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You might be surprised to learn that Austin, Texas is a great place to catch a broad cross-section of Japanese music - at least during the 18th annual South by Southwest (SXSW) music-industry conference, which takes place March 16-20 in the Lone Star state's capital city.
No fewer than 21 Japanese acts are playing at this year's edition of SXSW, including six all-female ensembles: Bleach, Gito Gito Hustler, Noodles, Petty Booka, Shonen Knife and Titan Go-Kings, not to mention solo female performers Bonnie Pink and Oharamaya.
SXSW has grown to where it's now probably the world's biggest music-biz conference, with over 1,300 bands and 8,000 attendees beating a path to Austin from all over the planet. What gives SXSW its special flavor is Austin, which proudly describes itself as “the live music capital of the world.” It’s a lively yet laid-back college town, where cowboys rub shoulders with computer geeks.
When not checking out bands at the live-music venues that line Austin's Sixth Street, schmoozing at label- or media-sponsored parties or listening to speakers such as Robert Plant and Elvis Costello, SXSW-goers have ample opportunity to partake of an authentic Texan experience by ingesting local barbecue, Mexican food and Lone Star beer.
Plenty of beer and music are consumed during SXSW, because each evening of the conference sees nundreds of acts performing at around 50 local venues. Most of the bands that do gigs during SXSW are indie acts hoping to score major-label deals; there are also acts that have recently signed with major labels who want to retain their hip cachet by playing Austin during the conference, as well as major artists from other countries such as Japan trying to boost their Stateside profile.
In terms of their popularity in Japan, the biggest J-pop names attending this year's SXSW are Bonnie Pink and the Pillows. Bonnie Pink, a singer/songwriter along the lines of Aimee Mann or Suzanne Vega, has worked with famed Swedish producer Tore Johansson, Mitchell Froom, Stereolab and the High Llamas. Selling regularly in the hundreds of thousands in Japan, Ms. Pink has recently been raising her international profile with performances at the MIDEM music-biz convention in Cannes, France, and in Toronto during Canadian Music Week.
The Pillows are a veteran guitar-oriented rock band who have recently attracted the attention of overseas music fans due to the use of their song “Ride A Shooting Star” as the closing theme of the animated film FLCL.
In terms of international exposure, the best-known Japanese artists attending this year's SXSW are Shonen Knife, Guitar Wolf, Petty Booka and Bleach. While Shonen Knife are currently in the midst of their ninth U.S. tour, this will be their first-ever appearance at SXSW. Guitar Wolf, Petty Booka and Bleach have all performed several times at SXSW, as well as touring extensively in the States.
Many of the Japanese bands playing at this year's SXSW have released their music in the U.S. They include pop punk veterans Shonen Knife (recent re-issues on Oglio, other titles on Virgin); greased-up and leathered Guitar Wolf (Matador and Narnack); psychedelic blues rock and beyonders DMBQ (on Estrus); crazed punk trio Electric Eel Shock (on Gearhead); rockabilly oriented roots rockers and NRBQ pals the Hot Shots (on Sundazed); post-rock spacemen Mono (on Ryko and Temporary Residence); female ukulele duo Petty Booka (on Weed), and female power trio Bleach, who will play a release party for their album on Austin-based label Australian Cattle God on March 15 at Room 710 (Please note that Bleach is listed in the SXSW program as “Bleach03” due to legal complications concerning the band’s name.).
The 2005 edition of SXSW features two Japan Nites: March 18 at Caribbean Nights and March 19 at Elysium. A handful of artists will also be playing at Cheapo Discs record store (914 Lamar at 10th). Japan will have a welcoming party on March 17, 17:00 to 20:00 at Brush Square Park Tent, directly in front of the convention center.
In conjunction with SXSW shows is the “Japan Girls Nite US Tour 2005”, anchored by Titan Go-Kings, TsuShiMaMiRe, and Puppypet, and featuring a variety of Japanese bands from SXSW, as well as local bands with Japanese members. Please check local listings for details and confirmations.
March 16 (Wed)
16:45 Mono at Emo's
20:00 Oharamaya at Café Mundi
22:00 Fantasy’s Core at Room 710
25:00 Mono at Eternal
March 17 (Thu)
14:00 Titan Go-Kings at Cheapo Discs
14:30 Hot Shots at Cheapo Discs
17:00-20:00 Japanese welcome party at Brush Square across from convention center w/ Noodles, Titan Go-Kings, Pillows, Petty Booka, Bonnie Pink
March 18 (Fri)
15:00 Petty Booka at Cheapos Discs
19:30 Bleach at Headhunters
20:00 Titan Go-Kings at Caribbean Nights (Japan Nite #1)
21:00 i-dep at Caribbean Nights
22:00 the Emeralds at Caribbean Nights
23:00 Noodles at Caribbean Nights
24:00 Pillows at Caribbean Nights
24:00 Bleach (AKA Bleach 03) at Whiskyar
25:00 Shonen Knife at Elysium
25:15 Guitar Wolf at Beerland
March 19 (Sat)
18:30 Bleach at Gallery Lombardi
19:00 Oharamaya at Threadgill’s World Headquarters
20:00 Oharamaya at Flipnotics
20:00 Hot Shots at Elysium (Japan Nite #2)
21:00 My Love My Way at Exodus
21:00 Suns Owl at Elysium
21:00 Gito Gito Hustler at Beerland
22:00 Zanzo at Elysium
23:00 Petty Booka at Elysium
24:00 Bonnie Pink at Elysium
24:00 Clara Bell at the Hideout
24:00 Electric Eel Shock at Beerland
Japan Girls Nite US Tour 2005
March 20 Chicago - Bottom Lounge
March 21 New York – Sin-e
March 22 Boston - Abbey Lounge
March 23 Canton, NY - The Underground at St. Lawrence University
March 25 LA - King King
March 26 Berkeley - Starry Plough
March 27 San Francisco - Studio 2
March 28 Seattle -Sunset Tavern
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