Reaching the end of SXSW is no easy task. Walking along Sixth Street proves to be a daunting task as attendees are tired, stressed and looking to wrap up their musical journey with a bang. While everyone was looking for a way to get a second wind to move on, Mother Nature provided more wind than anything. With a high temperature in the low 40s, this wasn’t the Austin anyone expected; but they marched forth to continue on the conquest of having a successful SXSW experience.
Starting the day off with ghetto house and heavy (and at times funky) bass, the club Barcelona was the starting point with DJs Jubilee (Nightshifters), L-Vis 1990, (Mad Decent, Night Slugs) Kingdom (Fool’s Gold, Night Slugs) representing their zones of free-forming bass webs in ways that were soulful and hard all at once. A quick text notification made the experience a bit hectic, as The Black Keys were about to play a full house at the Mohawke.
Running over there to try catch them proved difficult as there was a VIP list around the corner, but through sneaky eyes and confidence at the door, the stage was set to see The Black Keys in action; and they did not disappoint. Playing riffs and rhythms that were trickier keeping a Jenga tower stable, the duo hammered through tracks with poise, passion and ease. The crowd –which was more than packed– stood in the cold to see this group perform an array of tracks that ranged from southern-fried melodies to riff-rooted madness.
After an indulgent happy-hour and a break from the cold, Barcelona became the Day Four hub as upcoming acts later that night would be Eskmo, Sub Swara, Lazer Sword, Débruit and dubstep-sniper Plastician. After a quick and humorous interview with the duo of Lazer Sword and another gut-busting set by Eskmo, the lights were beginning to go up for DFA’s italo-pop group YACHT, and checking them out proved decent but difficult. Going through a few fun songs, the crowd was more aggressive than happy. Not feeling the vibe, the Mohawke became the place to go once again, as Dam-Funk would be closing his 13 SXSW performance schedule in style, with a midnight performance with his band, Master Blazter.
Gunning for the front as soon as the crew was readying the stage, Dam was calm, collected and primed for modern-funk magic. With the vibe between his band and himself nothing short of smooth, he proceeded to sing tracks off Toeachizown in dynamite fashion. (not a funk pun) In a 45-minute set, vocoders, key-tars, a Fender Rhodes and Moog were all empowering funkified basslines and drum rhythms. Needless to say, the energy between Dam-Funk and the crowd was unbelievable. Truly one of the best performances in SXSW 2010 and its highly recommended he should be checked out (DJ set or live band). No matter what part of Modern Funk you get, you get it good.
This was a festival that was worth the twist, turns, headaches and hangovers for lifetimes over. But SXSW 2011 shouldn’t be as maddening, mainly because the preparation and anticipation will be dealt with at a delicate pace. But, who knows, maybe by the first day of SXSW ‘11, all will be scrapped and the cycle will start all over again. Either way, drink a lot water, don’t drink too much, and eat well. Oh, and whatever you do, go hard, because you never know what could happen.
For more shots of Day Four of SXSW 2010, check out the URB Gallery HERE
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