Superbody used his unique attire to stand out at SXSW in 2018.It’s not easy for first-time musicians navigating the challenging terrain of South By Southwest. For the uninitiated, SXSW is an annual interactive media, film and music festival and conference held in Austin, Texas, every March since 1987. Drawing tens of thousands of spectators and spanning a week of shows – and the city itself, with venues scattered about in local clubs – South By is often overwhelming and surprising.
Robert Gregg McCurry 2nd, aka Superbody, experienced the joy and pain of South By for the first time as a recording artist in 2018. Like most newbies, McCurry, who lives in Highland Park, wasn’t totally prepared. “I didn’t realize the amount of shows that I could do during South By week,” he says. “I did about four shows and that’s all I regret from the trip. I wish that I knew to book more.
“I’m going back this year to South By and I’m prepared. I’m booked for eight or nine shows.”
McCurry will perform his catchy power-pop at official evening showcases as well as day parties. “I love cheesy pop,” he says. “When I was growing up, my dad loved prog rock; I wasn’t exposed to ’80s pop. I love it. I can’t get enough of Wham! and Tears for Fears and Michael Jackson and Prince. All of that has had a bearing on what I make.”
It’s not just the era’s music that influenced McCurry. The larger than life fashion of the Reagan era impacted the emerging singer-songwriter – and his attire helped him at South By last year. “I would dress up in a three-piece suit and a cowboy hat,” McCurry says. “Combine that with how I look and I stand out.”
McCurry’s “super body” (think Kings of Leon circa 2005, e.g. thin and lanky) made his suit look like David Byrne from Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” era. And then there is McCurry’s ironic mustache and mullet. “You put that all together and people invited me to attend VIP parties because they said I looked like a VIP,” he laughs. “I got free food. Half of the people at my showcases saw me in the street and asked where I was playing. I was invited to play at some showcases because of how I looked.”
In addition to the parties – “I loved the Canadian house party,” McCurry says – he is obviously looking forward to returning to the Live Music Capital of the World’s spotlight, but more than that, he wants to help shine a light on some of the other emerging artists playing. “I can’t wait to see some of the performers there, because some don’t perform much outside of their hometown,” McCurry says. “I can’t wait to get down there this year.”
Add “Spiked Flower” by Swervedriver to your SXSW playlist.CHECK THEM OUT
There are a number of emerging recording artists at South By Southwest this year that music fans should check out.
- The Beths, an indie rock band from New Zealand, is scoring airplay courtesy of its infectious hit “Future Me Hates Me.”
- Sweden’s most promising export, the Viagra Boys, will showcase their amalgam of blues and punk.
- Unpredictable performance artist Amanda Palmer, of Dresden Dolls fame, will render solo cuts. Don’t be surprised if she offers her new manifesto, “The Ride.”
- Puma Blue, aka Jacob Allen, is the next big thing out of London. The smoother crooner scored raves from the UK press after the release of his jazzy 2018 EP, “Swum Baby.”
For those who can’t make it – and those simply looking for a killer soundtrack – here’s a playlist featuring SXSW standouts.
- “Future Me Hates Me” by The Beths
- “Sports” by Viagra Boys
- “Hollywood” by Superbody
- “The Killing Type” by Amanda Palmer
- “Spiked Flower” by Swervedriver
- “What Makes You Happy” by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
- “Dreamland” by Chills
- “Anata Watashi Daita Ato Yome No Meshi” by Otoboke Beaver
- “For the Wild” by Lost Under Heaven
- “Clearly Invisible” by Oh Sees
Crowds can be overwhelming at South by Southwest. To stay out of the gridlock, avoid Sixth Street on Friday and Saturday nights.5 THINGS TO KNOW IF YOU GO TO SXSW
1. Check out day parties. If you don’t have a badge for the main event shows, you can catch the day parties. These free events feature virtually every recording artist who will showcase during the evening. You might just discover the next big thing. Check out footage of Mumford and Sons at South By in 2009 (tinyurl.com/YouTubeMumford). There were about 34 people at the free afternoon event and a number left after the first song.
2. Be prepared for a surprise event. Download the SXSW app (it’s free!) from the festival’s website: sxsw.com. It’ll help keep you in the loop when something cool might happen. Three years ago, Garth Brooks dropped by the tiny Broken Spoke, where he last performed a generation ago, for a mid-afternoon set.
3. Be cognizant of the weather. Texas weather can change dramatically. A few years ago, the mercury dipped from 78 degrees to 36, while a tornado hit a couple miles out of town.
4. If you have a badge, check out the keynotes and seminars inside the conference center. Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond will riff about the music business. Shirley Manson of Garbage and Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry will also deliver a keynote address. Producer extraordinaire T Bone Burnett will discuss what it’s like working with some of the most iconic figures in the world of music. He’s worked with Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and Roy Orbison, to name a few.
5. You don’t have to walk down Sixth Street. Over the last two years, Sixth Street, which is filled with a myriad of music venues, has been utterly jammed on Friday and Saturday night. If you would like to avoid gridlock that is worse than neighboring I-35, simply eschew South By’s main drag and venture down Seventh or Eighth streets.