Written on the fly, over 1 hour on each morning of the festival, here’s my own SXSW 2023 stream of consciousness, reflecting on the day and night before; a not quite blow-by-blow account of some of the unfolding music events throughout the week featuring things I’ve noticed, things I’ve learned, and the artists I can’t wait to tell everyone about…
DAY 5: FRIDAY 17 MARCH 2023 (written 18.03.23)
Austin might be almost 5000 miles from Ireland but this St Patrick’s Day, whilst there may not be a green Guinness in sight, you’re never far from an Irish flag bunting flapping around in the breeze, the occasional passing shamrock hat, or in the case of one particularly dapper hotel doorman, a bright emerald shamrock suit.
“You look like a white person celebrating St Patrick’s Day,” smiled Canadian Drag Race winner Priyanka, picking out one of the drunken crowd members at the Dr.Marten’s stage at Clive Bar on Rainey. Fusing the Texas brief with her own inimitable style, she dressed for the occasion; a cow print unitard with fringing and Stetson… dazzling of course, with extra cut out sections, diamantes, and whip. Alongside sibling dancers wearing plain black outfits (although fully customised with co-ordinated diamante embellishment) the trio’s synchronised dance routines offered a punch to her big pop numbers which included familiar samples including Donna Summer and Destiny’s Child among others. “We’re all queens,” she fittingly introduced of song Country Queen and with Gaga swagger, seemingly launched into riding an invisible bucking bronco. But the audience didn’t applaud; they screamed. Their shrieks and whoops challenged the eardrums and in particular, one super fan at the front was giving the dancers on stage a run for their money.
If Priyanka represents a modern interpretation of Texas, Melbourne artist Woodes – wearing full length mustard prairie dress and braids – offers a more traditional take. Further down the road, after a cancelled show due to the previous night’s electrical storm, her rearranged set in the front yard of the wooden panelled Australia House attracted passers-by, stopping them in the street. With two front rows to entertain, she turned back and forth singing through a set of mellow electronic-tinged pop reminiscent of Ellie Goulding, inspired she said, by the hikes she’s taken where her dad works as a national park ranger.
Vocal soundchecks have been interesting to watch this week; there’s often been the industry standard ‘1-2-check-1-2’ but among those, there’s the occasional more interesting ones like ‘beer-beer-beer’ (can’t recall who that one was) and improvised rhymes (Joe Casey, Protomartyr). For Berlin duo Jealous it’s a little more informational. “It’s like were a shoegaze band, but not a shoegaze band, but not, not a shoegaze band,” guitarist Paz, intoned down the mic ahead of their Deadstrange showcase set at The 13th Floor, between winks at the audience with the sass of The Cramps’ Poison Ivy (the colour red returns with post box PVC, suspenders and scallop tit tape). Bassist Dane takes on lead vocals and struts about in contrasting blue and altogether it’s like a sleazier Wolf Alice with heavy 70s rock crunch to rapturous applause. “Don’t clap… where are our drinks?” Paz asks, after previously indicating their appreciation for vodka. Softening, she bids farewell to the audience; “Thank you for your encouragement… in this world of confusion,” through a knowing Jagger lip curl before the pair take it in turns to wander into the crowd and hit the floor, bringing the set to a squealing halt.
The vibe was different at Mohawk; an uplifting and moving celebration of the life of Dorian Kweller, son of long-time local musician Ben Kweller, who was tragically killed only very recently, in a fatal car accident. Opening its doors to all, the feeling was hugely personal and felt like a privilege to stand alongside friends and family honouring the promising young musician and skateboarder. Making music under his middle name Zev*, he was considering music college and had been booked to play at this venue the same night. “We deliberated this but will continue to walk through the fire for Dorian,” Ben told those who had gathered, to introduce a beautiful tribute film compiled from footage by those who knew him and which was projected on to the venue wall to a soundtrack of about 5 Zev songs. Whilst not in body but certainly in spirit, his presence was felt throughout to those who know him and those who don’t.
Following Zev, the audience enjoyed The Beatlesy and Death Cab stylings of Connor McLaren (“not of the car”) and Modern Love Child who performed a song written with Dorian featuring a guest singer. Of course later, Ben Kweller himself powers through a set of greatest hits that still sound incredibly musically relevant today, dedicating Make It Up, one of his son’s favourites, for its ‘sick modulation.’ To read more about this event there’s a great write up by the Austin Chronicle here.
