Texas Diversity and Sunny Dispersions: The 2009 South By Southwest Film, Music and Interactive Festival

South By Southwest is an experiment in social networking without the computers in your face. In an age when isolation is more a lifestyle than a point of view for most people, a festival like this which is crossing certain boundaries and mixing the pot works well in structural persistence. But is separated in pairs.Film The distinction of this balance begins with the film based process which is both balance and party filled which is detailed later. Some time was spent helping to make sure a new killer documentary was seen, praised and lauded as much as possible. On the critic angle, a couple other films popped to the front showing a diversity and structure of character that left a good impression. First was "American Violet" starring Alfre Woodard and Will Patton, which follows a single mother who becomes the target of a racial profiling when she is accused of distributing narcotics. Nicole Beharie plays the victimized mother who is recruited by the ACLU to bring a lawsuit against the District Attorney responsible. This man commits the actions to further his career but also seeps with a background of racism. The movie was much slicker than anticipated which added to its effectiveness. In addition, the diverse pedigree of actors played the material (which has the ability to slip into melodrama) where it becomes fairly balanced and engaging.

The second picture was a special screening that actually wasn't originally supposed to happen. Richard Linklater, a well-known filmmaker resident of Austin along with Robert Rodriguez, showed "Me & Orson Welles" which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year and is scheduled to come out this coming October. The film stars Zac Efron and Claire Danes as two people involved in Orson Welles' theater production of "Julius Caesar" at The Mercury Theater in New York. However it is Christian McKay, a relative unknown from London, who shines unbelievably as Welles. The man, his humor and his manicness is combined into a wonderfully stunning performance. This movie is also much more accessible than some of Linklater's other recent work. "A Scanner Darkly" was good but still experimental as was "Tape". "Welles", on the other hand, is very straightforward and period. Shot by Dick Pope, who was the cinematographer on "The Matrix", the feeling even in the theater scenes are very lush and the eventual realization of the stage play is quite vivid. Danes exudes a sensitivity, coolness and practicality that brings back visions of her innocence in "Romeo & Juliet" but on a slightly more mature slant. This is enhanced by her co-star Zac Efron. Now just in simple viewing, some people avoid Efron because of his lighter kid oriented fare, which is understandable. Here, however, he uses that perception to good effect because he plays a kid that is green who learns life lessons from Welles. The balance works quite well and Efron is perfectly suited for the part. One specific moment while he is singing on stage while McKay as Welles is speaking, the camera floats away over the audience. It is extremely well done moment. The movie is a throwback to those behind-the-scenes backstage musical dramas that Buzby Berkley made back in the 30s. This one though is done with no music. "Me & Orson Welles" is another experiment for Linklater no question but is a much more accessible one with ROI value of definite size.The last film seen as a last minute pick was the doc "We Live In Public" which was made by Ondi Timoner who also made "Dig". This new film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. It follows Josh Harris, the enigmatic CEO and brains behind Psuedo.com, who was one of the original "Dot Com Kids". The movie shows his rise and fall through much of his own footage and shows how it mirrors the way the interactive and online space has grown and evolved. The specific subject of Harris is so interesting because there are comparisons (although in a geek parallel) to Andy Warhol in terms of evolcing art as a commodity in the digital space. The parties that Harris threw in the late 90s in New York were legendary but its underlying angle was to find new talent for his experiments. One Ondi specifically shows is "Quiet", a commune cut off from the rest of the world hidden beneath Manhattan in 1999. It was a utopia built as a brainchild of Harris but was also subject to certain psychological experiments. It is something that has to be seen. The footage is quite intense. The final progression was Harris broadcasting his life live with his girlfriend and the dissolution of that love affair because of the isolation it created. The movie shows the disconnect and it is growing. "We Live In Public" is the story of the rise and fall of a visionary who was able to see ahead of the curve before it damaged him. It is a very pertinent story for today and a cautionary one to be sure.

Music The festival was brief in its perception because of a time constraint. BMI held their "Howdy Texas" Showcase at Stubbs Indoor which generated a split of rockabilly and restrained rock. The performance that defined the showcase, which also brought brisket and green beans into focus, was the Elliott Brood Band whose opening song rocked the house. It was a symphony of amplified acoustic rage with an electric overtone that sounded like a raging fire using only two acoustics and a drum. Based out of Vancouver, the uniqueness of the band lies in their ability to change up. The last inquest of their performance entitled "This Valley Town" used what looked like two ukuleles that provided a pounding rhythm that muscled the pace with undeniable energy. In setting up, the initial thoght of them was is being too perfectionist for such a short set but the evolving proved exceptional. Those Darlins, who opened the showcase for BMI, had some ability but their oufits almost took away from their playing. You kept getting this feeling of them as an element out of a Tarantino Film with their mix. Despite this, there was something essentially rock and retro about them that warrants a second look but they need to take on a slightly harder edge. The middle crescent was a little more old school and hillbilly but a distinct instrumental edge. Out Of Tennessee, Chuck Mead & The Grassy Knoll Boys played with the inherent musical combination of Chris Isaak and Billy Bob Thornton's Boxmasters but without the angled singing or emotional edge. The necessity of a more transitional possibility will perhaps give them a bit more potential.

