the perks of being in austin during sxsw?  free parties, free alcohol, maybe some good bands if you’re in the right place at the right time…  we never expected to get to see a kanye west double feature.  rumors had been flying around that he’d be the special guest at either the fader or the perez hilton party.  turns out both were true.  we started out the evening at perez to find out who the scheduled special guest was around 8:00.  well, that turned out to be the indigo girls.  yikes. we spent most of their set hiding in the vip lounge.  after that was ladyhawke.  they were very cool, and she looked casually cute in a nirvana t-shirt and buffalo plaid flannel shirt.  perez seemed kooky and likable, and introduced all the bands wearing a replica of aretha franklin’s inauguration hat in pink with rhinestones.  

after ladyhawke, we hoofed it the six blocks over to the fader fort just in time for kanye’s first song.  set was great, and he was joined by kid cudie, erica badu and quite a few others.  the crowd was super into it, and some girl came around handing out heart stickers during heartless.  

we stayed for the 45 minute or so set, and then decided to go back to perez in time to catch beyonce’s little sis solange. she had kind of a 60’s girl group feel, and was cute in a marc jacobs-ish looking skirt, although i don’t think it was. after solange was little boots who was really fun and dance-y.  i just checked out her site for the first time.  it seems cool and she has a post referencing stumbling home in louboutin heels, a matthew williamson dress, and mcqueen bag.  my kind of girl…  last night she was wearing a gold lame dress and big purple necklace. after that during rye rye’s set, who were really good, but we don’t have pictures, jd noticed that we were standing about five feet from kanye’s girlfriend amber. then we realized kanye was close by with his back to us watching the show.  people started to notice and it got kind of crazy paparazzi style until rye rye’s set ended, and perez went onstage to announce that kanye was the secret secret guest.  kanye posted more pics of the perez show on his blog this morning, and there’s also live footage from the fader event.  after that the night sort of devolved into a red bull and vodka induced blur.  we did hear at about three in the morning that there was a rumor of some third secret kanye show that night at the red bull moon tower somewhere.  like woah.  not sure yet if that was true, but we decided best to end on a high note, and not end up driving around trying to find it. good times all around.

(ash wore her diy studded converse, which she’ll be posting more pics of soon, and jd wore his john varvatos studded converse. all pictures by jd.)