Just another Wednesday at SXSW

There’s always a tension at SXSW between the people who want to hear the quiet artist and the people who want to chatter near the stage where the quiet artist is playing. This tension came to such a head a few years ago when Rosie Thomas and Iron & Wine played Tambeleo that I thought punches were going to be thrown. But I calmed down. (Just kidding. I wasn’t the one about to come to blows, but I wasn’t going to defend the noisy people either). On Wednesday, the first day of SXSW Music 2007, that tension surfaced by the inside stage at the Austinist/Gothamist show at Mohawk. It doesn’t matter that the artist Teiter had come all the way from the Faroe Islands (OK, he lives in London now, but still). The talking nearly overwhelmed his set. It’s a party, though, so Teiter rolled with it playing songs like “Josephine” (to a little girl on stage) and his Louis Armstrong tribute “tackily called” “Louis, Louis.”

Next, and louder at 10-people strong, Peter and the Wolf squeezed on the indoor stage. Playing Tuvan folk instruments and adding Hawaiian rhythms, it was strange and very cool. The five-member chorus in the middle of the stage was a nice touch, too.

My little daughters have been making an inordinate amount of noise since birth, so I don’t know why I’m surprised by petite singers with huge voices, but I was again today by Nicole Atkins at the outdoor stage. One of Columbia’s newest signings, she owned the stage despite missing her regular band who would show up later that night. I met Nicole in New York a few weeks ago and was curious to see her live. She didn’t disappoint either on the songs she wrote or the massive cover of Ledbelly’s “In the Pines.”

I stopped back inside before leaving to catch Stars of Track and Field. Even with just three members, they were in no danger of getting drowned out with their Death Cab-tinged alt.rock.

As 5pm approached I was faced with the typical SXSW conundrum: The two bands here I most want to see--Scandanavian bands Loney, Dear; and Peter Bjorn and John--both play at the same time. But our writer Jeff Leven is getting shut out of this party, so I head down to Red Eye Fly for Peter Bjorn and John. Though they fall squarely in the line of neighboring acts like Sondre Lerche, the three-piece actually rocks. I was bummed to have to leave after two songs, but I’m hoping to catch more of their shows this week.

I started late catching the evening showcases, beginning with Beirut in Emo’s main room. I catch up with Teitur and watch the set with him. He’s never heard Beirut and is disappointed in how the sound man is screwing up the show. Still Zach Condon’s merry band of Balkan-influenced troubadours don’t disappoint.

Next is the band I missed earlier today, Loney, Dear from Sweden. Their debut on Sub Pop is my early record of the year. I’m frustrated to have to wait in the doorway for someone to leave since the room is at capacity, but I hear the strains of “Sinister in a State of Hope” floating passed another chatty crowd. But I get in just in time for “I Am John,” a beautiful, bouncy ballad with a late chorus sung in Andy Gibb-high falsetto--my favorite SXSW moment so far.

I got into Stubbs in time for the end of “it” girl Lily Allen’s performance. I missed the vitriol she directed at the show’s sponsor NME, but enjoyed the one song I heard. I stayed for Razorlight mostly to give the 20 minutes waiting to get in some sort of purpose, but a song and a half was enough for me.

From there I hoofed it to Antone’s to catch The Broken West, a recent Paste 4 to Watch artist and current office obsession. They brought the wood and stuck around for the Merge show’s “surprise guest from Austin.” Hmmm. Who could that be? Spoon played a solid set, but not the most inspired I’ve seen them until they played “Camera.” It would have been a great way to end the night, but we stayed out eating breakfast until 3am, then arrived late for Nelly McKay’s Blender party performance. But they had Guitar Hero II on the big screen so all was not lost.