SXSW Love Letter - The Oak Ridge Boys (LP Questionnaire Included!)

It's hard to believe it hasn't even been a week since the glorious madness that is SXSW began. It seems like a lifetime ago that we were all headed for 6th street in search of the feel of something new or the nostalgic heart bending of the happy familiar.

While taking in some of this year's dandy offerings I had the idea to do some wrap up posts, some SXSW love letters to the best of what I witnessed at SXSW 2KFINE!

Wednesday was a bit of a wash as I was chained to the convention center all day, but I did manage to sneak out to see a couple songs of Death on Two Wheels and my beloved Wax Fang. They just get better and better and better and better and better every time I see them. I think power trios need to make a comeback (or have they already? It's entirely possible that I don't know), and WF should lead the charge.

Ahh, but Thursday... Thursday was all about the Oak Ridge Boys. True confession time... when I was 10 I used to call my local radio station (probably KZEW - The Zoo!) several times a day to request "Elvira." They probably thought I was mental, but gosh I loved that song (as did the rest of the country, of course). Richard Sterban's crazy (b)ass voice was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard.

Tom and I went to their Masters of Reinvention panel and listened to the band discuss how they got their start, their massive successes, their faith, and the current record inspired, they said, by Rick Rubin's work with Johnny Cash.

Later that day, the Oak Ridge Boys performed at SXSW Live. Joe, Duane, William and Richard (I totally just typed that out from memory!) blazed through new songs like the Shooter Jennings' penned "The Boys Are Back," entertained the crowd with classics like "Bobbie Sue" and "Elvira," and of course there was the beyond bananas cover of "Seven Nation Army" that everyone's raving about (I can't tell you how many hits my C-J blog has gotten since I posted it). Let me tell you, it kicks more ass live. The group of 50-plussers next to us looked a little shocked at first, but were rocking out alongside the twentysomethings midway through the song.

So that was my Thursday with the Oak Ridge Boys. I never did get to meet them because, let's face it, I'm sort of not completely socially evolved, but that's okay. I gots touched by their sweetness from afar.

Yesterday when I arrived at the office, I had an email from their publicist sending over Joe Bonsall's LP Questionnaire. What better way to really end SXSW?

So here, it is, ladies and gents...

Name: Joe Bonsall (Oak Ridge Boys tenor)
Pro Wrestling Name: I AM KID ZODIAC

1. Pretend you’re 15. Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend/boyfriend. The year is 1963 The songs would be Beach Boys and Elvis with a touch of Motown.

2. Which evil villain would make the best President? THE JOKER!!!

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? SUPERMAN and BATMAN...... pretty even. BUGS BUNNY comes in right behind!

4. What superpower do you wish you had? I would love to FLY!!!!!!!!

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? Philly Boy does GOOD!

There have been a lot of musical moments in my life when it all comes full circle (John Taylor of Duran Duran sending me flowers, dinner with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, eating a Frito next to Stevie Ray Vaughn), and they've all been super duper special. Last Thursday was NO EXCEPTION!

Back later with Friday's love letter to... well you'll just have to come back now, y'hear!

In the meantime, Twitter your fave moments to me @mspark. Or, if you like it the old fashioned way, you can email deep thoughts to musicblog@sxsw.com. Other LPQs and random LP bloggingness can be found here.

My iTunes shuffle loves AM radio, lp

photo by yours truly taken at SXSW Live