Every year I come back from SXSW happy and exhausted. We tried something a bit different this year with Morning Becomes Eclectic and I hope you enjoyed it. If you missed the shows, they are a must listen, in my not-so-humble opinion. You can hear them both in the archives – Thursday / Friday.
Some personal highlights. This year Jason and I spent a bunch of time talking to the great people of Austin. The people who live there, work there, call it home and welcome us with open arms.
- Liz Lambert is the honorary mayor of Austin and the owner of the San Jose Hotel, the Saint Cecilia Hotel, and the delicious Jo’s Coffee Shop. Liz, along with Steve Wertheimer, owner of the legendary Continental Club, spent the morning with us showing us around South Congress and talking to us about their great city and how they worked together to revitalize a neighborhood with local businesses and music. Listen
- Terry Lickona has run Austin City Limits for 37 years. ACL is the longest running music show in the history of television and it’s on public television!! Terry shared with Jason and me the storied history of ACL and gave us a tour of their new concert hall and tv studio. Listen
- Ronald White – bullrider and Sixth Street reveler. Ronald is the one guy whose picture I did not get. He cut a strong figure in a black cowboy hat, rodeo garb, his bullriding contest number still on his back.
- The Best Wurst guy – a man who spends 5pm-5am dishing up some of Austin’s best grub off a cart on Sixth Street. His manner is full of showmanship and he spoke so lovingly of the handmade sausages he served. Listen
THE MUSICIANS:
- Blunt Honey – a band from Louisville we found playing on a street corner who just showed up at SXSW and managed in short order to hustle up three showcases.
- Michael Kiwanuka is a soulful singer with enthusiasm to spare. He dazzled at KCRW’s showcase at the Austin Convention Center with our largest crowd ever. Largest, that is, until The Alabama Shakes took the stage. The received a standing ovation after their first song and played to over 1,000 people in the same room that next day hosted The Boss.
- Just a week shy of her 22nd birthday, Kimbra spoke to Jason and I about her music, her meteoric rise to notoriety in the US and her forthcoming album. Mark my words. This woman is a star.
Finally, I can’t think of a better team to work with than the one we’ve assembled at KCRW. Our engineers, web team, publicity team, producers and DJ’s worked about as hard as any group I’ve seen. I really hope you enjoyed our coverage and that it made you feel like you were there!
— Anne Litt