VOA标准英语2014--Festival Brings Musicians and Fans to Austin, Texas

 

Festival Brings Musicians and Fans to Austin, Texas 

AUSTIN, TEX. — Austin, Texas is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” and that reputation is enhanced each year during the South by Southwest Festival. The event, which started in 1987, has grown larger each year and this year offered more than 2,000 showcase performances at venues² all over the city.

Most musicians come here looking for exposure. If they cannot get it inside a venue¹, they will go out on the street.

There is always music being played on Austin's Sixth Street, with all of its clubs and bars, but during South by Southwest there is even more of it and it comes from all over the world.

There are bands here from all over America and from as far away as Japan, South Korea and Azerbaijan.

Thousands of fans have poured into Austin to hear them play.

Joy Wave, an Indie Rock band from Rochester, New York, played at a venue sponsored by Spotify, an online streaming music service favored by young music fans.

Bass³ player John Donnally and singer Daniel Armbruster are confident that their band will stand out.

“There is none like ours,” said Donnally.

“It is also not a competition. I think Spotify, like all music, is instantly accessible forever, so everyone can listen to as much music as they want to,” added Armbruster.

But many musicians are clearly here hoping for a big break, an idea summed up in a song by New York-based comedic songwriter Jessica Delfino.

“I do not know what to do with my life, but I really, really, really want to be famous,” said Delfino.

Among the local singer/songwriters who already has a well-established fan base is Eliza Gilkyson.

Her new CD, released during the South by Southwest Festival, displays a style of self-expression that has become a model for many younger female singers.

“When you strip something down to you and a guitar, there is going to be something timeless about that that is the same through the ages,” said Gilkyson.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Gilkyson's first musical impressions came from her songwriting father, Terry Gilkyson, who penned many hits and also sang in a folk group.

“His music was around me all the time and he loved sort of dark melodies and he really was a master song constructor,” she said.

On her new CD, she included one of his songs - Fast Freight.

 

Eliza Gilkyson keeps playing concerts and selling CDs with her masterful performance of songs that appeal to both the heart and the intellect.

1 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

2 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

3 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。