SXSW 2008 Recap: The Kills @ Levi's/Fader Fort

It's already been a week since SXSW descended onto li'l ole Austin, Texas, "monopolizing touring schedules for more than a week" (as Flavorpill New York put it). The festival keeps growing exponentially every year, with sunglass-donning hipsters packing the streets and unofficial daytime parties and shows starting to outrival even the official evening showcases (like why did I even bother to buy a wristband??). With so much to offer, it seriously becomes an embarras de richesse, and every year is a give and take; for every amazing band I saw, there's one or two I missed. That's why it's all about strategy (Which bands can I see for free during the day? Where can I get up close enough to make it worth it? Where can I even get in? etc.). But no matter what, there's always next year!

At any rate, my 2008 SXSW experience started out with The Kills at the Levi's/Fader Fort party. I scored me some free and refreshing SoCo lime and mosied on up to the front. (I'm always surprised at how easy it is to mingle with the press photographers in front of the stage. This usually a result of one of two things: either a high population of badge-carrying industry wannabe scenesters who have no real musical clue but are just checking off their "what's hot" list of bands to see OR the laidback attitude of SXSW and the genuine music fans who are just out there to enjoy the festival--which is luckily, in my experience, slightly more often the case.) It was the first time I'd seen The Kills since they played the Berlin Festival two or three years ago, and it was amazing to see them live so up close and personal. They get my second place prize for The Most Sexy and Photogenic Band of SXSW.

Check out the whole set here. Plus more photos (and videos) to come!