Day 1 of music at SXSW was absolutely incredible.
I started the evening off watching the always impressive Fiona Apple dazzle a packed house at Stubb’s. Next stop was the Austin Music Hall where we caught Patty Griffin as she treated the crowd to a brief but stellar acoustic performance before accepted her admission into the Austin Music Hall of Fame. And then next was Christopher Cross, who was surprisingly good, but I have to admit I was disappointed that he didn’t play “Arthur’s Theme.”
The real surprise came later in the evening during Alejandro Escovedo’s set. Alejandro brought Joe Ely out first, and they did a song, and then Joe asked if there were any other guitar players in the house. Curtain popped open, and here comes the Boss. Springsteen performed four songs with Escovedo’s all-star band, starting with “Midnight Train,” followed by Woody Guthrie’s “Blowin’ Down This Road,” Escovedo’s “Always A Friend,” and then finishing up with the Stones’ “Beast of Burden.”
After the amazing show at the Austin Music Hall, I headed over to see some metal. Corrosion of Conformity delivered at Dirty Dog. I finally finished off the night with Cage the Elephant at Emo’s. Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for Day 2!
Fiona Apple at Stubb’s
Patty Griffin at Austin Music Hall
Bruce Springsteen, Alejandro Escovedo, and Joe Ely at Austin Music Hall
Corrosion of Conformity at the Dirty Dog
Cage the Elephant at Emo’s
Are you at SXSW? How are you enjoying this year so far? Please share your favorite moments from Day 1 of music in the comment section below.
