SXSW 2009 ARTIST ALERT: Late Of The Pier
Day number two of by South By Southwest conveniently began at the Carrera Cafe, an invite-only, air-conditioned oasis of swag bags, free red velvet cake, chicken-fried salad (this IS Texas, after all), spa-massage stations, and (best of all for people like myself who were operating on only a few hours of sleep) Monster energy drinks and Cafe Bustelo espressos.
It's no wonder this was THE place many artists chose to conduct their SXSW interviews. So when British hipsters Late Of The Pier suggested we meet here, I didn't protest too much.
I wouldn't have protested, honestly, if they'd asked to meet up outside a random taco truck on 6th Street. This indie-electronic combo has been one of the bands I'm most excited about at SXSW 2009, and honestly one of the bands I'm most excited about in 2009 overall. Their gig last night at La Zona Rosa was amazing (despite what they said--really, guys, you're too hard on yourselves!) and with several more LOTP showcases and private party performances set up this SXSW week, I plan to catch them again very soon. Right after I finish getting that massage, of course...
Anyway, here's a clip of me and three-fourths of LOTP enjoying some [product placement alert!] free Izze drinks and Fiji water along with a little pre-massage chat at the Carrera. It was a dirty job, but hey, someone had do it, and that someone might as well've been me:
