Homeward (Un)bound

Not in Austin this week? Catch this SXSW-worthy bill right here.

 
 

our Twitter feed is seeing a lot of it. They’re talking about it on CNN. And as you read this, one of your musician friends is hurdling down I-40 in a shaky van, cutting the pavement through Tennessee, 10 or so hours from pay dirt, which comes in the form of a handful of showcase slots (sometimes all in a single day) and the hope that someone, somewhere with some clout gets it.

I’m talking about South by Southwest (SXSW). Every March, thousands of bands from all points of history (the future, mainly) and from everywhere in the world flock to the streets, bars, clubs, backyards, and just about any other conceivable space in Austin, Texas. Prince has shown up, the Boss even spoke at it, and dozens of Boston bands make the trek every year. The next Mumford and Sons is somewhere in the mix. The next Twitter is likely there, too.

SXSW is a vital exercise in promotion for a lot of artists and arguably more important for music/tech-related brands. For a band, even if the spoils aren’t immediately recoverable, the fact you went to SXSW likely carries more perceived than real value. “Oh, they played there? They must take themselves seriously … and maybe we should too.”

For the first time in three years, I’ll be sitting this one out. My heart is torn. I’m yearning for that perfect Austin sunshine and the fun sense of accomplishment that comes when bouncing from roof deck on Sixth Street to backyard bar on Rainey Street to shady-but-awesome spot on East Sixth, but being home in Boston isn’t half bad, either. My liver is okay with that decision, too. Well, we do have Lone Star up here as well.

The #sxsw hashtag is always there to help soften the withdrawals.

On the homefront, there’s (thankfully) music to keep the wandering soul occupied. On Thursday (March 13), a SXSW-worthy bill hits the Sinclair, a fresh-cut, well-imagined venue in Harvard Square. Fronting the pack is Tallahassee, a Boston-bred folk outfit that sounds great in all speeds, whether the dial hits raw and rowdy or jumps back to the soft and sweet. The perfect match is Toy Soldiers (above), a Philly-born rock ’n’ roll band slinging indelible lines and an expertly-honed live show. Think of Little Feet smashing Jerry Lee Lewis’s piano with unapologetic slide guitar licks after a night of trashing Deer Tick’s apartment … with the dudes from Deer Tick nodding in approval (and they’ve actually shared the stage a few times of late).

We’ve been tracking Toy Soldiers quite a bit over the past year. They quietly worked their way into the Newport Folk Fest machine, playing unofficial after parties and guesting on Joe Fletcher’s official festival showcase (the latter even landed them some coveted ink in Rolling Stone). There was also that other time that we stumbled out of a bar to-be-named-never with sunrise looming. That’s a story for another day. More importantly, 2014 could easily be their year, and we’re rooting heavily for it.

Our stamp of approval is all over this show, as MySecretBoston will be presenting the night and celebrating the relaunch of our website.

Tickets are $12 and available online via Ticketmaster or at the Sinclair box office. And be sure to stay hooked on our Twitter and Facebook for your chance to win a pair.

 

 

Bowery Boston & MySecretBoston presents
Tallahassee, Toy Soldiers, & These Wild Plains

Thursday, March 13
Doors at 8 p.m.
Show at 9 p.m.

$12 cover

TICKETS

18+ to enter, 21+ to drink