Day 8 was the last day for Austin Woman at the highly anticipated SXSW return. Things were…interesting to say the least.
By Anne Cox and Cy White, Photos by Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for BCL and Cy White
Into The Dollyverse
World-famous country and folk singer Dolly Parton performed at ACL Live on Friday. To promote the release of their new co-written novel, Run, Rose, Run, Parton and bestselling author James Patterson took the stage early that evening. The two discussed their journey with co-writing and gave an inside look at the story. They also announced that production will soon start on Run, Rose Run, the movie! Hello Sunshine, a production company founded by Reese Witherspoon, will be adapting the novel to film. Parton and Patterson will work alongside Witherspoon on production, and Parton also stars in the film herself.
Run, Rose, Run was released on March 7 and is currently number 1 on the New York Time's Best Selling List.
Following the conversation, Dolly returned to the stage to sing a few songs from her companion album to Run, Rose, Run. To the audience's delight, Parton sang many of her classics including "9 to 5," "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You."
We love you, Dolly!
This was Parton's first time performing at SXSW, but the audience was packed and extremely well-behaved. There was only one moment where a concertgoer shouted an "I love you, Dolly!" during a quiet moment. Parton quickly replied, "I love you too, but I thought I told you to wait in the truck!"
Throughout the event, attendees were continuously reminded to claim their free limited-edition Run, Rose Run NFT from Blockchain Creative Labs' Dollyverse. While the free NFTs are now completely sold out, there are still tokens of her album cover as well as a limited-edition Dollyverse Commemorative Poster available. These NFTs are featured on the platform ELUV.IO, and 10% of all sales (and re-sales) are given directly to the artist. So in this case, Dolly Parton!
The event and concert were truly an experience to remember. There were quite a few merch items featuring the phrase "What Would Dolly Do?" And apparently the answer to that question is write a novel, produce and star in the film adaptation of said novel, write an entire album that connects to said novel, perform songs from that album at SXSW for the first time ever and drop a limited-edition set of NFTs that promote both the novel and the album. So just her typical Friday.
KOHAI Showcase @ SXSW
KOHAI, an entertainment company that represents South Korean artists on the international stage, sure knows how to put together a showcase. While women weren't the immediate focus, those who performed definitely gave the guys a run for their money.
Opening with the unreal energy and presence of indie rock band SURL, the night started on an unreal high. Following SURL came band ADOY. A veteran band that has garnered quite an international following. In fact, a few of their biggest fans have followed them on their North American tour and traveled from San Francisco to see them on the SXSW stage. Without a doubt, the center of many fans' adoration was vocalist and bassist Da-young. Don't let her pixie-like nature and soft voice fool you. This woman is a beast on the bass guitar. She plays it with childlike glee. Even has a small porcupine doll she places at her feet (next to a bottle of soju) as she performs.
The women who followed have made names for themselves in South Kora's R&B scene. sogumm is a dreamy artist that flows as the music flows. Her body moves naturally to the environment around her. DeVita is just as her name hints: an absolute diva. At one point she dared the audience to forget her. "If you didn't know my name before, I promise you, you'll never forget it again." Raw.
Who many might have considered the main acts, AOMG's Coogie and WOO, were dynamic and powerful in their own rights. But don't ever forget that it's the women who tore the house down!