*Dorian’s parents have set up this crowdfunder in his honour, to support young musicians and skateboarders >> https://www.gofundme.com/f/Doriankweller
Elsewhere Ron Gallo and his 3-piece band opened a generation-transcending set at Cheer Up Charlies, with the O Sees meets Mac Demarco vibes of Entitled Man “for the women of the world” and You Go Valley Marshalls about the clothes store, telling us his name was actually the same as his dad’s and then his dad’s too. At Mexican bar Las Perlas, Australians Salarymen bounce through ‘60s tinged twee pop that falls somewhere between The Like and Zooey Deschanel with a cover of Dolly Parton’s 9-5 thrown in for good measure.
Then at 1am it’s a double header; under the cascading lights of the Swan Dive Patio, the stage fencing is taking a serious battering thanks to a wild Been Stellar whose singer Sam is like Liam Gallagher wearing an adidas tracksuit top and with arm hooked through his tambourine as he leads the aural assault of Strokes-like spiralling guitars. Whilst inside, the throbbing swells of pounding drums and electronica of Manchester, UK’s Mandy, Indiana are causing the last ones standing to dance around. The audience’s knees begin bending back and forth and before long, heads are bobbing along to the huge throbbing sound that fills the room. A gap in the crowd opens just large enough for singer Valentine to take her spot and writhe on the floor, as her bandmates relentlessly continue to channel the rhythms to impressed mutters around the room for a fabulous Friday finale.
DAY 4: THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2023 (written 17.03.23)
That was close. When Dream Wife’s Rakel said things were heating up she wasn’t wrong. Over on the East side, around 9pm inside The Low Down Lounge, chaos ensued. Ordinarily, New Jersey’s Shred Flintstone would be no stranger to such, but it turns out that a mere 2 songs into their set, their own sonic hurricane has pushed the day’s 30-degree heat into a very real electrical storm of biblical proportions. Sound techs scramble to gather as much plastic as they can lay their hands on and wrap the equipment to shield it from the elements, chatter from the packed-out crowd heightens and as lightning flashes strobe around the open venue – which disturbingly, whilst everyone is told to ‘take shelter,’ happens to be a tin covered patio on the side of the inside bar – the plug is pulled and stage is plunged into darkness.
Frontman Dan seemed pissed. Two minutes earlier, his hype up for the set involved prowling the concrete floor and doing push ups as well as few leg stretches (whilst lying on what had been dry ground), shaking the front row’s hands and pulling them towards the front of the stage. “Fucking get to the front” he yelped as band launched into an onslaught of energetic and brilliant lo-fi grunge-rock. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Perhaps the bandage on the bassist’s hand was a sign of things to come. But that was it. Rain began leaking through the roof and showing his frustration, Dan kisses and humps the overhead speaker before miming a roaring, slow motion guitar smash; clearly making the most of every minute they had left on stage. Fortunately the intermission is brief and within the hour the band return to stage and finish what they started.
It means Brooklyn’s SAFER only had time to play 3 songs (at SXSW each set is just 30 minutes). “Ok guys we’re gonna play quick,” singer Mattie told the audience with urgency. Channelling the rhythmic pulse of his other musical outfits The Rapture and Poolside, the 5-piece are super tight with the funk indie pop jaunt as though Paul Simon or Vampire Weekend were having a party with Tom Tom Club… enhanced by the actual Toms on stage. Whilst mother nature was not on their side, the gods were, and as the band are granted an extra 10 minutes, they turn inwards to face each other, and adapt their set on the spot whilst giving some considered discussion about what to play to give the patient crowd, now standing in pools of water, the set they deserve.
If the storm hadn’t destroyed the venue, Austin’s own Die Spitz seized the opportunity for themselves. Inciting a riot of crowd surfing, everyone surged forwards on top of each other sending the two speakers standing precariously on tall tripods into a wobble like one of those air dancer guys you’d find at a petrol (gas) station. Next to the stage, two girls cower behind the curtain of the instant photobooth. They’re still not safe. Guitarist Ellie clambered up the side, crawling and writhing on its roof whilst on stage, the rest of the band pummel through each track which has more than a hint of Nirvana and Hole about them, complete with guitarist and vocalist Ava’s rasp of The Distillers’ Brody Dalle. In fact they remind me of first seeing Amyl & The Sniffers at SXSW 2019 and look what happened to them. Meanwhile bassist Kate, with eyes wide and fixed grin, glares like a possessed Cheshire Cat whilst using every inch of the stage – high and low. “You guys know O SEEs?” Ava asked, before telling a story about how they ‘stole’ her guitar and messed it up after mistaking it for their own. “But this guitar was played by O SEEs now, so..” she shrugs. Ones to watch.
