Blurt at SXSW Day One

Couldn't ask to start SXSW 2009, Day One: While in the Hyatt Regency lobby awaiting my turn to talk to Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, I met the dean of swamp rockers--Mr. Tony Joe White. It just so happened that the chair I chose was around the corner from a couch where a besunglassed TJW was giving an interview. Afterward, I snagged a quick autograph. Hot damn.

Here's what was supposed to a be real-time, live bloggery--not that it would've been all that interesting. "Still waiting for BBT," I typed into my Blackberry, "but the TJW encounter is a nice way to pass the time. Holy shit." I then figured I chould check in with the publicist to see what was the hold up. While typing a text message, she called. We spent about five minutes on the phone directing each other around the lobby bar so we could go up to the interview suite... And guess what? Your humble dumbass was at the wrong hotel. I was advised of the change, but because the Holy Crackberry said Hyatt, I of course obeyed. Luckily, I wasn't far. Grabbed a cab, made it to the Four Seasons in five minutes. 

Walked into the suite, which was posh, and Boxmasters Mike and J.D. were scattered around the room. A very nice lady with the band offered me several drinks, failing to take no thanks for an answer, so I finally relented when she said she made a great Bloody Mary. She did. Billy Bob plopped down just as the drink arrived, and the strangest thing was it didn't feel too much like an interview. Might've been Billy Bob Thornton--a fuckin' giant--next to me, but it felt like four guys just hanging out. And though I'd never had a Bloody Mary before, I took to it like a lush. Very tasty, Mystery Lady.

I should say Billy Bob, despite appearing to be no more than a regular dude, still got off plenty of zingers. One of them being, after J.D. took us on a somewhat long (but worthwhile) walk of an answer, was the interjection, "We have long answers and short answers. The short answer is we like *****." Uncensored answer will appear in Blurt sooner than later. Mike and JD play excellent straight men, by the way. And they laid an autographed copy of the new album Modbilly on me. Nice.

It wasn't easy to top that encounter, but a dinner and several more drinks at Jaime's Spanish Village worked well. Even better was Jessica Lea Mayfield's set at The Parish. If you thought the album was good, wait'll you see her live. How can she be 18 (or is she 19 now?) years old? Her youth just doesn't show on stage. She's like a more charming Neko Case. And offstage, when I approached her to say hello, she was almost bashful. An autograph request seemed to make her blush. And though she couldn't oblige 'til she went backstage to lay down her guitar, she pledged to return--and did, telling the fan, "See? I remembered."

Afterward, I spotted Dan Auerbach, Mayfield's producer and "the dude from The Black Keys," hanging out and we both gushed about Mayfield's performance before Holly Golightly came on. I stayed for about four songs, wanted to stay for more, but had to get movin', make sure I got to Smokin' Music before the potential crush of Boxmasters fans arrived. En route, I detoured to the Emo's Annex for the last half of Valient Thorr's sweaty, feral--LOUD--set. Watching frontguy Valient Himself was like watching a tent revivalist preacher (and we were in a tent) after his first taste of crank. He looked like he was channeling ((((GOD)))) and Satan (probably his representative demon Pazuzu, from The Exorcist) and it was just... in a word... awesome.

Before I head out for Day Two, here's another moment of live bloggery that didn't happen: "Can't wait 'til the show tonight. It's at 1 am. Very worth the wait." I was talking about The Boxmasters. I did make it to Smokin' Music, but thanks to the Xanax I took because air travel makes me weep inwardly, and the Bloody Mary, and all the beer, I kept falling asleep while I tried to wait out the 60-70 minutes before the Boxmasters went on. Not wanting to risk a public intox, I opted to leave. But man, I scored a really good chicken taco on the way home.