Today I started at 10:00 at the Austin Music Hall to see Daniel Lanois, one of my very favorite live musicians. This show turned out to be fairly different than the other two times I had seen him, first at the Jazz Fest in New Orleans, where he was totally transcendent; a few years later in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall. This show was a little looser, a bit more intimate, not quite so powerful, but excellent nonetheless. The sounds, impact, textures he gets out of his guitar are amazing. He told us how Brian Eno gave him this plastic intrument on which he composed The Maker. He had it with him and used it. He also played one tune on a pedal steel guitar, something I've never heard him do before.

The show ended with a surprise special guest: Ritchie Havens. He started solo on his guitar, playing Freedom. As the energy built, the drums kicked in and Daniel gracefully worked in some sweet rhythm guitar. The crowd joined in the singing enthusiastically and the show ended on that high note. Wonderful.

From there I wandered over the Antone's to see Kathleen Edwards, who has received a lot of press recently and was sure to be a bit draw. Sure enough, there was a line even for the badge holders and I waited after 15 minutes to get in. I liked her and her band, but not enough to spend the full hour there. I left and went around the corner and was drawn into the Fox and Hound by the sounds of Hookah Brown from New York. Cool sound! Only two songs left though...

Back on the street, I next got sucked into a bars, not part of South By Southwest, called Ringside @ Sullivan's. There was a great jazz quintet playing, All U Need - sax, trumpet, drums, guitar, bass. Really good stuff. But then they took a break so on I went....

...and came across another long line at the Lounge. I contemplated waiting in it, but hears some other cool music coming from next door. Turns out to be free show at the Bitter End, a brewpub. The band was Love Syndicate. Really good. Another highlight, again a brief one.

Stopped by Mother Egan's. Nada Surf from NY was playing. Didn't do much for me, so I went across the street to Opal Divine's Freehouse. Brave Combo. What a hoot! Kick-ass accordion, fun, fun polka band. By request, they cranked into the Hokey Pokey and rocked the house. Not your grandma's version of that song! The crowd wanted an encore, but SXSW doesn't work that way.

Finally, I headed down 6th street to the Roxy to see what Pedro the Lion was all about. Seemed like pretty ordinary rock to me. One song was enough and I called it a night.