I was a responsible adult on Friday and had a real breakfast (breakfast tacos because I am in Texas, duh) at the Brooklyn Vegan party. I split most of my time between that party (like a good vegan) and the Mexican Summer x Gorilla vs. Bear party. Didn't see any Fonograma-approved artists at either, but I kind of fell in love with Grimes.At the Brooklyn Vegan party, I formed a special bond with an Austin native (shout out Leanne!) over our mutual love for beets, and she invited me over for an afternoon snack (beets, of course). On our way to her house we stumbled upon a backyard party, which it turns out I also wandered into last year because I ran into my old goat friend. We also saw Taylor Hanson and had a moment because we were both pretty big Hanson fans back in the day. Go ahead and judge, but you know you love "MMMBop."
But even more awesome (and relevant to this blog) was the Billboard showcase at Prague. I finally fulfilled my years-long dream of seeing Gepe live. He, accompanied by Pedropiedra, played an incredible set. Maybe I'm getting emotional in my old age or maybe I'm just that big of a fangirl, but I got a little worked up during "Salon Nacional De Tecnologia." Though the crowd got into it, most folks weren't familiar with Gepe. I overheard a few comments about how he sounds like Peru and wanted to scream, "It's Chile, people!"
Ximena Sariñana was up next, and it was clear that she was the one everyone was there to see. The place was packed, and as soon as she started, my view was immediately obstructed by everyone's phones, many of which stayed up for the duration of her set. Note to everyone who does this: PLEASE STOP. After opening with "Mediocre," Ximena quickly got into her new songs. I particularly enjoyed "Shine Down" because it got everyone dancing. She also played one of my favorites, "Normal." Yeah-uh, commentary on traditional gender roles! After Ximena's set, I had the pleasure of sitting down for a chat with Gepe and I did a pretty great job of maintaining composure even though my inner dialogue sounded something like "OMG OMG OMG." Highlight of SXSW for sure.