Having caught up on my sleep from the whirlwind that was SXSW 2012, I’ve had the chance to look back on the memorable performances of new bands from the festival. One that especially stands out was Meiko’s show at The Hotel Cafe Showcase at St. David’s Sanctuary.
This was my first formal introduction to Meiko’s music. After hearing her first song, it was apparent why all these people were jammed into a church’s sanctuary on an action-packed Saturday night. Having not released an album in the past 4 years, Meiko surely kept her fans waiting, but it was definitely worth it. The first song that caught my ear was “Leave the Lights.” The catchy beat along with the soulful lyrics was a great indictator for how the rest of the set would unfold.
She showed not only her talent as a musician, but as a storyteller as well. Her deeply personal lyrics helped forge a connection with the audience and allowed us to learn a little bit more about her life. From her upcoming album, she played “Real Real Sweet,” a song she wrote inspired by one of her close friends who was convinced that her boyfriend was sneaking around with the singer, which wasn’t true. Throughout the song, she sang of many different scenarios of what her friend’s worst nightmare could be, and concluded the song by singing, “I know he loves you but he’s in love with me and it goes real deep”. This song is sure to be a fan favorite and in many ways a great way to get back at the slightly paranoid friend.
Throughout her set, Meiko told the backstory of the song “Under My Bed” from her debut, which she wrote while sifting through boxes she kept under her bed that held a bunch of memories from earlier relationships. Fans were pleased to hear the familiar song, but they seemed just as happy to hear another new tune about an old love. The singer had enough of her boyfriend living and pretty much mooching off her, and when it was time to kick him out/get rid of him, she didn’t know how/why she should help be while he was leaving. As a creative outlet, she sat on her couch and that’s how “Good Looking Loser” came to be. Before he left, she played the song for him and it’s understandable why he’s wouldn’t be huge fan of the song.
Once again, this SXSW performance was way too short of a set. It left the crowd and myself wanting more. With a May 15 release date for her new albu, The Bright Side, we will only have to wait a little while longer to listen to these and many more great tracks handy to take with us.
