South by Southwest Music Festival

Last weekend Jason, Leslie and I joined John and Jennifer (Jason's aunt and uncle, and my brother and sister-in-law) for a couple of hours of pure fun and enjoyment at the annual South by Soutwest (SxSW) music festival. This wonderful music fest has been growing in popularity since it began several years ago. There have been many well-known and not-so-well-known artists who have performed here, but this was the first time that I had gotten to go. I had a good reason to this time, since John and Jennifer's daughter Jamie Blythe was to perform at the Austin Java Co. It was pretty exiting to see how it all turned out.

The Brothers Blythe
sing Cool Chameleon

The Brothers Blythe is comprised of our niece Jamie Blythe, her brother Jarod on drum box, and her sister Jessica's boyfriend Jimmy on bass. One of the songs they sang was Cool Chameleon. Listen:

The next artist to perform was a New Yorker named Nell Bryden. Nell has a bluesy, jazzy style that can be boistrous and fun in one song, and the very next song her voice will be melodious and poignant. I really enjoyed listening, and after the short set (each performer played for about a half hour or so) she handed out mini CD's of some of her songs. A very nice touch!

This is one of my favorites from Nell's set, titled Goodbye. Listen:

The last performer we got to see was a Canadian named D Trevlon. He was so determined to play at SxSW that he hitchiked all the way from Canada to Austin to be here! Pretty amazing. His voice is pretty amazing as well, in my humble opinion. His voice sounds much "older and wiser" than his age, which is 27 or so. And, he's got what I can only call a "Fistful of Dollars" whistle. I liked that best of all. It added so much to his songs, and the authenticity of the stories.

This song, Here I Am, is a real good example of both musical style and whistling ability. It's a favorite. Listen:

Unfortunately, we had to leave early to make another engagement, but I certainly enjoyed the music and I will most definitely go back again. It was a great afternoon, and I got to treat my son and daughter-in-law to a fantastic lunch at the same time!