I Wanna SXSW You Up
As South by Southwest nears, confirmations are finally coming in as far as the lineup for the Austin Music Awards 2000-01, to be held March 14 at the Austin Music Hall. On tap so far are emcee Paul Ray, bands Vallejo and the Gourds, and an all-star revue of Austinites who had classic bands in the Eighties. Tentatively called "86ed," the undertaking so far encompasses Mike Hall and Randy Franklin of the Wild Seeds, Kim Longacre from the Reivers, True Believers Jon Dee Graham and Alejandro Escovedo, Glass Eye's Kathy McCarty, and Steve Collier from Doctors Mob, with possibly more to be announced. Awards Show organizer Margaret Moser promises that "86ed" will not be limited to one epic rendition of "Gloria," but refuses to rule out the affair culminating in a "Sweet Jane" all-nighter. More names to come for the Awards, and tickets will be on sale sometime before the end of February. As far as new names in SXSW proper this week, Bilal, White Stripes, and Pete Yorn have something in common besides showcases at the music festival this year: They and two or three other as-yet-confirmeds are among the current Rolling Stone's "Ten to Watch" 2001 feature. That's the issue with Jennifer Lopez on the cover, and while I believe she of the new J.Lo album and former Selena impersonator has not applied to SXSW, now might be a good time for someone to call in one of those major-label favors! Also in that issue of the magazine (besides Waterloo Records' John Kunz on selling 600 copies of the SRV box set over the holidays), note the featurette on Tenacious D's Jack Black and Saving Silverman, his forthcoming film about a "Neil Diamond cover band torn apart by girl trouble." Anyone remember how fascinated Black and D-mate Kyle Gass were by the Diamond Smugglers at last year's SXSW? I do.