Austinist on the Road: SPI Music Fest Recap

We walked into Schlliterbahn on day two just in time to catch Chicago's The Last Vegas deliver a set of raucous rock 'n' roll but the main attraction on Saturday was always going to be the one two-punch of classic-rock icons Blue Öyster Cult and Foghat. B.O.C. garnered the biggest crowd of the day, mesmerizing with stellar renditions of hits like "Burnin' For You" and "Cities On Flame With Rock 'N' Roll," and of course, much requested numbers like "Godzilla" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." They paid tribute to their equally legendary bassist Rudy Sarzo (who joined the B.O.C. last year) with a medley containing classics from his stints with Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, and Ozzy Osbourne. At this bizarre makeshift stage constructed on a wave pool, B.O.C. waded through catchy hooks, ample riffs, opportune harmonies, and of course, an overarching sense of nostalgia in an epic hour and a half. Unfortunately Foghat was a bit of a letdown. Perhaps the comedown from the B.O.C. high and the thinning crowd played its part but we did not last the lacklustre set, leaving after "Stone Blue" and "Drivin' Wheel" to take in Fastball's pop nuggets at Club Pelican West. The melodies churned out by the powerpop act from Austin were overshadowed by the rollercoaster of emotions that was the (painful) UT vs Texas Tech football game; fans were glued to the screen in the bar for a large part of the performance even as the band tore through 90's hits like "Fire Escape" and newer material such as "Mono To Stereo." We ended night two as we did the first one -- at the inevitable dance party at Bay Stage at Louie's Backyard. The evening's entertainment came in the form of a couple of extremely well received and lively sets from Austin bands Vallejo and Boombox.

There were only a handful of acts scheduled for the last day and the marquee act of the festival, Willie Nelson, closed it all out at Schlitterbahn on Sunday. A huge crowd, complete with reserved seating and lawn chairs had assembled to take in the legend's offerings and he didn't disappoint. Willie started off with perennial anthems like "Whiskey River" and "Still Is Still Moving To Me" and continued through with "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "Good Hearted Woman," "Georgia On My Mind," and "Mama, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," satistying all in attendance. It was a perfect ending to three days of amazing weather, unending music, and countless Landshark Lagers. South Padre Island may never be the "Live Music Capital of the World" that is Austin but GamePlan Marketing & Events, the organizers of the SPI Music Fest proved that it could successfully host a diverse array of musical acts. Eight venues were possibly too many and maybe condensing the shows into fewer clubs could be a goal for the future; we were left hoping for a stage (or two) right on the beach to truly maximize the island's assets. And we can only imagine what further shenanigans could have been wrought if Schlitterbahn had opened up their wonderful slides and rides to take advantage of the 80 degree weather all weekend.