SongwritersSeries.com

“Thank yous” all around are in order for many things that has happened in just a few days during SXSW here in Austin, TX. First of which, go to songwriters Jack Savoretti, Tori Sparks and the United Steel Workers of Montreal for the artistry, their songs, their live performance and their patience regarding the Songwriters Series Internet TV Show Season Five Opening concert. Our live broadcast bandwidth was filling up meaning there was thousands of viewers on-line joining our concert at Hank’s place in Austin, TX and what a treat.

Jack Savoretti from London, England is your Bruce Springsteen meets Cat Stevens who is also a really nice person. Is being a nice person worth mentioning especially when it has nothing to do with your art? Well, yes. If you’ve been in the music industry for twenty years as I have promoting musicians you realize that being nice and being talented are not bound by each other so when you do meet someone as humble and nice as Jack and his great team from London, you want to help their success. So we did and we are. Jack is the real deal and he will be a name we will all know in years to come. He may be our golden pick that we are becoming famous for our season openers - Ayo, Gordie Sampson, Rachel Sage - who have since risen to new levels and distinction with their music after performing for the Songwriters Series season opener.

Tori Sparks we owe you an apology for making you late for your next appointment but when you deal with live Internet broadcast, a live concert and a television taping all in the same event, there can be technical thingamajiggies that need jiggamathinging or mathinkajigging. But, she’s a pro and she showed it. Got up, did her set, was great with the crowd banter and was just seductive as hell. Her bass tones in her sexy voice with the melodic storylines of her guitar wrapped around with her command on stage was just awesome. Thank you and we apologize again Tori.

Lastly was a group of Canadian renegades who fled south for SXSW to escape the tyranny of Montreal and Canada. Okay, maybe they were invited to play our show and SXSW and drove down willingly as proud Montrealers and Canadians. But, they are still renegades dammit. What a great group who call themselves the United Steel Workers of Montreal. They are also the United StoryTellers of Montreal especially when Gern drops the Mic stand to half mast bends down to begin a story and a song that transcends songwriting to performance art. Unbelievable. They also were so gracious to perform “77-87? and “Trigger” for the show as I basically begged them to do so and being the co-producer they may have felt obligated but I got what I wanted which was those two songs and I’m a selfish bastard. So there.

Jack and the United Steel Workers of Montreal stayed for the whole time and drank some beer with us and shared some life, love, philosophy and their art at the great Austin haunt known as Hank’s place. Hank Sinatra’s backyard is a funky Austin outdoor concert place that has become known on the underground blogs and circles as Hank’s place. Hank’s place has become known because the day before MTV news showed up and hung out with Hank and his New York buddies +1 Music for, oh, five hours or so drinking 40s, Bloody Marys and eating great Texas barbecue while hosting the party of SXSW, or at least, that’s what MTV heard and reported. Yes, MTV said just that and I have it on camera as I shot John Norris and crew as they interviewed Hank asking him directly what his opinion was that the word out in the SXSW streets was the best party was at Hank’s Place. Damn. It doesn’t get any better than that. And if you were there then you would know. More than 200 musicians, industry folk and fans hung out for 10 hours eating and drinking everything from artistry to great music to great food, libations and a great time. All in Hank’s backyard - farm animals and all. Sam Winter from Black20 was there. Matt Roeckl from Viddinet was there. All covering the event of the event and it’s all thanks to SXSW who successfully has commanded the attention of the world’s music scene to Austin, TX for several days and some of that worldwide attention spilled over to Hank’s place and the Songwriters Series Internet TV Show.

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