SXSW: Day Four Recap

Yesterday went much faster than I had wished. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and Saturday was definitely bittersweet. As much as I didn't want to leave Texas and the music heaven that is SXSW, I really don't think my body could have lasted another day of 10+ shows and endless interviews.

By Saturday I was feeling the stress of too much sun, standing endless hours for multiple shows a day and lack of sleep, but I didn't mind because I knew I'd be catching Third Eye Blind later that night. What better way to end SXSW then a 70-minute set by 3eb?

I barely made it up by 1 p.m. yesterday and spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for two interviews later that night. At 6 p.m. it was time to head over to Stubb's to catch Virginia-based band Parachute. With infectious pop melodies and heartfelt lyrics, the five-piece band have been making a splash in the Virginia music scene and it's only a matter of time until they'll be in heavy radio rotation. With a mix of pop rock gems and jazzier saxophone-infused songs, comparisons include Maroon 5 and an older, more mature Jonas Brothers. In fact, the band has played with the Jo Bros., most recently in Times Square for New Year's Eve.

Having their song "She Is Love" featured in a Nivia commercial and their debut full-length album due out later this year, Parachute is a band to definitely keep on your radar.

White Lies was up next at Stubb's and wowed the crowd with their atmospheric rock and heart thumping bass and percussion beats. A band on most festivalgoers' must-see list, White Lies reminded exhausted SXSW attendants what live music is all about.

Once their set ended I rushed back to the hotel to catch UK band Dlugokecki perform in the lounge. Playing emotional pop-rock songs, the band's set was nothing short of impressive with frontman Ben Dlugokecki's quirky onstage banter. The rest of the band proved to be just as comical when I interviewed them after their performance. A lot of talk about being President Obama's favorite band, wanting to be the first band to travel to space, and the difference between American and English audiences, each member was definitely a character. Stay tuned for the full Q&A soon.

After the interview I headed back to Stubb's where there was quite a line outside the venue to see 3eb. Indigo Girls were performing by the time I walked inside. Playing a nine-song set including new tracks from their upcoming independent record dropping next week, it was evident much of the crowd were fans as they were singing along word for word. I've never seen a band change guitars as much as this two-woman band did, but the crowd didn't seem to mind. Playing classic American folk, they had the Stubb's audience's attention.

At the airport about to board my plane back to Jersey, but I'll be sure to fill you in tomorrow on Third Eye Blind's solid 70-minute show last night as well as the songs they debuted off their upcoming release — due out later this year. Hope you can take the suspense until tomorrow to find out!