Today we awoke to an empty Austin. Things were quieter, 6th Street was no longer closed off to cars, and those few people on the street were more “normal” looking and not so much of the rock star variety. But there were a handful of SXSW stragglers left wandering the town, and Austin being Austin (the live music capital of the country, das right!), shows were still going on, just not as many.
The place to be seemed to be Stubb’s, where everyone was going on their last day to get their obligatory BBQ fix before heading home. While hanging out outside, we bumped into the Mad Decent crew, including Paul Devro and the guys from POPO, and New York Times music critic Jon Pareles (on his own, not with the Mad Decent guys, though that would have been awesome), who we’d spotted on numerous occasions throughout the week. While dining inside, the guys from Zoé popped in, overloaded with bags after a day of shopping at Urban Outfitters (!) and Waterloo, the “Amoeba Records” music store of Austin. We got more updates on the whole Dirty Dog debacle, and it seems like SXSW will be pressing charges against the venue for their many (dirty) deviances.
Fernando and Nico from Garotas Suecas outside Beerlands.
Just down the street from Stubb’s, Beerland attempted to keep the SXSW vibe alive with a Sunday hangover party, featuring sets by around ten bands, including brasileiros Garotas Suecas, among others. The place was pretty packed all afternoon as people strived to hold onto one more day of all-music-all-the-time goodness.
Leche performing at AD’s backyard.
We, however, had the pleasure of attending a truly local Austin tradition: a post SXSW bash at Arthur “Ad” Dungan’s backyard. This Sunday BBQ has become a tradition now, and in appropriate SXSW form, the BBQ featured live sets by local hero David Garza, Patricia Vonn (Robert Rodriguez’s sister!), and Ciudad Juarez-based band Leche, members of Los Angeles band Very Be Careful, among others. Those in attendance ranged from 3 months to 60+ year-olds, and the whole affair was testament to the southern hospitality we had already witnessed so much of this trip. The perfect end to a great week!
Richie from Very Be Careful!