Day 5 - Part 1 Sat 17 SXSW

An amazing lineup of bands playing the Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie Showcase at Casa Chapala made it the only place to be on Saturday during SXSW as far as I was concerned.

Although the order in which everyone played changed around somewhat throughout the day, nearly all of the above listed bands took to the stage.

First up was the great band I caught just yesterday at the Pool Party - Lightfoils

Their sound just as dreamy as the day before

The perfect way kick off a great afternoon of music.

Catching up with the band after their performance, a photo snap for good measure.

 The next three bands would use the services of a dedicated soundman named Hanford (pictured here with Ana of Dead Leaf Echo - one of the bands who enlisted his soundboard skills).

Who, as it turns out, was the next band on stage.

 My fourth Dead Leaf Echo show in Austin this week

James was particularly good on this afternoon.

 Silhouette rockers

Next up were the Seattle dreampoppers VibraGun, whose sound had the right mixture of sweetness and crunch.

Following them was the heavy three-piece outfit  Nightmare Air

Alternating female and male lead vocals, their sound had a dramatic quality to it.

 Swaan Miller, James Smith and Dave Dupuis delivered a high energy show.

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Hanford capably at the sound controls

Getting power for electronic devices became something of a daily quest.  Fortunately I figured out bringing my own extension cord with me allowed easier access to available sources.

Next up was a rare appearance in Austin this week from The Vandelles

Regular readers of this blog know I've probably featured this band in recent times more than any other.

They played a solid set as the late afternoon sun created a glow from behind the tented stage.

Denmark's The Foreign Resort then took to the stage and kept the action going with their amped up set.

Finally it was time for a band I'd been waiting all week to see.  Unfortunately missing all of their previous appearances here at SXSW - there was one more shot to see Ringo Deathstarr and this was it.

Alex, Elliott and Daniel showed why they are one of the best, dreamgaze bands out there today.

Alex wrings a full deep sound out of her bass rig.

It's a big and powerful sound that Ringo Deathstarr delivers.

Alex and Daniel lay down a rhythm section that is as tight as they come.

Elliott throttles huge sonic textures out of his guitar.

The band has impeccable recorded works, and their live sound adds
an additional level of excitement to it all.

One of the top bands out there right now.

Showtime hangout and chat

And this was just the first part of Saturday.

More awesomeness to follow!