Hooves on the Turf

Day 6 was March 22, 2009. When we were about to eat breakfast, we ran into Brooklyn’s own Sharon Van Etten in the eastern part of town. She was playing a show only four blocks away, so we decided to go.

These were the kind of lovely houses we walked past before running into Sharon.

We got to a backyard that goes by the name Space Cave. A gospel band called The McMercy Family was playing.

There were really good and funny, but to be honest, I couldn’t tell if they were trying to be funny.

They had a dog named TJ.

I heard there was some mud wrestling before we got there.

The McMercy Family made everyone form a circle and sing “Amazing Grace”. They called everyone who didn’t join them sinners.

Sharon was one such sinner.

The Bee Team:

Denmark’s The Migrant was a pleasant surprise.

There was a session of muddy-hands-bang-on-a-plank-of-wood percussion.

Then there was a session of bang-on-the-garbage-can-lid percussion.

Followed by a session of go-crazy.

Yes, the Space Cave was a special place. They had free coconut water!

Sharon borrowed the Migrant’s guitar.

And sang her sad songs.

The Migrant’s Bjarke watched.

Even though Space Cave was generally a happy place, her sad songs were incredibly good.

And everyone loved them.

We walked into the downtown area and passed this amazing spot. It’s really good to stand there and watch cars go by.

We found remains of the SXSW that was no more.

The Hot Freaks outdoor stage was turned into garbage.

And the streets that had been most festive were no longer blocked.

There were some bands playing like they would on a normal night, but it just wasn’t the same. Everyone had left.

Goodbye Austin!

To recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6