crispin's blog

NXNE's John Kaster, in LA snapping pics.

Fun was had at the Caswell House mansion.. the annual NXNE BBQ at SXSW where we take over a big ol' house and pack in a few hundred of our closest friends, that happen to be in Austin, and put a bunch of bands on the stage while eating loads of food.

Holy Fuck finished up with a bang and I ducked into St. David's Church to get out of the heat, check my night's hit-list and rest the feets. Bob Wootton's Tennessee Three (Johnny Cash's old band) were about to take the stage but I was in the mood for something little less... church-like (although I later heard their set was amazing).

Thur afternoon.. at the SXSW day stage, nestled just off the main corridoor inside the sprawling Austin Convention Centre, there was a treat to be had: a 15 minute solo set by Billy Bragg. Armed with a tele and a sharp tongue, Bragg opened this intimate show with a promise not to play any old material, and he delivered. Although he could have played longer, I was at the right place at the

I got into an airport cab at 715am without my jacket. My thinking: I'm on my way to Austin... in Texas. The South... I won't need a jacket. Fast forward 5 hours of travel (including layover in Chicago and an at-capacity connecting flight to Austin stuffed full of sleepy, tattooed SXSW-goers). Sepping into the hazy late-afternoon Austin heat I was instantly glad I had left the P coat back in Toronto.

Have been listening to loads of awesome submissions coming in from around the world... Australia's got a massive showing this year as does the UK and a bunch coming in form Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, India, Japan etc.

here's a few: 

Boys in a Band - Norway