Tacks, The Boy Disaster’s Evan Jacobs explains the Austin band’s SXSW experience:
“SXSW 2007 was the most ridiculously busy, non-sleeping week I’ve had in a long time, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Playing 12 times that week made it a bit difficult to see many other shows, but I did manage to catch more than a few great ones. It’s always fun to see our little town transform into a big circus, costumes and all, but I don’t recommend trying to drive much throughout the week. Get a bike. You’ll thank me come 2008. My favorite show of the week: a Japanese jazz band fronted by an electric melodicist and backed by a flautist, a keytarist, and a drummer, all clad in brightly-colored kimonos. Over the top and wonderful.”    
 
Tacks, The Boy Disaster recorded at the Big Orange on the second day we’d staked out our temporary home on March 13. It rained most of the day and everyone that was in was local aside from The Little Ones. It was a calm afternoon amongst friends and the Tacks bunch were fit in between Voxtrot and Sparrow House. The band had just gotten off tour with Midlake and they’d been missed by their significant others. Later in the week, we spotted guitarist Nathan Stein at the Tone Wheel showcase down the street at Progress Coffeehouse, where SOUND Team’s Bill Baird told a story about totaling his car and ended his last song by walking out the doors still playing, with band in tow. Nathan smiled.
 
First song
Frozen Feet (Tacks, The Boy Disaster) [3.77MB] [1547 downloads]


— original version appears on Oh, Beatrice
I don’t remember specifics of how the take of this song went, but I do remember enjoying playing it in that room. Something about the concrete walls and live sound of the room was really conducive to the sound of the song, and I think it was while playing this one that I really started to relax and have a good time.  

Second song
Man With A Plan (Tacks, The Boy Disaster) [4.92MB] [1515 downloads]


— original version appears on Oh, Beatrice
This is a good one for us to stretch out on, we have this wide open section and it’s always fun to see what’s going to happen when we play this one live.  The man with a plan is a sinister sort of character, and I feel like we try and capture some of his unexpectedness by letting the song take us as opposed to having it all pre-composed.  
 
Third song
Dying to Know (Tacks, The Boy Disaster) [3.54MB] [1485 downloads]


— unreleased
One of our sci-fi songs, laser beams and all, which is a theme we’re looking forward to unpacking on the next album. This is actually my oldest song, but I was never able to find the missing link until Nathan came along and lent his ears and a fresh idea for the bridge. The bridge also gives more space for some ridiculous sci-fi lyrics to take shape.

Fourth song
Matilda (Tacks, The Boy Disaster) [4.39MB] [1430 downloads]


— original version appears on Oh, Beatrice
Recording “Matilda” at Big Orange was a treat for us.  It’s rare that we get to play this song as it was recorded (or at least a bit closer to it), with the acoustic guitar and piano and hand percussion. So we all gathered around the piano and just had a good old-fashioned sing along.