If Perez Hilton appeared to have trouble meeting expectations this year for his annual "One Night In Austin" SXSW party, it's to his credit that he raised the bar so high in the first place. Last year Snoop closed out the show, and Courtney Love was the surprise guest. This year? Well…
This year Perez actually delivered a true SXSW show, voiding the criticism that he faced last year for bringing in such huge names. Hell, he landed on a discussion panel and took over ACL Live. It's hard to fake that kind of stab at ATX SXSW credibility. How did "One Night In Austin" play out?
Like a show focused on discovering new music should. Mixed. Performances from newly discovered artists (like the awesome Kids of 88, Selah Sue and Mia Moretti with Caitlin Moe) were the hightlights of the night. Sure you had Liz Phair and Dirty Vegas taking the stage at different points, but were they the ones everybody went home buzzing over? Hardly.
I went home wanting more Kids of 88. Their energetic stage presence spelled "charisma." Pretty Reckless with Taylor Momsen earned my respect with a performance that delivered. And Caitlin Moe left us as shredded as the hair on her abused bow. The violinest accompanied a dj set that included Daft Punk, MGMT and Madonna. Amazing.
It's too bad none of these closed the night. That would have ended things on a high note. Instead we got Dirty Vegas, who didn't compare well with Mia Moretti. And their throwing glow sticks into the audience skyrocketed the cheese factor.
Overall it was a great night for music and I can't wait to see what he offers next year. And THANK YOU, Perez, for the awesome media treatment. The photos posted were taken by Rick G and myself, using our iPhones and the Hipstamatic app, from comfortable seats on the mezzanine while drinking our complimentary Perez Hilton Stoli cocktails.