SXSW RINGER REPORT #1

Esteemed rock scribe Jeff Leven, who does some lawyerin' on the side with the firm of Davis Shapiro Lewit & Hayes, has graciously if inexplicably agreed to file a series of dispatches from Austin for posting on our lame site. Here's the first, from Jeff’s BlackBerry to your eyes, unedited except for the requisite boldfacing and elimination of extra spaces between sentences. Nice thumbwork, dude!

We're off and running w day 1 of sxsw. A little soggy but its still so good to be back in austin. Kgsr was playing robert earl keen's "feeling good again," which is about as good a welcome as one could ask for. Anyone who worries about the future of music owes themselves a day at sxsw - there are so many bands with so much enthusiasm.

After an early stop at the scanners sesac day stage I hit some parties - after a cool set by today's best surprise octopus project I caught peter bjorn and johns first of about 32 sxsw appearances at the little radio party. Catchy in almost a dave clark five (at times) sort of way- they are as musical as the single would lead you to expect.

Todays biggest event was the pete townshend keynote. Cerebral as ever, townshend unapologetically explored difficult subjects like entwistle's death bluntly but thoughtfully (with his charming sprinkling of expletives punctuating throughout).

Right now I'm getting pummeled by Future of the Left (featuring members of the dearly departed kick-in-the-teeth rockers McLusky). Up next - some mix of To Live and Die in LA, Beirut, Razorlight, the Bravery, Dimmer (great band from New Zealand championed by Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre), and Nellie McKay. Pain in my feet? Ringing in my ears? Smile on my face? It's sxsw once again!