Midnight Sun alum Sam Sessa saw Dan Deacon play SXSW last week:

In the past few years, a bunch of Baltimore musicians have signed record deals, toured internationally and earned gushing reviews from critics.

But none have been more successful than Dan Deacon, who, perhaps more than anyone else, helped put Baltimore's music scene on the map.

So when Deacon belatedly announced one -- and only one -- date at last week's South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, it immediately became a must-see. Several hundred eager hipsters and other Deacon fans crammed into an outdoor venue called Cheer Up Charlie's to try and catch a glimpse of the gleefully eccentric musician.

Only the folks in the front few rows actually got to see him. Deacon likes to set up and perform on the ground or floor, so that he's level with the audience. He likes to get down and dirty, so to speak. And that's just what happened Saturday night in Austin.

Continue reading "SXSW 2011: Dan Deacon at Cheer Up Charlie's" »

Posted by Sam Sessa at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Local music, Sessa's Weekend Watch
        

Whew! The past few days have been a whirlwind here in Austin, Texas. Hi, it's Sam Sessa again, bringing you another update from the South by Southwest music festival.

I've been here since Tuesday, seeing and interviewing bands, as well as talking to industry and government folks. My main reason for going (I was sent here by WTMD and The Sun) was to find out why Austin (the "Live Music Capital of the World") has such a great music scene, and what Baltimore could do to help make ours better.

Here's the end result, a piece which runs in Sunday's paper.

After filing the piece, I headed out to catch G. Love (pictured, top), who played at one of celebrity chef Rachael Ray's parties. I shook Rachael's hand (omg!) and talked with G. Love  for a little while after the show. He's got a new, bluesy album he recorded with the Avett Brothers.

Continue reading "SXSW 2011: G. Love, Rachael Ray, Tiny Victories, Baltimore House" »

Posted by Sam Sessa at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Local music, Sessa's Weekend Watch
        

Hello again, it's your old friend Sam Sessa with another dispatch from Austin, Texas.

Man, my legs are aching. I can't remember the last time I walked and stood and walked and stood so much.

Day two of my trip to the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin flew by. I checked in with Baltimore rockers J. Roddy Walston and the Business, who are playing a few showcases down here (check out the whole list of Baltimore bands at SXSW Erik put together).

Rod and the boys had head colds, and said some kind of bug has been going around -- a bunch of the bands are sick. But they still seemed pumped to be in Austin. Here's the interview; listen for "white people" references.

I also checked in with singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten, who is buddies with Baltimore's Wye Oak and Lower Dens. Here's that interview, too.

In late afternoon, I caught the Philly-by-way-of-Washington indie band Jukebox the Ghost (pictured at top), who played a mellower-than-normal set at Empire, an old auto shop. Austin is brimming with bands -- hundreds, if not thousands of them -- and much of downtown is turned over to pedestrians.

Continue reading "SXSW 2011: J. Roddy Walston, Jukebox the Ghost, Chico Mann" »

Posted by Sam Sessa at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local music, Sessa's Weekend Watch
        

Well, a big Texas hello, Midnight Sun gang!

I'm Sam Sessa. Some of you may remember me as the guy who used to write stuff for Midnight Sun. These days, I edit stuff and boss people around.

If you haven't guessed already, I'm in Austin, Texas, covering the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival for 89.7 WTMD and The Baltimore Sun. A gracious grant from WTMD members helped make the trip possible.

While not the country's biggest music festival, SXSW is perhaps the most important. About a thousand up-and-coming bands descend on Austin every March to try and make an impression on the roughly 10,000 journalists, music industry folks and fans who come to see them play.

I'm here to write a piece about why Austin is such a great city for live music (they call it the "Live Music Capital of the World"), and how Baltimore can be more like it.

Continue reading "SXSW 2011: Greetings from Austin, Texas" »

Posted by Sam Sessa at 4:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Local music, Sessa's Weekend Watch