PAPERMAG couldn't make it to Austin for SXSW this year, so we'reliving vicariously through much-buzzed-about Berkeley indie-pop band the Morning Benders. Currently touring in support of their just-released album, Big Echo, they're playing six shows in three days at the festival. Frontman Christopher Chu has been keeping us updated on their adventures and, here, he realizes that the entire city of Austin is totally drunk.
We pulled up to the club at SXSW to load our gear in for our first show, and as luck would have it, we went to the wrong loading entrance! We could practically see the stage from our van, but it didn't matter -- we were sent around the block. 25 minutes later through a series of detours, and gridlocked traffic we arrived at the "correct" loading door, half a block away. Welcome to SXSW! Lucky for us, the fact that everything takes a little longer is balanced out by the fact that everyone is drunk (or focused on getting there). Even the kids that are obviously 16-years-old are throwing back brews, and honestly, no one at the club seems to care. The show ended up being a ton of fun. Everyone was singing along and having a jolly old time (again, drunk). Our set was cut short, and the sound probably sucked, but does that really matter in the end? We were there. S-X-S-W-2-0-1-0. Honestly, its moments like these that remind me why we push our way through all the madness and play SXSW: free beer.
Morning Benders' Diary Day 2Morning Benders' Diary, Day 1 Above: Morning Benders guitar player Jon Chu, possibly hungover.
