SXSW Wrap Up: How I Found Myself

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I found myself becoming a Ting Tings fan all over again. They ripped! (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

You know those kids who graduate college without needing to get a job right away and go backpack Europe for months on end in order to “find oneself”?

Well, it happens when you’re older too.

Really, being in your 30s is all about trying to find ways to make life more like college (read: SXSW = Spring Break) so I decided to wrap up my SXSW with all the ways I found myself.

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Seinabo Sey put on an amazing show at FloodFest this year (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

For starters, I found myself nearly (ok, actually) brought to tears by Swedish artist Seinabo Sey.

For fans waiting for Adele to make new records, Seinabo Sey will satiate that appetite and then some. Her booming voice filled the outdoors stage but she sang with such tenderness, everyone in the audience felt she was singing just for them. I’m getting misty-eyed just thinking about it.

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Check out that form. (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

I found myself exploring old past times in new parts of town. Easy Tiger is Austin’s premiere Beer Garden and Bakery.

Did you read that? BEER GARDEN and BAKERY.

Chef Andrew Curren will literally bake you an epic cinnamon roll and sell you craft beer while you destroy all comers at Ping-Pong all along the comfy confines of that creek that holds the tears of everyone I beat that day.

Run the Anne Litt Jewels

I found myself — late at night — prepping KCRW DJ Anne Litt for an epic interview with SXSW favorite Run The Jewels.

We started out watching another SXSW stand out Kate Tempest and I knew I was going to see one of my all-time favorites, Atmosphere later that night.

See the pattern here? All hip-hop, all night.

Anne did a masterful job and Killer Mike and El-P couldn’t have been nicer. Dig the interview here. You’ll probably learn something new!

INTERVIEW: Anne Litt with Killer Mike and El-P live at SXSW

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Do not mess with Texas (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

I found myself back at Iron Works BBQ for another go ’round with my favorite lady.

The brisket. Not the lady making it.

You see that knife and that sausage? I put my phone down IMMEDIATELY after taking this. But yes, the brisket was amazing!

I found myself sitting above the stage for post-punk break out, Viet Cong.

These guys rip and their new album is a delight from front to back.

The highlight of the live show? How about the fact that their drummer had broken his wrist the night before but went full on Def Leppard for an hour. He earned his stripes that night.

As the kids graduating college would say: Two legit to quit.