Interested in filling a rock club to the rafters? Simple: Just have Nada Surf and Destroyer play back to back sometime. People were stuffed asses to elbows at Volume night club for the first day of the Stereogum/PASTE party, although the free libations helped ease the heat. Nada did it unplugged-style, Destroyer most definitely did not — and both destroyed. Peter Morén rounded out the day with the more blissful moments of the prematurely approved The Last Tycoon (how good is “My Match”?), with the help of some local Austin musicians on strings.

Later in the night was Islands, which is looking like top contender for best set of South by Southwest. More on that in a few.

The best reason to skip dinner yesterday was the Lou Reed tribute at the FADER Fort at dusk: this was the only place in Austin you were gonna see Yo La Tengo, MMJ, Mark Kozelek, Joseph Arthur, and Dr. Dog cover Lou Reed songs, with Lou Reed in attendance. Not only that, though — the man himself graced the stage, at one point duetting with a newly resurgent Moby (his DJ sets have been the talk of the town this year). We’ll have some video of the Moby-fied “Walk On The Wildside” later. Huge thanks to Abbey Braden for photographing the FADER festivities. Her pics and ours this way..

NADA SURF (VOLUME)

DESTROYER (VOLUME)

PETER MORÉN (VOLUME)

LYKKE LI (EMO’S TENT)

TOKYO POLICE CLUB (EMO’S)

ISLANDS (CEDAR STREET)

LOU REED TRIBUTE (FADER FORT)
DR. DOG

EZRA FURMAN AND THE HARPOONS

JOSEPH ARTHUR

LOU REED

MARK KOZELEK

OH NO OH MY

THURSTON MOORE AND THE NEW WAVE BANDITS

YO LA TENGO