It was apparent after one phone call that Jonathan and I might as well be at two different conferences. He was destined to experience SXSW as a king, wielding the power of his mighty badge and industry connections. I on the other hand was going to have to scrape by on wit, charm, and a bit of ingenuity with my position of elevated plebian with my lowly SXSW wristband (meants for Austin residents). But no matter, SXSW is still a music lover’s paradise, and even the unbadged can experience musical overload with a bit of planning. It’s even arguable that by introducing constraints, the SXSW caste system actually favors those without badges, since it bring the list of possibilities down to more manageable levels (yes, I’m just saying that to make myself feel better).

Jonathan was definitely right in saying that you hit the ground running after arrival. After dropping off my stuff yesterday, I immediately headed out for the night, attempting to see Ariel Pink at Peabody’s, only to find there were travel delays, pushing the performance later. At this point there’s very little attachment to any performance since for any band, there are still multiple occasions to still see them, so my crew and I moved on to get food then venue-hopped after being denied at the Stax 50 Revue (soul at its finest I’m sure, but you’d have to ask a badge holder since they filled up the venue - if they do the same with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings today there will be hell to pay).

The music we did manage to see last night is after the jump(in bullet form since I’m in a rush to get to the Pipettes show at the Pitchfork showcase).

- Lo-Fi-Fnk - After listening to the hipster party music of LA's DJ Paparazzi (playing the same stuff you can throw a stick and not miss in Seattle - Daft Punk, Queen, the Bee Gees, and Green Velvet happily coexisting in the mix) in the front room, Sweden's Lo-Fi-Fnk played an entertaining electro-pop set at the IHeartComix showcase. It would have been more entertaining if the entire show wasn't spent wondering where that vomit smell was coming from, ensuring you weren't stepping in the source.

- Benjy Ferree - A quick stop in line for Dengue Fever was aborted in favor of more music, so we stopped by to catch the at times folkish, other times bluegrassy stylings of Washington, DC's Benjy Ferree. It was more in bluegrass territory when we arrived which is not really my thing, but once he moved to more rock territory he made my list of people to watch.

- NOMO - In another olfactory adventure, NOMO played a venue that looked like a strip club from the outside and smelled like a litter box. The band played a much tighter set than the one at Bumbershoot, not nearly as prone to succumbing to the Afrobeat groove in favor of keeping things moving.

- Bloc Party - There was the option of heading to Emos to hear Jesu, but the long line there was off-putting, so instead it was off to Stubb's to get in for Bloc Party, incidentally catching the end of The Dears. The new material sounded really good next to the old, but I have to admit I wasn't as pumped about this show as other attendees.

- U.G.K. - For the day this was the only show that mattered. I'm in Texas, I had to take in some Texas rap, and to do so with the legendary U.G.K. felt like a privilege. I can't claim to be an expert on the Texas rap scene, but I know enough to know that these two have been hustling for over a decade, with the phrase "Free Pimp C" made all-but-ubiquitous by Bun B during his partner's incarceration. They were introduced by Matt of HoustonSoReal, and with the first song the air filled with the smell of marijuana (that they did that at an outdoor tent is telling of the degree). No one official seemed to care. There were some familiar songs in the mix, and that itch was scratched.

The night closed out by missing Peelander Z (playing again Saturday) and catching the last seconds of Sparklehorse (just saw them, but heard "Gold Day," so I was happy).

With that, it's time to get away from the computer. Time to go see The Pipettes and Simian Mobile Disco (who I'm sure will only be meh at best).