In the frenzy of my preparation for SXSW I had received an invite for a special performance of Nightmare and the Cat with Gary Baseman, http://www.garybaseman.com/, at Hotel Cafe just before I was to leave town. I was interested but my time was limited. I had met young Samuel Stewart through Carina Round some years back at the Silverlake Lounge. Sam had an interesting sound and was looking for a direction for his music and there was something definitive missing. Sam is very talented mastering a many instruments. I know this because I’ve seen him play them when he was playing at Carina’s Hotel Cafe gig one time. Both he and Django are quiet accomplished their instruments and why wouldn’t they be. They’re sons of Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and The Tourist.

While I missed out on the LA show, much to my surprise they were playing SXSW HP Lounge. I joined in the early Austin evening as folks settled in for brisket and musical entertainment. Gary Baseman manned the portion of the stage designated for his performance painting and Sam and Django pulled everybody else up for the show. From the first moment I knew that Sam had made that transformation from musician to performer. He had great stage presence and was totally comfortable in his skin. Nightmare and the Cat quickly went from background entertainment for exhausted conventioneers to the main course for the night. Their song Missing Year was funky in a Bowie, Golden Years, way  and Under The Light was a rambunctious Rocker. Gary painted fiercely as they performed and the locked the night in a festive multi-media experience. Nightmare and the Cat closed encored with the Taking Heads’ Road to Nowhere in a rather impromptu manner, because of the crowds response, which was lively to say the least. Nightmare and the Cat hit a high note while setting the tone of the rest of this week at SXSW with this multi-media showcase with Gary Baseman.


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