Where I Hope to Be

During SXSW, where you plan to be and where you end up are two very different things. If all goes according to plan I’ll see Mark Olson and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks at the New West Party this afternoon, then go to Peckerheads on 6th Street (and won’t I feel proud walking in that bar!) to see Athens, Georgia’s 16-piece psychedelic heavy rock extravaganza Dark Meat at 4. At 5, Rotary Downs play the Historic Victory Bar, then time for dinner. At 8, Antone’s has a tribute to Doug Sahm with Dave Alvin and a host of others. At 9, I hope to dip into the buzz band pool and check out the Vivian Girls at Aces Lounge, then at 10 I’ll see part of Hurray for the Riff Raff at Central Presbyterian Church. I hope I can get out of there set and into a cab to make it to the end of BeauSoleil’s set at the Continental Club, where I’ll stay for the Iguanas and Dave Alvin’s tribute to the late Chris Gaffney. Yep Roc’s tribute album to Gaffney, The Man of Somebody’s Dreams, documents a writer with an ear for soul and western music and a sensitivity for the strugglers without being faux-poor or mawkish. That will probably be enough for the day. If I want to see a 1 a.m. show, I’ll figure that out on the fly. Back-up plans – Micachu, K’naan (good luck, there), Xienena Sarinana (gotta see foreign music while here and the album’s beautiful), Raul Malo and Austin buzz band the Wavves (again, good luck).