RECAP: The Brooklyn Country Cantina at SXSW 2017

“This is one of the coolest, kindest, coziest, and vibey-ist things here at SXSW,” Langhorne Slim announced with a grin, as he kicked off this year’s Brooklyn Country Cantina, energizing the packed crowd that had come to enjoy the annual day-long party. The Cantina has been described by fans and musicians, alike, as a pilgrimage, a homecoming, and a reunion. In the madness of SXSW’s increasingly commercialized showcases fraught with exclusivity, the event is a welcome respite — a place to see your favorite Austin country band, discover a great new artist, and two-step under the stars. It’s a party to come to for the breakfast tacos and stay at ’til last call, all the while enjoying a full day of some of the best American roots music this country has to offer. 

Popular east side watering hole Licha’s Cantina hosts the event in a tiny, old, converted house with a canopy of trees and a porch out front perfect for margaritas, tacos, and foot-stomping music. Guests walk through the prep kitchen out back with corn tortillas cooking on an open flame and into the atmosphere of a house party with old friends.

In addition to Langhorne Slim, this year featured the Secret Sisters, Andrew Combs, the Deer, Lilly Hiatt, Valley Queen, Twain, and about two dozen more acts playing simultaneously on two stages. “It’s a little oasis in the craziness of the festival,” Michaela Anne shared after her set — the fourth year she’s played the event. “There are so many great acts back to back, you can just hang out here all day. It’s a real family-like vibe. And I get to see all my friends.”


Founded by Brooklyn country band the Defibulators and Austin musician/producer Daniel Roark, the Cantina began nine years ago as a backyard party at Rourke’s house on Austin’s south side where friends’ bands were invited to come play. It was a local stage of their own making during a festival they couldn’t officially get into, and that grassroots spirit has carried the Cantina into it’s ninth year. The party is still small (just 250 fit into Licha’s) and still free, which is important to the spirit of the day. Their aim has never been to make money, but rather to “create a party that our friends and favorite musicians would look forward to playing and hanging out at. And to help keep a foothold for progressive country music at a fest that’s typically dominated by rock and other genres.” It has evolved into a tradition that brings both locals and festival-goers back year after year. For some local folks, this is the only SXSW event they come to. They bring their kids and stay all day.

A mix of well-known acts and up-and-coming artists are invited to play, creating a place for touring musicians to play a killer gig in front of an engaged crowd and for local bands to be at the center of the action. “We always wanted to have Austin bands play,” said Jennings. “The local heroes playing the White Horse Saloon all year-round, we want to give them another platform to play for the out-of-towners, not have them feel like, when SX comes around, they’re ignored or not valued. Leo Rondeau, Croy & the Boys, Palomino Shakedown — they’ve all played multiple years, and they’re staples here. It’s really important to have the Austin country scene involved.”

When the night reached it’s a tequila-filled climax with closers the National Reserve, frontman Sean Walsh summed the party up: “The crowd here was really great, there was lots of dancing. Man, tonight was hot and fun. I love breaking a sweat.” 


Photo credit: Laura E. Partain

TEN QUESTIONS FOR: The Defibulators

 

The Defibulators are an anomaly in New York. Their country/bluegrass/rockabilly sound fits the Texas roots of founding member Bug Jennings. Curiously enough, it was not until he and cofounder Erin Bru (an LA native) met in New York that The Defibulators became a reality. Since 2005 they’ve been gaining a steady following  and today they’re one of New York’s most popular country acts.

This month, Erin and Bug bring their act to the west coast, playing San Diego on Tuesday night and Los Angeles on Wednesday and Thursday.  To celebrate, The Sitch is giving away TWO FREE PAIRS OF TICKETS to their Thursday, September 13 show at The Satellite (where they’re appearing with The Dustbowl Revival).  Just email [email protected] with your name and contact info for a chance to win.

What was the genesis of The Defibulators?

Bug:  The short version is that Erin and I met in college at NYU, and we got the band together at a BBQ restaurant I was working at about six years ago, where we met our guitarist. Had to open up for a punk band and get the group together in a week —

Erin:  We basically did it on a dare.  Can you put a band together in four days?  And we did it.  Just for fun.  And suddenly it became real.

Bug:  It’s just addictive.  Country music is addictive.

What are your biggest influences?

Bug:  I grew up in Texas, and I did not like country music at all.  All you heard was Nashville pop, and that did not appeal to me.  It wasn’t until I actually moved to New York and bought my first Hank Williams album that I started getting into it — I was almost angry that I hadn’t heard this music before!  It was right under my nose the whole time!  So I started playing catchup — learning as many songs as we could.

Erin:  And hearing that influence in other artists — Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead — that was pretty amazing.  But George Jones, Buck Owens….

Bug:  Oh yeah, those are the biggest two for me.

How would you describe the band’s sound?

Bug:  Classic country is the foundation.  But when we started we wanted to be three different types of bands.  We wanted to be a swing band, we wanted to be a bluegrass band, we wanted to be a rockabilly band.  So it’s a mixture of all those different styles.

Erin:  But then obviously living in New York gives a different flavor to it.

Bug:  I think I’d call it short attention span music.  New York has that effect on you.  You tend to think more short term than long term…

If you weren’t based in New York, where do you think you’d be living?

Bug:  You know, our band wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t met there.  I never in a hundred million years thought I’d move from Texas to New York to start a country band.

Erin:  Along our travels, we’re always getting to different towns, talking about ‘Could we live here?’ but ultimately the answer is no.

Bug:  We throw Knoxville, Tennessee a lot.  It’s beautiful down there, and it’s got a great scene.

Erin:  I love Austin too.

Bug:  I used to think we could to Austin — I love it down there — but the scene there is changing so fast.  It’s exploding very quickly, and kind of oversaturated.  But that’s happening in Brooklyn too.  We used to be so proud to say ‘We’re a country band from Brooklyn!’ but now….

Erin:  Every band is from Brooklyn.

What is your favorite venue in LA to play or see music?

Erin: Growing up in LA, I was actually too young to go to a lot of venues out here.  But when I’d be home from college, I’d go to Largo — the original one, on Fairfax — and Spaceland [which is now The Satellite, where the band plays this Thursday night].

Bug:  And the Echo!  We saw some good country shows there too.  But the best is Pappy and Harriets in Pioneertown.  That has got to be one of the best places in the world.  We played there once and have visited two other times.  That is one of the best.

What’s your favorite drink?

Bug:  Bourbon.  Whiskey.

Erin:  Give me some Jameson with a spash of water.  Neat.  That’s what I do.

Bug:  We definitely are a bourbon based band.  Actually we work with Buffalo Trace a lot.  They sponsor parties with us, and are really involved in the music scene.  And they’re good.

If you could live in any decade, when would it be?

Erin:  Man, that is one I’d have to think about.

Bug:  You strike me as like, a 60s gal… you would do the whole hippy thing.

Erin:  Really?  Really???

Bug:  I would love to be a part of the 50s country scene…. to see the early days of Nashville.

What would be your last meal in Los Angeles?

Erin:  I feel like I kind of have to say Yuca’s Tacos or Senor Fish — those are just part of my childhood.  Ooh, or what about Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles??

What’s next for the band?

Erin:  A new album!  We’ve been working on it for quite some time.  Actually, we’re about to release a book of sheet music, full of old and new songs, which is really cool.

Bug:  And I’m hoping to start restoring our 1977 Dodge ambulence, which we used to tour in.  Lot’s of good trips in that van.

 

The Defibulators are in LA for two performances: Wednesday, September 12 at The Basement in Santa Monica, and Thursday, September 13 at The Satellite in Silverlake.  You can learn more about the band here.