Day Four
SXSW 2011, Saturday
by Brianne Turner and Nick Chaivarlis
Photography by Nick Chaivarlis
On the way to the Radio Day Stage in Austin’s Convention Center, we happened to (almost literally) run into Millionyoung, who was performing in an open foyer. Mike Diaz, who goes by Millionyoung, was playing with a few band members who helped to make the electronic beats they were generating echo throughout the area, with just enough rock influence to balance the set.
Toro Y Moi was playing in the Convention Center as well, making the Radio Day Stage a popular place to be. Incorporating a band to add a little more substance to the performance, Chaz Bundick had some company on stage with him, allowing Toro Y Moi’s sound to appear larger and more complete.
Tapes ‘n’ Tapes went on after Toro Y Moi, changing the tempo for the crowd a bit and adding a trumpet as well as a more contemporary-rock feel.
After and in the midst of Vevo’s ultimate shit show that was the organizational planning of the Kanye West event at the abandoned Seaholm Power Plant, a queue of over two thousand people began entering the venue just after 11 p.m. where Mos Def opened the show, followed by fellow performers Pusha T, Big Sean, Cyhi Da Prince, Mr. Hudson, Fonzworth Bentley, Bon Iver and Kid Cudi, Cudi generating the most enthusiastic response of all.
At around 2:30 in the morning, Kanye emerged for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy opener “Dark Fantasy” and then plowed through to “Gorgeous” with the help of original track collaborator, Kid Cudi. Though revisiting a few songs from previous LPs, Yeezy stuck primarily to his newest release, which also created an excuse to bring John Legend onstage for “Blame Game,” after which he performed his own breakout hit, “Ordinary People.”
A technical glitch during the first verse of “Power” was the only noticeable snag of the night, after which Kanye immediately recovered, somehow seeming more adamant about the performance than he had been before the interruption.
Those on stage right could see Jay-Z and an elaborately-dressed brass and percussion marching band waiting backstage, implying that big(ger) things were in store. The marching band took the stage for “All Of the Lights,” compensating for the absence of the track’s 400 (not literally) collaborators. When Jay-Z appeared onstage for “H.A.M.”, the crowd turned manic. Kanye and Jay-Z performed a conglomeration of songs together, including “Monster” and “Swagga Like Us,” during which Kanye admitted mid-verse that he had forgotten the lyrics to. Jay-Z took over the stage for solo performances of “Public Service Announcement” and “Big Pimpin’.”
To close the show, Bon Iver returned for “Lost In the World” (a track sampling his own track, “Woods”) and the G.O.O.D. Music crew joined Kanye onstage for “Good Life,” the chorus of which encourages the crowd to throw their “hands up in the sky,” an appeal to which everyone obliged.
Though a Kanye West show is not in the indie/discover-me spirit of South By Southwest and some may argue that the show detracts from the opportunity to discover new music, the performance was phenomenal and the ability to discover new music does not begin and end at SXSW. The same arguement could also apply to this year’s performers Duran Duran (who used the festival as a stepping stone to help kick off their world tour) and Bright Eyes. West’s music-based efforts are always collaborative in nature, and bringing the G.O.O.D. Music artists– who are in the midst of varying degrees of fame– with him to the most prominent show of the festival is indicative of his appreciation of the fact that the strongest components of the music industry are a result of the concerted efforts of its fans and artists.
