The sole original member from that lineup is vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Chris Bailey. The last time I had seen Bailey was in '03 when he was touring as the opening act for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Since then, Bailey has slimmed down considerably and now appears to be in rude health. Playing underneath an outdoor tent to a large open-to-the-public crowd, Bailey was visibly moved by the adoration of his fans. This was HIS crowd — a motley assortment of young and old punks, clad in MC5, Stooges and Devo t-shirts.

After a rugged but beautiful selection of songs that drew heavily from the early Saints days, Bailey held court and signed autographs and posed for photos with fans.

(CHRIS BAILEY of THE SAINTS)

Which is, of course, one of the great things about SXSW. It's a conference in which the artists are often allowed to greet and meet their heroes on a level playing field.

And that wraps up my SXSW scene report for '07. I know you're wondering, "Hmmm, what about his Friday night and Saturday schedule?" Well, the truth is that I came down with a nasty stomach virus on Friday so there's ABSOLUTELY nothing cool to report about my activities for the rest of the weekend.