Radio Free Silver Lake

On the road to SXSW with Light FM--Part 3: Video Diaries

When the sweet and multi-talented Josiah Mazzaschi of Light FM agreed to cover South by Southwest for Radio Free Silver Lake we were thrilled. When he suggested recording some video dispatches from Austin we said, "Yes, definitely." Fresh back from the festival Josiah and his bandmates sent a couple of film shorts that give you a front seat view of a Los Angeles band playing SXSW.

By Josiah Mazzaschi and Light FM

Video Diary Part 1

 

Video Diary Part 2

 

 

 

On the Road to SXSW with Light FM--Part 2

By Light FM and Sonia Zopuyan

Light FM here reporting from hot and sticky SXSW. It's Friday March 18th and we have a day off! A few of us who just barely survived the previous night hopped into the Hyundai Santa Fe and hit the Austin streets. 

Our first stop was the Filter day party. We arrived just in time for a packed house as NY's Phantogram took the stage. They were energetic and captivating as usual. Great show! But way too hot for us, so we headed to the convention center "artists lounge" and stocked up on free swag, popcorn, and of course beer. I think one of us even got a free massage! Thanks SXSW!

We were on our way again refueling on more free beer and pizza. I don't know if it was the beer talking or not, but we found ourselves at Hoboken Pies literally every single day and agreed it was pretty damn good. We never made it into any of the infamous BBQ joints because the lines were miles long. So we stuck to food trucks. And boy are we feeling it! Ouch.

On the road to SXSW with Josiah Mazzaschi of Light FM--Part 1

Reporting from the road, South By Southwest veterans and official showcase band Light FM are sending dispatches from their charming and talented frontman Josiah Mazzaschi. Here is Part One.

By Josiah Mazzaschi

OK. So this is the second time my band Light FM has played SXSW. We played the fest in 2009 after our sophomore release, Black Magic Marker for which RFSL hosted the record release at Boardners in October 2009. We had one official showcase but it was a long drive just for one show, opening for the Happy Hollows. We were met with many disappointments and empty bank accounts.

I wasn't about to let that happen again. I took plenty of time in advance to make sure this trip was going to be beneficial for our band. I was able to book three shows, two on Thursday and an official showcase on Saturday. It wasn't a lot but it was better than playing just one show! It's a 24-hour drive from LA.

On the way out to Texas we played a show at the Rogue Bar in Phoenix and then drove overnight to arrive in Austin Wednesday evening. It was a long drive and we were all super tired.

After a good night's rest we ventured into the city swamped with hipsters, industry folks, and music enthusiasts to claim our wristbands and tons of free schwag: condoms, gum, magazines, and CD's, at the Austin Convention Center.

On the road to SXSW with John Graney of the Californian--Part 2

By John Graney

Friends, if I showed you all of the pictures of the Californian from yesterday and last night you would have us institutionalized, or call the cops, or lift us high above your shoulders and parade us through town as heroes.  But we don't have time for any of those things right now. Right now I have to tell you what happens when you attempt to drive a car in Austin, Texas during SXSW.  A crippling rage and a mind melting confusion that borders on lunacy.  That's what happens.  And that is precisely what happened to us for the first many hours of the day.

When our heads stopped spinning we rose from an underground parking lot to hear the foot thumping ass shaking sounds of Fitz & The Tantrums.  We followed said sounds, joined the crowd, thumped our feet, and shook our respective asses.  That band has such a big huge awesome sound it's incredible.  We only caught a few songs in the parking lot of Waterloo Records, but what we heard was rad.

On the road to SXSW with John Graney of the Californian--Part 1

 It is March once again and time for the South by Southwest music conference in Austin (and college hoops). RFSL has dispatched some of our favorite LA bands to cover the madness that is SXSW. First up John Graney of the Californian brings us his report from the road.

By John Graney
Friends, I write you from the belly of a white Ford Explorer named Honey barreling down I-10 towards the same destination as countless other bands.  My name is John Graney, lead singer for the Californian.  My cohorts and I are obviously on our way Austin, Texas to experience the five days of noise, beer, plaid shirts, pizza, fuzz pedals, sweat, long lines, beer, late nights, favorite bands, shitty bands, half naked people, completely naked people, beer, tacos, indie anthems, breakbeats, folk ditties, geniuses, morons, and human beings that is South By Southwest.

The sea of indie bands passing us on the road today remind us silently that the roomier Ford Econoline Van is really the standard in band transportation.  We like to do things  differently here at the Californian.  That is to say that Honey is taking very good care of us.

The drive out to SXSW is always a surreal one.  What once was a stretch of barren highway speckled with the occasional road stop now more resembles a mobile Williamsburg.  Gas stations become one massive staring contest between truckers and dudes in tight jeans.

SXSW Tour Diaries: Claire Mckeown Part 2, In Crept the Nightmare

By Claire Mckeown
of Shadow Shadow Shade
Photos by Sam Johnson

Smurf by Smurf West: Part 2 In Crept the Nightmare

The faerie tale dream reality continued into the next day. We had impressed a man who worked for MTV who invited us to come and shoot an acoustic song in an abandoned power plant. We all crowded around a Rhodes with acoustic guitar and two snare drums and sang our hearts out as they filmed us. It was so much fun and was kind of rad to do a stripped down version of our sound.

Later that day we set off for our official showcase presented by ASCAP at the Dirty Dog. In crept the nightmare. We found ourselves being treated incredibly rudely by the staff at the Dirty Dog from the start. In fact one of the crew guys was overheard saying that 'he hated us' and then followed that with "you're already cutting into your set time," as we were still just setting up. I used to work in venues and have been known to be a ball buster, but I have always treated people the way they treat me. Besides me, my band members are the kindest people in bands that you will ever meet. Just all around sweethearts that did not deserve this shitty reception.

SXSW Tour Diary: Geoff in Austin Wednesday to Friday

By Geoff Geis
of Big Whup and Pizza!
(Photos from the Big Whup archive)

One week into the trip to Austin - and two days from the end of a vacation that I'd been anticipating for months - I finally feel the pangs of homesickness. My body hurts. My mind kind of hurts as well. My friend Des posted on Facebook that Austin was kicking her ass, and she is not alone. It's eleven in the morning, and I'm typing this from a dark room that's got a couple of my zonked-out friends in it. Morgan is snoring like someone who has a very bad cold, and I feel bad for her.

But I, personally, have no reason to complain- even if I barely have a voice left with which to speak or sing. We're tired because we've been active. Everything since getting to Austin is pretty hazy in my recollections, honestly- it's been such a whirlwind of new faces, text messages, stinky stinky socks, and free beer. Trying to recall everything before the battery power on my laptop dies is a chore. I'd call it a success though. Here is what I did: