Community
SXSW 2013: Bajofondo @ Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake)...
Bajofondo has a polished sense of how and when to move onstage. At one point, the drummer got a thick beat going, and frontman and guitarist Gustavo Santaolalla heralded his bandmates to get the crowd to start clapping along. As the audience followed suit, the stringed instruments cascaded into a dissonant, bend-sounding synergy of sound. … read more
SXSW 2013: Death @ TenOak Metrotimes Detroit Blowout Showcase 03.14
It was Death, the protopunk band—one of the (retroactively) driving forces in rock n’ roll history. And they killed it. The remaining Hackney brothers were right on spot in the rhythm section, and they had two guitarists rather than one. As Bobby Hackney said at various times during their set, this was music straight out of 1975, and I felt like I was transported there. … read more
SXSW 2013: Royal Thunder @ The Dirty Dog Metalsucks Showcase...
Royal Thunder’s set at the Dirty Dog was like sex on the beach. They started out with a couple of their more mellow songs, then they royal thumpered into “Whispering World” to take the rhythm and pace to the next level. Frontwoman Mlny Parsonz really knew how to lure a guy in with soft coos that eventually transformed into full-bodied singing, then growls like a tigress. … read more
SXSW 2013: Max Pain and the Groovies @ Uncorked –...
I love seeing locals play outside of Utah. Max Pain and The Groovies are no strangers to the road, and it shows. I’ve seen Max Pain and The Groovies plenty of times at Salt Lake watering holes, but usually both of us are drunk on whiskey and a little sloppy. While watching them play on Austin’s Uncorked patio as the sun prepared to set, I recalled these past shows and was impressed by how tight their set has become … read more
SXSW 2013: Blue Hawaii @ Elysium – RA Showcase 3.13
Raph Standell-Preston’s vocals and stage presence are sugary sweet, and the music manipulated behind them is crisp and chilled, like fresh strawberries with a dusting of sugar and a dollop of whipped cream. … read more
SXSW 2013: Bleeding Rainbow @ Valhalla – Kanine Records Showcase...
About three-fourths into Bleeding Rainbow’s set, front woman Sarah Everton swapped her bass for Rob Garcia’s guitar and they even traded spaces onstage. The set got a lot livelier then, and for their last song, just as my ears were about to start bleeding (because I was standing next to a speaker without protection), guitarist Al Creedon rammed into Everton with his guitar until she playfully pushed him away. … read more
SXSW 2013: White Lung @ Holy Mountain Enabler PR Showcase
When White Lung played their first song with their sharp melodies and Mish Way’s nonchalant stage presence, the darkness and slight dinginess of the club complemented White Lung’s macabre sound well as a group of photographers at the front snapped and flashed their machines like the band members were stars on some sort of award show in a noir movie. … read more
SXSW 2013: Foxygen @ The Stages on Sixth 03.13
Foxygen played a great mix of energetic, offbeat tracks with soulful guitars that wouldn’t be out of place in the Rocky Horror Picture Show and made me want to move my feet . … read more
SXSW 2013: Drunk History Panel @ The Next Stage 03.13
I’ve been watching Drunk History since I came across it on Funny or Die a few years ago, so when I saw that the creators were part of a panel to promote their upcoming series on Comedy Central, I immediately wanted to be there. … read more
SXSW 2013: Nü Sensae @ Holy Mountain Backward Enabler PR...
I would marry Andrea Lukic. There was just something about her—the same thing I like about Chelsea Wolfe—which makes me think that she would have a nice conversation with me one day over tea, then strangle me in my sleep the next. I like that in a girl. … read more