SXSW 2011 - Monday

The music portion of South by Southwest hasn’t started yet, but that isn’t going to keep me from checking out the music here in Austin. My first stop for the week was at Whip In, a convenience store that sells Indian food and has a small stage for music. After circling around I-35 for 20 minutes, I met up with Deb and Linda. Tonight was all about the voices and the songwriting as Bettysoo and Jess Klein shared the stage.

This is really the first time I’ve gotten to hear Bettysoo live (small inside joke there) and it was well worth the wait. Looking at her, you do not expect the big voice that comes out. But it’s more than just volume; it is the nuances as well that define her sound. Sometimes there is a twang in her voice, but whatever style it takes, the passion and beauty are a thing to behold. I understand she has a new CD coming out in May and then will be touring with it. If she comes to your town, do not miss her.

I have never seen Jess Klein in concert, although I own some of her music. You can pretty much copy and paste the last paragraph. Jess has a gorgeous voice and her new songs sound fantastic. There is no date on a new CD, but I can hardly wait.

We chatted with both them after the show for close to an hour. It was a fun way to get the week started. I took some videos but was playing with the volume control and it didn’t come out well at all. I hope to get another shot at recording them later this week.