This year, my friends and I found that the most fun, exciting, and - perhaps most importantly - least stressful SXSW shindigs were taking place not on the strip of 6th and Red River that yearly attracts tourists, fratboys and industry insiders like a necrophiliac to a graveyard, but on what we refer to as The East Side, as demarcated by the enormous I-35 highway that cuts the city in half.

While it may not seem like a biggie to an out of town reader, I must stress that the slow crawl east is ground zero for all gentrification and city growth debates in Austin. Having lived on the east side for less than a year, I've seen more condos, record stores, thrift and coffee shops open up than I'd have imagined possible. It's as if the hipster contingency of Austin has ceded most of 6th and much of Lamar to the yuppies, and is heading across the river for their nightly drinking and carousing.

This is just a long winded introduction to Thursday afternoon, the one day in which we actually did spend a significant amount of time on the west side of the divide. Paste Magazine, the ridiculously named blog Brooklyn Vegan and a bunch of sponsors were throwing a celebratory bash at the newly-christened Radio Room, and to miss such a caliber of talent seemed a shame.

So, we queued up outside the place for about ten to twenty minutes, and were pretty quickly ushered into a free day party where Magic Hat Brewery's strange tea-like beer was flowing as fast as the sweat.

Sweltering in the early day sun, we parked to see some of Bishop Allen's set, which was breezy and bubbly. Following the crush of the crowd, we moved closer to prepare for The Hymns and Daniel Johnston. Johnston, Austin-based, rarely performs in town, and is prone to canceling shows. Furthermore, he usually appears (when he does) with his band The Nightmares, so this collaboration with The Hymns seemed unusual.

The Hymns warmed up the stage with two takes at plainly derivative garage rock, worrying at least me that either Johnston might not show, or that The Hymns - who looked and sounded like an amalgamation of Jet and The Strokes - would play a full set. Fortunately, Johnston did show, performing first with The Hymns as a backing band, completely solo, and with a guitar accompanist. The continuous tremors down Johnston’s arms made it difficult to watch him perform at times, but he (despite assurances that he didn’t practice) made a sterling impression, especially during a moving performance of his classic track “Living Life.”

The Wrens, who have experienced a renewed appreciation since the 2003 release of their only third release, Meadlowlands, played a blazing set after the departure of Johnston, signifying that, if anything, the band’s late recognition has only given them time to perfect live performance. Starting and ending their set with bruised piano numbers, the band ratcheted up the heat for the majority of their set by leaping, screaming, and basically playing the shit out of their songs. It wasn't a hardcore show, but the intensity (minus the overt seriousness) was all there. It’s just not often that music like this is as enjoyable – though in a different way, perhaps – than it is to watch.

Taking us back to more Johnston-type folk were the Avett Brothers, a band named after principal singers and songwriters Seth and Scott Avett. Also high on enthusiasm, the Brothers exercised their vocals and talents by running through a comprehensive set of their trademark neo-bluegrass, much of which involved vocal and instrument swapping. While the compositions and performance were tight enough, the band’s ultra-folksy tone (all about women n’ lying n’ movin’ on) grew thin in time, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just been yelled at for approximately an hour.

Taking a somewhat absurd turn, the day concluded with the greenest band of the bunch “headlining,” as it were - Passion Pit, who to date have only the excellent Chunk of Change EP to their name. The band's newness was not something lost on lead man Michael Angelakos, and without being an absolute diva about it, the singer did manage to smother the perception that Passion Pit is a “blog band” whose quick rise to recognition would be followed by a sharp drop. He assured the crowd that his band would “be making music for a long time to come,” but whether any of us needed that assurance is debatable. After all, if The Wrens and Johnston can overcome label struggles and obscurity over the course of their careers, well, Passion Pit already has a leg up on them.

The set included much of Chunk of Change unsurprisingly, but also included two new songs in the same electro-pop vein of earlier material. It’s interesting that Angelakos chose to mention the flash-in-the-pan nature of blog popularity and his concerns about Passion Pit’s continued success, because live, it was hard not think “too much, too soon" while watching them alternately struggle and soar. It’s commendable that Angelakos fleshed out his live act with a band instead of relying on DJ trickery, but the complications of playing along to pre-made beats was a tough thing for the group to manage, especially for the drummer, who twice threw down his headphones and knocked over the computer he was using as (I imagine) a click track.

“Sleepyhead” saw a false start, and while it really was no big deal that the band had to give it a second try, Angelakos seemed embarrassed. Here’s a news bulletin to all bands who find themselves slipping up and subsequently apologizing – don’t worry so much. First of all, most crowds don’t realize that your guitar is slightly out of tune, or that you can’t hear yourself in the monitor, or that a song isn’t as well-rehearsed as you think it is - enthusiasm for the music, for the audience, and for the performance (as long as this enthusiasm is deserved) are really all one could ask for in a performance, regardless of how you feel about the songs themselves. Overall, Passion Pit delivered a juicy set full of Angelakos’ playful stage mannerisms, a clever recreation of their recorded music, and clear devotion. Relax, guys. Like you said, we have years to come.

After the heat, it was nice to once again retreat to the east side, where the locally based multi-media imprint Monofonus Press were staging a Renaissance Faire of sorts entitled “Woolworth’s Harsh Realm,” complete with games (prizes included Monofonus merchandise), music, food and a live-action show featuring a gigantic, moving dragon head that spewed cascarones and ribbons. With so much to do, the music seemed just a part of the festivities, though we did catch the tail end of doom-rockers The Roller’s set. It’s tough to make out the nuances of sludgy metal in the first place, and less still when you’re immersed in a mosh pit consisting of goofs throwing club soda on one another and tossing around an umbrella. It may not have been the most hardcore pit, but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the festival’s most fun.

As if that weren’t enough rock, we capped off the evening at the Longbranch for more MadeLoud-sponsored music. We entered as Austinites Crash Gallery were pummeling the drinkers and revelers at the bar with some pretty intense metal-hued punk, though there was more than just sloganeering and movement at work here – vocals were often sent though one regular mic and one drowning with reverb, and of their two guitarists, one also had two keyboards at his disposal for an added sonic reach. In other words, not your average band rocking Headhunters, though the amount of fist-pumping would make them at home at any loud music-loving venue.

Once again, we were granted an audience with Silverghost, the Detroit duo we saw and discussed on day one of our coverage. And again, they impressed us with a mix of solid rock with an electronic edge, and granted us an interview (check back soon!) wherein they discussed the particulars of the Detroit scene, losing their rhythm section, and their affinity for The Cramps.

Leading us into that good night was Dri from Kansas. Unlike the punk flavorings of the two previous bands, Dri surprised us with their jazzy, R&B-flavored tunes, which were augmented with a stellar backing band who gave the songs that much more soul.

Thursday was one of our longest days at SXSW, and it was a joy to see so many great acts in such a short amount of time. Tomorrow we’ll update you about foursquare Friday, which climaxed with an uproarious set from Peelander Z.

Thanks to Molly Wardlaw for her photography!