One of the reliable treats of SX is the unexpected show…stumbled on to a couple good ones totally unplanned today. Out under the oaks at Guero’s (which my auto-correct wants to call ‘hurtle’ – what?) I caught Operator Please, a dance/punk Australian band with echoes of Bananarama and plenty of attitude. Singer had a bubbly, love-it-or-hate-it sound; I loved it. Across South Congress, Ross Flournoy of Apex Manor (whose set I just missed) told me the venue had a visit from the Austin police, who informed them that they would be shut down if they plugged in…so all of Music By the Slice went impromptu acoustic. Typhoon, a tightly packed twelve-person band, adapted well to the new set up.
Out later in time for the end of Cowboy & Indian, Austin locals with a freak-folk-blues thing going, then back across South Congress once again for the end of Wanda Jackson – no sign of Jack White. Finally ducked into the Continental Club for the Blurt showcase & saw K’s Choice, a Belgian band with a four-guitar attack and an androgynous, Bowie-esque lead; imagine Mars Volta with Simon & Garfunkel harmonies, and you’re halfway there. Now back to it…