Issues: Exclusive
SXSW 2013: The Geeks @ The Elysium K-Pop Night Out...
I entered The Elysium at dusk. The bar was dark and had great black-lighting. Although the crowd let me down, I was able to look past them and sense the genuineness that The Geeks offer, who got me pumped for the rest of my night. … read more
SXSW 2013: The Very Best @ Club de Ville –...
From the minute a tall, lanky African American man wearing a top hat and Mardi Gras beads stepped onto the stage to put some blow-up palm trees in the corner, I knew I was going to like The Very Best. … read more
SXSW 2013: Robert Kelly’s Nasty Show with Aisha Tyler @...
I recently overheard to a comedy podcast in the SLUG office called The Champs, and Aisha Tyler was a guest on it. She was fucking hilarious. When I heard she was going to be at SXSW, I knew I had to see her. … read more
SXSW 2013: Assacre @ The Metal & Lace Lounge 03.12
Assacre was a motherfucking komodo dragon. As I entered the Metal & Lace venue, he paced to the entrance and looked me square in the eye through goggles and a black shawl-mask. He held his performance across the whole bar rather than the stage, and knelt down to execute thrash-y riffs reminiscent of Slayer. … read more
SXSW 2013: Tegan and Sara @ The Main iHeartRadio Showcase...
I would play guitar for Tegan and Sara. That’s the only instrument I play well, and, really nobody would notice that I was in the band, because, like in their music videos, JUST Tegan and Sara are in the spotlight onstage. They have a retinue of dudes (and they’re DUDES, not chicks) who play guitar, drums, bass or keys, depending on the song—as long as I was just CLOSE to them, I would be happy, really. … read more
SXSW 2013: Blank Tapes @ Valhalla Presented by Antenna Farm...
The Blank Tapes stage presence is best compared to the Muppets band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, except Animal would be playing the tambourine. … read more
SXSW 2013: Gepe @ The Friends Bar – Sound of...
I heard this Chilean band’s soundwaves reverberate through Sixth Street in Downtown Austin and straight to my ear while on the fly and decided to stop in and catch their set. The stage presence of Gepe turned into a dreamy, energetic Enrique Iglesias style of soft arm waving, combined with occasional fist bumping. … read more
Alabama Shakes @ Saltair 03.08
I’ve been a fan of Alabama Shakes for shy of a year and even though I love their album, I was expecting a canned performance, appealing to a broad audience, sticking only to their album and no jam seasons. I was wrong. The Alabama Shakes have one of the tightest rhythm sections I’ve seen in quite some time—without their quick stops and interplay, the vocals of Brittany Howard would not have a platform to launch from. … read more
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Sallie Ford and...
When I first saw Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside perform in Portland, I was hooked, and I selfishly wanted them to become more popular, hoping that would mean tour dates that included Salt Lake on the route. This is the second time they’ve visited Salt Lake (that I know of, at least), and hopefully not the last! Sallie embodies the sounds of a wicked vintage diva, from throwing it back to surf rock influences, to using the upright bass (an element I especially dig), to belting sassy lyrics with crude themes. … read more
SXSW 2013: People of Letters @ 18th floor at Hilton...
I was introduced to People Of Letters in passing and recommended by Angela Brown, editor of SLUG Magazine, who also attended the panel. The one and only member of the panel I would consider marring would be Amanda Palmer from the Dresden Dolls, although I don’t think it would work out, since her husband Neil Gaiman was in the same room. … read more