[No Neal Pollack Invasion gigs today. Just the Jim Roll Band (Neil Cleary on Drums and Jon Williams on Bass) doing songs from our three records: Ready to Hang (1998), Lunette (2000), and Inhabiting the Ball (2002)]:

One of the great things about SXSW is that every restaurant, bar, and in some cases car dealership in town becomes a world class music venue. So early this afternoon we (The Jim Roll Band) are headed over to Guero’s Tacos on Congress to play a 45 minute set out in their open-air courtyard; and then after that we are to scurry over to Opal Divines on 6th Street to play a SXSW kickoff party hosted by Guitar Town (the well respected North Carolina based internet roots-music list).

GUERO’S TACOS KINDA RAINED-OUT:

Arriving at Guero’s, we are greeted by my gracious buddy Kevin Verobik (who booked the afternoon’s festivities). Kevin is a freelance photographer who does some photo work for the Austin American-Statesman. Today Kevin looks just as I always remember him EXCEPT for one detail: he is soaking wet and rainwater is running off his nose. This is not so remarkable, I realize, because I also feel rain running off of my face. Then I realize that Kevin and I are standing on the stage and rain is STILL pouring onto us . . . I also notice that all of the house instruments (guitar-amps and drums) are covered with plastic tarps because the stage is not covered with a canopy.

YIPES! Looks like we’ll be battling the elements for this gig. Already many of the people who came to see us have started to gather. Most of these folks (without umbrellas) are huddled under a huge tree, which is supposed to be protecting them from the rain. We load our guitars onto the wet stage and set up in the drizzle and hope for a window of opportunity to play some music.

My experience of daytime SXSW gigs is that I meet many people from overseas. These are either folks who we’ve met on tour in Europe, or diligent music fans from abroad who want to make the most of the expensive trip to Austin. With so many free shows in the afternoons (and evenings!) a music fan could easily come down to Austin in March without an official SXSW wristband and still see a world-class lineup of music.

We set up our gear, and then have about 3 rain-interrupted false starts -- each time placing our electrified instruments under cover of plastic tarps. Finally the rain lets up enough for us to do maybe 5 songs in a row . . . then we call it an afternoon and pack up for good when the drizzle starts again.

Sure enough, once we leave, it doesn’t rain again all day. If we’d have waited 5 minutes more we could have easily played our whole set. Oh well, "leave them begging for more" they always say. But we played well and had fun and saw Kevin and some other friends.

Off to Opal Divine's . . .

GUITARTOWN SXSW KICKOFF PARTY - OPAL DIVINE’S:

Finally the Jim Roll Band gets some sustained “good energy” going at the Guitar Town SXSW Kickoff Party. We end up in the final slot of the afternoon, and the outside Deck at Opal Divines is pulsating with energy. The place is packed. There are lots of old friends (both musicians and non-musicians), the sun is out, and energy is UP because the SXSW Music Festival is officially starting tonight with its first night of sanctioned showcases.

Drew Glackin, the incredibly versatile multi-instrumentalist from NYC bands The Silos and Tandy sits in with us on high-powered (and distorted) lap steel. He has played with us before at SXSW and was the ‘secret weapon’ in the recording of our Lunette (2000 New West Records) album. Today at Opal Divine’s, we feed off of Drew’s virtuosity and he obviously has a great time too.

I do however actually find myself mentally contrasting the Neal Pollack Invasion’s blisteringly-raw set with my own lyric based Country/Folk tinged Indie Rock. Seems like a stand off between pure energy (NPI) and heady emotional feel-oriented music (JRB). What I am trying to say, I guess, is that I am getting a little attached to the youthful adrenaline of playing the Pollack songs . . . I must be sick.

Tomorrow, back to Dakota’s House to finish the Pollack album. We need 4 songs in two hours - and that includes studio setup and XBox basketball . . .

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