Sean Berry

DAY ONE of SXSW

THE WEALTHY WEST - the wealthy west is an acoustic side project from the lead singer of the band The Rocketboys, one of my favorite bands! When I saw he was playing the first day of SXSW that I would be there I knew I had to make it out and it was definitely worth it, Brandon put on a hell of a show and the album is definitely worth buying! If either The Rocketboys, or The Wealthy West come to your town, you should definitely be front row!

THE CIVIL WARS - before SXSW I had actually never heard of The Civil Wars, but as I saw the crowd growing for their act I figured I should probably give them a listen, and I am glad I did! The only way I can explain to you their voices is as if two angels had paired up and created a band, and that bands name is The Civil Wars. When I got home that night I immediately bought their album on iTunes, yes, BOUGHT. Check this duo out as soon as you can, THEY WILL BE BIG!

THE APACHE RELAY - Yet again, CHECK THIS BAND OUT. Im not sure if they will get big or not but they are definitely worth the time to listen to. They were a very energetic band and were a joy to see. They werent like all those bands that stand in one place like statues and play you their latest songs. Even the biggest man on stage was ROCKING out and im sorry but I love that crap!

KOPECKY FAMILY BAND - the energy from this band was fantastic, their sound kind of reminded me of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, so if you like them you will like these guys! They arent quite as much the hippies that Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes but you wont be disappointed when you listen to these guys!

EZRA FURMAN AND THE HARPOONS

EISLEY

DAY TWO of SXSW

VIVA CITY - viva city was a very energetic rock band from england who I wouldnt mind seeing again sometime, they had a very catchy sound with a new twist. check these guys out!

THE SUBMARINES - ah, the submarines. You cant help but love them. Before the set I had the opportunity to talk to the lead singer, Blake Hazard. She was having trouble with her guitar and I talked to her for a bit. They were very down to earth and put on a good show.

JOHN VANDERLICE




FOSTER THE PEOPLE - this was the first time I had ever heard of them, and they put on an AMAZING SHOW! It was definitely a great way to start off the set with Portugal the man, Noah the Whale, and TV on the Radio. I would definitely see these guys play again!



NOAH THE WHALE - I was slightly disappointed by their set, they sounded great but the lack of energy and stage presence made me wish their set would end sooner than later so that Portugal the man could come on. They just didnt leave a good taste in my mouth.




PORTUGAL. THE MAN! - hands down, the best band I saw at SXSW. This was my 3rd time to see these guys and I hope it wont be the last!





DAY THREE of SXSW
sean = real sick & spent most of the day in bed at the hotel.

DAY FOUR of SXSW

THE ORBANS - Im a fan! Like their sound, and would definitely see them play again, preferably somewhere in door with some great lighting! Also, the addition of FREE Shiner to this showcase put me in an extra great mood.

THE QUIET COMPANY

SCARS ON 45 - as my gal and I were walking across Austin we heard this band play and had to go check them out, they had a very catchy sound and had a pretty good stage presence. Id like to hear what these guys sound like recorded.

DATA ROCK - entertaining to the eyes but not the ears. They had great stage presence and you couldnt help but smile as they played but the music just wasnt my style...

DENISON WITMER - denison witmer was actually the first performance I ever shot live, so it was cool seeing him again. Although he was very ill he still put on a fantastic set and hope to see him play again soon when he isnt sick.

THINGS I LEARNED at SXSW:

1. ear plugs, yes please!
2. water, water, water.. drink lots of it!
3. OVER PLAN! Check out as many bands as possible before the showcase begins and have a HUGE list of bands you want to see just incase you dont get into some of the show
4. Wrist Band.. why? You have to wait in the same line as mostly everyone for MOST of the show.. some I would recommend it for.. but unless you have a lot of money or someone else is paying for it.. dont waste your dough! most shows are free anyways.
5. Parking in Austin.. yeah right! GET THERE EARLY!
6. Bring some people with you to the shows you are shooting... chances are some of the acts will suck and you are going to want someone to talk to or drink with.
7. Dont get sick.. it kind of puts a damper on things
8. Take LOTS and LOTS of pictures.. shoot SHOOT SHOOOOOT!!!
...thats it for now! ENJOY :)