SXSW Music Updates: Rock Operas, Hold Times, and Day Shows

Image via Echo and the Bunnymen MySpace page. Photographer uncredited.

Things are finally starting to come into focus for SX Music '09. A few of the more interesting items we've read in the past week:

The Arc Angels (3/20) and Explosions In The Sky (3/21) will headline two of the always popular free showcases at Auditorium Shores during the festival.
Paste cover boy and She and Him co-founder M. Ward will be back at SXSW this year to plug his new album Hold Time. No word yet on dates, but we'd guess he'll play the Merge showcase at the very least.
VICE Records has Emo's locked down for Saturday night's showcase, which will host King Khan & The Shrines, Black Lips, Japanese Motors, and The Sonics.
As mentioned last week, The Decemberists will headline the NPR showcase at Stubb's with a song-by-song preview of new album The Hazards Of Love complete with special guests. We're hoping that they also fill Waller Creek and arrive at the gig on an old wooden ship - that would be totally appropriate.
The popular SXSeattle and Bay Area Takeover events have been announced: Seattle hits the Palm Door on Saturday, while San Francisco rocks Beauty Bar on Thursday. Last year, they both had really good food and great atmosphere, so we'd encourage you to RSVP.
Traditionally not a presence at SXSW, Hawaii has decided to turn up in multiple venues this year to showcase their musical talent. Participating artists Pimpbot, John Cruz, One Right Turn, David Tamaoka, and Anuhea will gig at an official SXSW showcase along with themed events at Roy's Hawai'ian Fusion Restaurant on 2nd Street and at Whole Foods Market (for a luau!) We're hoping umbrella drinks are also part of this project.
Glasgow's lovely and twee collective Camera Obscura will stop by SXSW music to showcase their forthcoming 4AD album My Maudlin Career with an official showcase on 3/18. No word on dayshows, but let's hope for a couple!
Total Legends: Echo and the Bunnymen have been reported by various outlets as playing an official showcase at Emo's on Wednesday, March 18th...though they're not currently on the SXSW band list. So we'll see.

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By Tom Thornton in Arts & Entertainment on February 10, 2009 1:27 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

seth

Hurray! Explosions in the Sky! And this time, I won't have to struggle with the decision of whether to listen to them or Neurosis.

Metallica at Stubbs. Oh, well.

Appreciatively,

Seth

tdoug

If you sign into my.sxsw.com (you might have to be a fat cat who bought a badge to do so, though I'm not sure since I am in fact a fat cat this year) their is a partial schedule up and it shows Echo and the Bunnymen playing 2 showcases, one on Wednesday at Emo's Main Room and the other on Saturday at Rusty Spurs (times TBA). I think that's SXSW confirmationish.

The SXSW band list is missing a few of the bigger names so far released on the schedule (Katy Perry zomg?! :(, Love Is All, and some others). Also, in a cruel twist of fate the schedule is also missing plenty of band names that I'm sure they just haven't gotten around to scheduling. Point is, the folks at my.sxsw.com seem to be updating the schedule daily and that's probably your best bet for band news.