SXSW Day 4: Hurra Torpedo, Steve Wynn, The Pretenders And Lots Of Microbrews

ChartAttack's Steve McLean was in Austin, Texas last week for the South By Southwest Music Festival. Here's his report on his final day of concert-hopping.

Stuff magazine threw a party at The Velvet Spade and I arrived at 12:30 p.m., just in time to catch the strangest band I saw the entire time I was in Austin.

Norway's Hurra Torpedo were a trio decked out in '70s vintage blue Adidas track suits that featured a guitarist and two guys banging on ovens, freezers and a washing machine with mallets, clubs and a sledgehammer. It sounded better than you might think, and I'll take their version of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" over the original any day. The guitarist did the last two songs with his pants pulled down and his bare butt totally exposed before things culminated in the total destruction of an oven that was tossed off the stage at the end of the set.

Boy Kill Boy took the stage inside the club at 1 p.m. The London, England quartet played very hooky alternative pop-rock that fits in well with the current crop of similar British bands. Back outside at the tent (which came in handy considering it was raining steadily) stage, another British band called The Heights played a set of very solid alternative guitar rock that reminded me a bit of The Vines. Although I was enjoying the free Heinekens, that didn't stop me from appreciating The Heights' song about Jamaica's Red Stripe beer.

Back inside at 1:50 p.m., The Rakes played an effective set of indie rock that hinted at a younger version of Wire. "Retreat" was the highlight of the London quartet's performance.

Yet another London band, The Kooks, played next outside. They added a reggae element to one song, which was a welcomed change, but I was getting Brit-rocked out and needed a change of scenery before Editors, Two Gallants and The Charlatans started playing.

I grabbed a couple of free cheeseburgers and cut through the grounds of the beautiful state capitol building on my way up to The Dog And Duck Pub.

There was a large tent set up in the parking lot, but the rain had pretty much subsided by the time I caught the last couple of songs from Matt Keating and Emily Spray. Their acoustic-based roots rock was pretty Dylan-esque, but didn't really grab me.

The same thing couldn't be said for IV Thieves, the only band I saw twice during the festival. Sometimes sounding like a British Jayhawks, the Nic Armstrong-led group had the look and attitude of true rock stars during a set that included songs from their The Greatest White Liar debut and their forthcoming follow-up.

I had seen The Plimsouls on Wednesday night, but that group's leader, Peter Case, did a set of his own along with a bassist and drummer. Case has put on some weight over the years, but he still had lots of energy as he played guitar and harmonica while singing an old Memphis Minnie blues tune and selected numbers from his impressive catalogue, including the excellent "Zero Hour."

Steve Wynn And The Miracle Three played a set heavy on songs from their lyrically dark new release, ...Tick...Tick...Tick. The 46-year-old Wynn also threw in a couple of songs from his best-known band, Dream Syndicate: "That's What You Always Say" and "Tell Me When It's Over." Second guitarist Jason Victor jumped off the stage and landed in front of me during the former, and the group's twin-guitar attack was phenomenal.

I talked to Wynn after the set and told him honestly that his performance was one of the highlights of my week. He was quite humbly appreciative. And though I didn't go to the extent of asking drummer Linda Pitmon to marry me (like I did to Sally Timms following her performance with The Mekons at SXSW 2004), I was a major fan boy in expressing my gratitude for her talents. She was equally as gracious as Wynn.

Ming Tea collaborators Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs were next. He just keeps on getting larger and, with his beard and the hat he was wearing, he looked kind of like Steve Earle. Hoffs still looked cute and I wouldn't mind entering the sarcophagus of the "Walk Like An Egyptian" singer.

They have a new album coming out called Under The Covers Vol. 1 featuring their interpretations of some of their favourite '60s and '70s songs, and their shorter than expected set was highlighted with versions of "Different Drum," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "Cinnamon Girl."

A lot of people left before Willie Nile came on stage at 6:20 p.m., but I've heard and liked a few of his songs and he came recommended by both friends and Bruce Springsteen (who's a friend of the Buffalo, N.Y. singer/songwriter), so I stuck around. He rivals Prince as the shortest rock star that I've ever met, even though his hair was quite tall. Nile had the guitarist from The Dictators as a guest, but the set was just middling.

In addition to The Dog And Duck having a great talent lineup, they also have a great selection of microbrews, so I sampled five different pints before making my way to another venue that has a lot of different microbrews and what I thought would be another stellar lineup, Opal Divine's Freehouse.

Austin's Two Hoots And A Holler came on at 8 p.m. and their alt.country/rockabilly set was full of over-the-top fun. The veteran group threw in covers of Elvis Presley's "I Can't Help Falling In Love" and Robbie Fulks' "She Took A Lot Of Pills (And Died)" with their own honky-tonkin' originals and left me with a huge smile on my face.

I didn't even realize that Jacques And The Shakey Boys were from Oshawa and other parts of southern Ontario, or that Jacques Nadjiwon used to be a busboy at Toronto's Lee's Palace, before seeing them. But I had liked what I heard online, so I stayed for their set that blended southern rock and alt.country elements. The songs aren't quite there, but there's potential, and 2003 Juno Award winner Derek Miller is a great guitarist. I talked to Nadjiwon after his set and got a copy of the band's new Lines, Bumps And Rails album.

Mekon, Waco Brother, Ship And Pilot leader, graphic artist and man of many other hats, Jon Langford, followed. He performed songs from his new solo album, Gold Brick, as well as older favourites such as "Nashville Radio." He even reached back far enough into his catalogue to end the set with a Three Johns song. Langford was joined on stage for some songs by Timms, who looked and sounded great, but I didn't ask her to marry me this time.

Cincinnati, Ohio band Wussy were next. The group are co-fronted by Chuck Cleaver, who I've been a longtime fan of through his work in the Ass Ponys. He shared vocals with Lisa Walker on songs from the group's recently released debut, Funeral Dress. They played a great blend of melodic pop and noisier rock with just the right amount of harmonies. After four bands and five pints, it was time to pound the pavement to get to Stubb's in time to see The Pretenders.

I had to wait in line for about 10 minutes, but it was well worth it once I got inside the outdoor venue with 2,500 other fans. SXSW always features bands that I've loved for years but have never seen live for one reason or another, and this year's main one was The Pretenders.

The group were in fine form as they whipped through a set full of songs from their new four-CD boxed set, Pirate Radio. There were too many highlights to mention, but almost every Pretenders hit that a fan would want to hear was included.

I made it back to our hotel suite a little after 2 a.m., just in time to help host what has become an annual tradition: a party for The Waco Brothers, a few Bloodshot Records people and a handful of others. I didn't catch the Wacos' 1 a.m. show, but apparently it wasn't the drunken rock 'n' roll train wreck (though I mean that in a good way) of their afternoon set earlier in the festival at the Bloodshot party.

Guinness, margaritas and amusing conversation flowed until around 5 a.m. when we all started to run out of steam and figured that it was time to call it a night (or morning).

The annual softball tournament that I play in on Sunday was unfortunately rained out, but the way my ears still seem to be ringing I'm doubtful that I would have been able to hear the crack of the ball off the bat anyway.

South By Southwest exhausts and exhilarates at the same time. After taking a few days of detoxification to recover, I know I'll start pining to do it all over again.