For the day after, two showcases pushed the acoustic perception of what music needs to be. But the transformation, unlike the night before with the Elliott Brood, leaned a little bit more towards folk. At the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Party at The British Music Embassy held within Latitude 30 off 6th Street, three acts were heard. The most exceptional of the acts was the one that was most a collection. Ten Out Of Tenn played three songs that were just as distinctive as the next but the combination musically worked because of the inclusion of the other artists. Supposedly in comparison to something like TV On The Radio, the key here was specifically and solely the combination of both cool and edgy men and women's voices mixing to create a new perception of sounds and not just the individual artists which is how it looks like it is playing. The most distilled and raw of the Tenn pieces was called "Downtown" using tinges of Dan Auerbach but thought in ghostly female highlights in the background. The other two within the Tenn set highlighted female voices but it was with the last one led by Missy which took it to new heights. The initial sound in the intro came off as too folky but it evolved into something much richer and dynamic in its progression. The other act on the showcase that was being highlighted out of Nashville was Bap Kennedy who had played with Van Morrison. While exceptionally talented, the songs themselves and the requisite rhythms did not jump off the stage especially with its use of space outfits astronaut subject matter which seemed like an odd perception while playing acoustic unless the actual studio tracks were a little more trippy. The sole act in the showcase that was heard from Belfast was The Lost Brothers who definitely created a brand of folk that had some edge to it but never quite transcended the image of their insistence. But within that category they were more than adequate.

The final stop of the day before heading to the airport was Momo's for the Lubbock New Texas West Music Showcase. With light pouring in through the bright open windows bouncing off the bar, the first act witnessed was in the form of Andy Eppler who was affectionately regional but very steadfast and exceptional. One of his songs about a girlfriend and a gun was infinitely biting and cool. Flowing through time as the next act, The Cary Swinney Trio took the stage with a bit of blues guitar feel and a balance of fiddle. While the progression of one other song was decent if not broad, the ditty "Jesus Christ I'm Stoned" got the locals dancing with a white draped young woman twisting in a rhythm with an older man to the applause of the crowd.

Parties The parties revolved through with a mix of what creates Austin: the interactive progression of it all. Maggie Mae's began the journey after arriving with the party for "Saint Misbehavin: The Wavy Gravy Movie" with the man of the hour sashaying through with infinite wisdom and a leash of sorts. But structure needed to be maintained as the badge had not been initiated at this time on the first night. Qua provided an interim hangout on West 4th Street with a wonderful mix of beauty and dancing as a bachelorette gaggle grinded over the lit shark-filled water-vaulted dance floor. The infinite possibility of the first night was at the IFC Festival Party at the Karma Lounge which started right before the witching hour. Networking wisked the time away before the platform and music upped the ante with yours truly starting the dance progression as a short film was made. The great thing about any party is when the whole place gets into it...where the dance floor is packed because people want to do it and not because they have to. Of course once in a while you are going to get flipped over the couch. That happens simply because your Budweiser is empty. Late night seemed to be the thing as Katz's Deli on 6th for the love of New Yorkers permeated with stories of Peter Greenaway and Apple late into the night.

As the second day ended, a Lone Star at Maggie Mae's for the ASCAP Reception gave way to the beauty of the My Suicide Party at Stubbs Indoor, again one of the great venues of the festival. Standing at the bar having risotto cakes and fried catfish while the rum and coke swirled, the band Blue October took to the stage after introduced by the star of the film whose dad clinked the requisite Lone Star for good luck. The kid's suit was tripped out to the whistling of some of the girls. Blue October's music is reminscent of a Blink 182 combined with Prodigy while retaining an edgy vocal sound. Film Florida's Fish Fry continued at The Wave where the deep bar and outside patio allowed for good discussions especially about the Best Worst Movie (which will be seen at many other festivals). The late night belonged to The Tap Room to celebrate the premiere party for Four Boxes where blinking SAG pins and the smoothness of a coffee porter many times over made the skin sing until the lights came up.

The third day of party progression brought an Interactive Party co-sponsored by Film Fusion announcing the launch of Whrrl at the Red Eyed Fly. The party was hopping highlighted by a great bar staff, Guinness shots, talk of Australia and a tang of gourmet pizza and conch fritters. The music of Parachute, reminiscent of a lighter but more integrated Maroon 5, pulled people into the back with their cover of "Movin' Out" by Billy Joel as wi-fi enabled cameras broadcast live pictures and photographs in the enhancement of the socially networked consciousness. The Annual Austin Chronicle Film Bash gave a high-buster mentality with a brisk walk to La Zona Rosa as the dark wrangling of a Talking Heads-type band in the cavernous bowels of whisked warehouse type space echoed with the murmur of the crowd. The evening ended with the Shiner Bock essence of the "Observe & Report" premiere party at Emo's. This was easily the biggest party of the Film Fest but worked well because most of the other events that were exceptionally good were the small intimate gatherings. Every fest needs to have a blow out with that right sense of coolness and debauchery...and this was it. The outside mingling mixed with tequila ensured the night's progression as late nights encouraged disappearance.

The closing day of film in terms of parties showed the brisk transition to music (detailed above). The Registrant's Lounge offered a Miller break early on. The Film Awards surprised with its diverse selection of honorees before the Closing Night Festivities at Maggie Mae's covered one in the green of St. Patrick's Day. Inside, the mixing of cowgirl movement in high boots and the odd primal nature of hip hop break boys getting manic on the dance floor was like watching a Discovery Channel documentary on the evolution of the human condition. But such is the way.

South By Southwest with its inherent mix of different perceptions of media from music to film to interactive showed a diversity of voices and libations mixed within the vibrant essence of Austin Texas.