SXSW Field Report: The Boxing Lesson 03/21/09

[Sorry this is late, ya'll. The error is mine. --Mouse]

Since I couldn't go to SXSW this year I invited a handful of bands to submit "field reports" of their SXSW experience. Here's our fifth report from The Boxing Lesson, written by singer / guitarist Paul Waclawsky. (Read parts One, Two, Three, and Four.)

The Boxing Lesson L to R: Kevin Sparks, Jaylinn Davidson, Ryan Cano (manager), Paul Waclawsky. Photo by Victoria Cecilia from Gliss.

I woke up on Sunday feeling really great. We survived our ambitious schedule and managed to have a ton of fun in the meantime. We saw Dead Confederate on Saturday at the Side Bar and I woke up with one of their haunting songs in my head. Damn....I had a wild night hanging with some old and new friends all over Austin!

We were set to play our final show of SXSW at the Austin Art Garage at 4p and it was evident that we were all moving slow. Jaylinn and I rolled over to the show with the gear to hang out early and watch Gliss start the day off. The stage was in the direct sun and Gliss ran through a breezy set of the new material off their new album, Devotion Implosion, that kept us all super cool and complimented the scene there perfectly. There was live art going on and an impressive gallery where local (and somewhat affordable) works were on display. At this point, I'm so sick of being in the sun. I adorn my hoodie t-shirt and pull off the unibomber look for the rest of the afternoon keeping the sun off my red neck and head.

We got to finally visit with Gliss and Marty taught me some yoga moves to help me get centered before playing. I'm so restless from going non-stop and from playing multiple shows a day for days in a row and I have a stiff back from the constant gear I've picking up and carrying around. The yoga moves help and I feel like I caught my second wind.

Two local bands that I hadn't seen before played next. Crash Gallery slammed through their set picking up the pace on an absolutely gorgeous Austin day followed by Magnet School [Editor: "Magnet School" is a great band name.] whose midwestern shoegaze was aggressive, dynamic, sweet and toneful. There was a great crowd out and I saw a lot of local friends who stopped by for the show, the art and the free beer.

We ripped through a 25 minute set in the hot sun giving it all we had once last time. My new space echo tape that I changed a week before is really starting to break in now and my guitar is screaming. I just love playing outdoors. It's such a rush. We ended with a new psychedelic backwards guitar and Moog improv rock out which just about does the three of us in completely!

Following us is the main event, a local Austin band from before I lived here called Pop Unknown were playing their last show ever (?). I recognized a bunch of the guys from the Beauty Bar. By now, we are really celebrating with our friends, getting dehydrated and extremely hungry.

Two songs into the UK act, Out from Animals, my body starts to give out and my knees get weak. Their blend of sounds would normally been magnetic to me I'm sure but it is clear to me that it is time to go eat and go sleep. It was a beautiful way to end the long week! I'm kinda sad it's over but hopefully we'll see all our friends again on tour this summer... until next time.

--Paul Waclawsky, The Boxing Lesson