On Tuesday I started the night at the High Road Touring SXSW showcase at the Empire Control Room and Garage.
Sugadaisy, from Bowling Green, KY, opened the larger outdoor stage and were a pleasant suprise – check them out if you get a chance.
The real reason I chose that showcase, though, was Kathleen Edwards, who played in the much smaller indoor “control room”
She kept saying she was nervous, but sounded fantastic and had the support of the crowd from the get go:
She brought Lauren Morrow on stage for a cover of John Prine’s “Hello in There” which she said was one of the few covers on her upcoming album, which I can’t wait to hear:
Unfortunately I didn’t capture any of the harmony but well worth looking for when the record comes out.
Wandering down 6th street en route to the next showcase I stopped in briefly at Friends Bar – unfortunately I didn’t catch who was actually on stage – maybe someone can tell me in the comments.
You can always count on the Friends Bar for a decent Texas blues jam
The Victorian Room at the Driskill hosted The Broadside Hacks Folk Club showcase. Or at least it was that – I understand Broadside Hacks actually withdrew from the formal program but a number of the bands they had convened still played that night.
The first was Arielle Soucy from Montreal, Quebec
Followed by Australia’s Folk Bitch Trio
I don’t know why I didn’t get any video of them (I honestly thought that I had). Guess I was just caught up in the moment – they were definitely a highlight. Check out their video for Analogue below and find them on Spotify here: Folk Bitch Trio