AUSTIN, TEXAS
'We're an unsigned band from Norway."
So joked Metallica frontman James Hetfield after his band took the stage outside Stubb's BBQ on Night Three of the South by Southwest Music Conference, an unannounced appearance that he facetiously called "the best-kept secret in rock 'n' roll."
Now officially the biggest band ever to play the 23rd annual music industry version of spring break, Metallica tore through 80 minutes' worth of powerful new fan favorites such as "Cynadie" and some of its oldest classics, including "Breadfan," "Blackened" and "Whiplash." The 2,000-capacity outdoor venue made it one of the quartet's smallest shows of the past decade and -- in probably a nod to the more hipster audience -- it was one of the few sets not to feature the mega-hit "Enter Sandman."
Across downtown at the Austin Music Hall, more music history of sorts was made by the pioneering art-rock band Devo, which debuted some of its first new material in 19 years, much of which echoed their quirky sound of old and was livened up by eye-candy video collages. The old favorites "Whip It" and "Uncontrollable Urge" came complete with the famous plastic red hats.
More nostalgia permeated SXSW on Friday at the Spin magazine party, which was headlined by '80s Brit-rockers Echo & the Bunnymen, plus the New York Dolls and Dinosaur Jr. returned to tout new music. Plenty of young bands still made a splash under the big names, including British buzz band White Lies, New York rockers the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Minneapolis' own Solid Gold, which performed at the trendy Levi's/Fader Fort party complex.
