Everyone is sunburned. The streets of downtown Austin are congested. Yet bands are chatting with their fans, their fans meeting other fans, making friends, sharing beers, it’s a beautiful sight. SXSW perpetuates a synthesis of good music and good people. Here at South By, you really can’t have one without the other.

Friday’s lineup of music has to be the most impressive to date. We made our was to Lamar and 6^th Street where Austin’s iconic Waterloo Records had set up a stage in their parking lot (thank you, Austin) to showcase an impressive lineup of talents.

At 1:00 Alt-J made way to the stage. Fences set up as population control were almost useless. Two lines snaked out of the entrance onto the sidewalk, the sidewalk across the street, around the corner, and spilled into other parking lots. It was nuts and there’s something to be said for a band that can conjure such a crowd.

When the four Englishmen took stage, before lead singer Joe Newman could even say, “Hello, We’re Alt-J” the crowd had lost control. The set took off with Alt-J’s 2012 An Awesome Wave first track “Intro.” The slow ballad began like a relaxed heartbeat. As the track built so did that pulse, until it detonated and covered listeners with a cloud of reverence. The whole set was an impressive bullet. It hit and stuck right where it was meant to. This new band is one that is making waves to international audiences and will be yearning lyrics, “please don’t go, I love you so I love you so,” for many years to come.

As we were making our way to 6^th Street for some official showcases, we were stuck by the folk tunes wailing from J Black’s Bar. Aaron Lee Tasjan is a songwriter from central Ohio. It was brought to our attention that he had just finished touring with Todd Snider and with Alberta Cross – we were just caught by his rich sound. And it seems, when you are as talented as Aaron, people will hear your melodic vocals and the will stop to witness your musicianship.  Tracks like “Everything That I Have Is Broken” and “Ocean of Days” had us all ears, just begging for more.

 

We made it to Clive Bar on Rainy Street, which sits right in the middle Austin’s most eclectic part of town. It made for a perfect setting as Vacationer set to the outdoor stage. These boys are magnetic. They’re so young, so joyous, and they’ve got the right mind set – most people don’t vacation enough, so they’ve created music that recaptures the exploratory identity of childhood. “Trip” really set the pace for the old but familiar feeling of what it’s like to relax, sit back and soak in the sun. Vacationer is an anthem for the young and the young and at heart.

 

As the sun began to set we headed back to HGTV + Paste Stages on 6^th showcase where we found a band that has it. I mean, they just have it – that unidentifiable “it” that makes you need more. The electro pop band ON AN ON consists of Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci and Ryan Estwing who are also members of indie-pop outfit Scattered Trees. They have been playing music together for as long as they can remember and it shows. There is an impulse, a natural and familiar texture to the way this band makes and plays music together. When Ricci wails in “The Hunter,” you become apart of her atmosphere. If you’ve not you now must, enjoy the dream-washed ambiance of ON AN ON.

And so we say, to you Austin – you’ve done a mighty fine job showcasing the young and the talented. And yet, there’s still more to come.