Telegraph Canyon is one of several Fort Worth/817 artists performing at SXSW, the music festival and conference that takes place in Austin every year and that’s happening this weekend. The septet is performing on Saturday night as part of a bill with I Love Math, Bosque Brown, The Drams, Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights, and Wax Museum. Dallas Observer music editor Pete Freedman put the bill together.
“I got to pick the bands playing our showcase from a selection of bands who weren’t already assigned to other showcases,” he wrote in an e-mail. As to as why the Observer was chosen by South-by honchos to put on a showcase, Freedman said, “I really don’t know why they came to us.” He also said, “It is my understanding that there is no money or payment involved on either end.” There’s a possibility that had Freedman chosen differently, Telegraph would be playing on Wednesday at 4 p.m. or Saturday at 9 a.m. Special thanks to him for including easily one of the hottest and most talented bands in North Texas. … One of the best parties of any year is the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s Modern ‘Til Midnight, a mix of art and music that typically attracts a large and super-hip crowd. Mainly a concert, the event also allows customers to peruse the museum’s exhibits. On display this year are FOCUS: Rosson Crow and pieces from the Modern’s permanent collection. Everything else is a la carte: the food at Café Modern, the beer and wine at the vendors’ booths set up for the event, and, of course, anything from the gift shop. Past line-ups have included a fair blend of local and touring acts, which is at least partly responsible for the great turnouts. The 2009 version features three little-known groups: Future Islands, Teeth Mountain, and Dan Deacon & Ensemble, who are all from — wait for it — Baltimore, Md., a city not historically known for producing ultra-hip or even moderately hip bands. The good news is that more bands might be added. Hopefully, some of them are, y’know, from the city where the Modern is located. Otherwise, chances for a smaller than normal turnout are pretty good. Maybe then Modern honchos will realize that local support is vital to the success of any major local event. The $15 cost of admission also will let customers view choice selections from this past year’s Lone Star International Film Festival. The event is Sat., April 18. Visit www.themodern.org. … Some local venues and bands are doing their best to keep anyone from going to Austin this weekend, especially The Moon (2911 W. Berry St., 817-926-9600). On Friday, the Texas Christian University-area club is hosting American Werewolf Academy plus two bands that will be playing non-sanctioned showcases in Austin on the following day: RTB2 and Fort Worth’s Eaton Lake Tonics. At Lola’s Saloon Stockyards, another supremely talented and popular local outfit, Stella Rose, is playing on Saturday, with Those Darlins, and on Sunday, the day after South-by, perennial South-by performers The Theater Fire are playing with Hope for a Goldensummer at The Fairmount (600 W. Magnolia Ave. on the South Side, 817-420-9455).
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
