, I had the pleasure of shooting the very glamorous Sonia and her friends, who were all in town for Sonia's bachelorette party. I accompanied the ladies as they were chauffeured around Austin in a limo, stopping at various locations along the way. Photographically speaking, it was actually quite challenging. Since it was late at night, we were pretty much in constant darkness, which meant I had to use flash in almost every shot. This can get bothersome for some people very quickly. Kudos, then, to the girls for being absolute champs and taking it all in their stride. I met them again the following night to get some more shots before they went to dinner, and they were equally as gracious. Such an enjoyable shoot...
