SXSW Dispatch: Don't Talk to Me About Music, Dammit

So here's the catch about covering the music portion of SXSW: after a day or two of playing as many as four sets a day and doing back-to-back interviews, musicians are tired of playing music, and even more tired of talking about it. Sometimes they're hung over, or tired, hungry, annoyed, grouchy, or just a little disinterested. Can't say I blame them; although they knew what they were getting into when they showed up, no?

The up-side is that when you tell someone you're interviewing them for Mother Jones, suddenly their face lights up and they say screw jabbering about music, let's talk politics. It's happened consistently while here in Austin. So, here's a brief glimpse at what's on the minds of musicians at SXSW in 2008:

"I basically stopped reading all newspapers—except the sports sections— in early 2003. I just don't really trust anyone. They're all kind of crazy," James McNew, bassist, Yo La Tengo.

"Obama came on the tele, and I was crying out, punching the air, saying 'Yes, Yes!'," Dave Wakeling, founder, the English Beat.

"We're all foreigners," Sandra Lilia, guitarist/singer, Pistolera.

"Let's beach an aircraft carrier, and give that money we were spending to keep it afloat to some schools. We could pay for f!*king healthcare, but we pay for defense. Maybe people will finally f!*king vote in 08. But it's only March, and it's more bulls!*t every day," Nick Urata, founder/singer/guitarist, DeVotchka.

"Democracy is a mass movement. If we don't take a stand, and take democracy back, it will be taken from us. We need a major movement, and a plan to grow," Richard Bowden, founder, Million Musicians March, Austin.

—Gary Moskowitz
(photo of Nick Urata of DeVotchka)

Comments

A brief and pointless article. On the plus side? You wasted more time writing than I did reading. Pointlessness again.

Posted by: marymomgret on 03/17/08 at 11:47 AM Respond

This is awesome.

Where's the music to match up with the politics?

Posted by: Thea on 03/17/08 at 2:48 PM Respond

Went to the website, tried to leave a comment, it didn't activate, so.....
You people are awesome! Every single one of you. Music reaches a lot of people where rhetoric will not. That you are using your music to do so is a very, very powerful tool in the fight for peace and the fight to take our country back. Please don't stop!

Posted by: Jackie on 03/17/08 at 11:00 PM Respond

I thought it was an excellent article, no time wasted in writing it whatsoever.

Posted by: Jackie on 03/17/08 at 11:02 PM Respond

The Million Musicians March website is back up, on line-
looks like they were adding video links today... check out the gallery tab .
The Peace Parade was a blast !
Over 2000 marchers paraded together _ The speakers included Betsy Moon, Reverend Peter Johnson, and Thom the WorldPoet ....Music at the event was wonderful - with Carolyn Wonderland,Gurf Morlix, Bill Oliver, Steve Brooks, The Ginn Sisters, Bill Passalaqua, Barbara Kooyman, Patrice Pike,
Hey Negritta, the Blazing Bows, Jon Emery, Richard Bowden, gee, thousands of marching musicians, it was FUN!
Please, join in spreading the word - Democracy requires Mass Participation !

Posted by: SylviaBforPeace on 03/20/08 at 5:39 PM Respond

oh yea...

the website addy for MMM-

www.instrumentsforpeace.org

check out the gallery tab........

Posted by: SylviaBforPeace on 03/21/08 at 6:12 AM Respond