My last day in town got a late musical start as I had to take a sliver of my time in Austin to eat some BBQ and hang out with some friends in the city. I’ll say this, they don’t serve food like that here in Wisconsin, at least not BBQ. Being that I was flanked by seven others for the day, we wanted to find a couple of showcases that allowed all of us to hear some good music, but most importantly to just all get in. We decided to make the non-SXSW affiliated Mess With Texas Party, taking place in Waterloo Park, our destination for the day.

That outlet provided our first opportunity to see favorites like Two Gallants, Yeasayer, Simian Mobile Disco, and The Breeders, while also providing sets from old favorites like Black Mountain and Lucero. One of the most attractive things about this separate festival was the ability to stagger the countless hours of standing with the ability to sit down in between sets, providing great relief to a hard week’s worth of constant mobility.

Two Gallants have eluded me for some time and I wasn’t going to miss my chance at hearing selections from their recent and MoB favorite self-titled release. They do the two man, guitar and drum thing well, and though their set was short, it was definitely a favorite of the day.

With an upcoming performance with Man Man scheduled for next month here in Madison, I wasn’t going to be too upset if I missed the opportunity to see Yeasayer during my time in Austin. That being said, I certainly wasn’t going to pass up any opportunity to check them out since they were just one stage away. I’d read multiple reports of them stealing the show from headliners MGMT during their previous tour together and having just seen MGMT I can believe that both groups are capable of pulling off some of the best live music touring today. Don’t miss your opportunity to see them in Madison on Thursday, April 17th.

Ever since seeing Black Mountain last week in Louisville, In The Future has been on heavy rotation in these parts. Seeing them again was an easy decision and the first timers I brought along seemed to really enjoy them as well. We talked after their set amongst ourselves about how this band’s sound is so clean and crisp, easily one of the best sounding sets of the entire festival. You can catch them at the High Noon Saloon here in Madison on Sunday, April 23rd to see and hear for yourself.

Being one of my favorite bands, I was eager to have my friends take in a Lucero show during my time in Austin. Playing before a very sizable crowd, the majority singing along throughout, the Memphis boys really brought the energy and didn’t disappoint. Per usual, requests were called out and honored, “Raising Hell” was of particular relevance as it’s an ode to Ben’s brother, and Austin resident. We’ve got some exciting news from the Lucero camp that we’ll be sharing later this week, so make sure to stop by again for our video interview with Ben Nichols.

I bounced around to the Breeders for a couple songs before heading over to the Simian Mobile Disco send off that was filled up with flashing lights, lots of jumping, and beats galore. I hadn’t spun the Tuesday’s Gold Attack Decay Sustain Release in some time, but upon arrival during “Hustler” I quickly remembered everything I loved about the release. Great as the record is, it pales in comparison as to what their live show experience is like. We started out the show in the back of the crowd, but by the last note we’d danced our way right up to the stage, packed amongst the sweaty mass of concert goers. One of my favorite sets from my time in Austin for sure.

It would have been easy to call it a day and close the chapter on SXSW 2008 at that time. Instead we chose to load up on a very late dinner and head out to the Vice Party, which was enjoyable last year (despite the terrace collapse), but last night was downright insane. What started out as a very low key and ill attended event turned into one crazy night and room after room of different party scenes – one complete with amazing live performances by Jay Reatard and Dark Meat.

I’d never seen either band live before, and I only had a passing familiarity with Jay Reatard’s work, but Dark Meat was really something to behold. The spectacle displayed by this group from Athens, GA would rival any Flaming Lips show you’ve ever seen, and probably top most of them. Every one of us is still cleaning glitter and paint out of our clothes and hair, it was a set that seemed as if it would go on forever, the stage covered with (mostly) sweaty males incorporating horns and loud guitars. It was every bit as much of a visual performance as anything else, and people were knocked silly by the group. Lots of fun, high high energy, keeping me in its grasp until 5am before reluctantly leaving a crowded house behind to make my 7am flight back home to Madison.

Myspace: Two Gallants
Myspace: Yeasayer
Myspace: Simian Mobile Disco
Myspace: The Breeders
Myspace: Black Mountain
Myspace: Lucero
Myspace: Jay Reatard
Myspace: Dark Meat

MP3: Two Gallants – “Despite What You’ve Been Told”
MP3: Two Gallants – “The Hand That Held Me Down”
MP3: Yeasayer – “2080″
MP3: Yeasayer – “Sunrise”
MP3: Black Mountain – “Tyrants”
MP3: Lucero – “The Mountain”
MP3: The Breeders – “Bang On”