Earlier in the day, during the calm before the actual storm at the Brooklyn Vegan day party in the Empire Control Room, Chicago’s Ric Wilson also demonstrated the importance of strong stage banter and that it should never be underestimated. Proof that you can take the man out of the Windy City but not the wind out of the man, he reveals he wore his turtleneck in anticipation of forecasted rain and asked about the best foods to eat. The chat is due to another day bringing another technical hiccup (which I have noticed the Austin sound techs seem to handle swiftly without stress) and when everything finally gets going, Ric’s jazz-flecked rhymes (the vibe at one time reminds me of Estelle’s American Boy) move with old school flow; bolstered by his band featuring trumpet and decks. “Go Sam, go Sam,” he rallies of the audience to sing along in homage to his horn player. The audience raise their arms and sway back and forth; like Ric’s ringleader of his own rodeo by chorographing his own mass line-dance routine. “Are u all feeling me, say alright, alright, alright” (yeah, I’d be amiss not to squeeze in a Matthew McConaughey reference here) and in spite of it’s warm feel-good vibes, there are hidden depths with his on-point poetry too.
Another highlight included the controversially named Militarie Gun over at the Stereogum day party at Cheer Up Charlie’s (who just a short while later would be performing on the Third Man Records showcase at The 13th Floor). Baring a close sonic resemblance to Bristol, UK’s Saloon Dion (who are also here), you’d be forgiven for thinking of them to be a product of the current British post-punk scene as they adopt a keep calm and carry on approach to technical difficulties (“I have no fucking idea,” mouths one of the stage crew to the sound desk at the back of the crowd) and mostly, punch, high-jump and shout their way through a hefty set. Almost at combustion point as they bring their own Californian heat to Austin’s rising temperatures, the Los Angeles 5-piece’s faces redden and hair sticks to their sweaty foreheads, almost foreshadowing the evening’s events by whipping up their own kind of metaphorical hardcore thunderstorm.
DAY 3: WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2023 (written 16.03.23)
Is it too early to have found my favourite band of the festival? It’s a little romantic to think that you will just be walking past a venue and hear a sound which grabs you instantly, forcing you to backtrack and wander inside to check it out. But that’s exactly what happened when Toronto 4-piece Gloin brought their high-octane post-punk to the Chess Club bar. I wasn’t the only one; after catching their set, another gig-goer tells me they too did the same thing. And the rewards were plenty.
Sharing vocal duties between songs are guitarist John and bassist Vic; both bringing their own wrath to each message. John possesses the doom-laden vocal tone of Crows’ James Cox and taught guitar swings are fraught with tension. Vic has an equally scathing rasp as she hangs her head over her bass and rocks with force to occasionally lose her balance. In fact, swinging her bass so much she ends the set by raising an apologetic hand to the overhead speaker as the angular set finale sees its neck send it swinging.
There’s chanting in unison; ‘Rush’ and ‘Work Patrol’ stand out, and as the band literally stomp about the stage, mini dust clouds burst up from the carpet beneath their feet.
But it’s not all hellbent. There’s a considered, brooding menace at times as well, offering balance to just unleashing a hurricane of noise. In their more atmospheric moments and brief pauses, Vic turns back to the audience and steps on the brick holding the drums in place. “I pretty much know all of you in here,” she says after coming up from underneath her hair. True, there are about only 10 people in the room witnessing this, but the band play with the same ferocity as if there were 10,000. Everyone else’s loss is our gain. “This is a standing ovation” points out one audience member between the ripple of claps among the already stood up gathering.
If Gloin are giving a lesson that at SX the best things are unplanned (always keep your eyes and ears open), Dream Wife are giving us a weather report; “It’s gonna get warmer”, Rakel tells before unleashing her natural charisma at the Music for Listeners’ day party in the Lazarus Brewery. It would normally be a weird gig – despite their huge rock sound, everyone is seated, relaxed and enjoying their beers to the music. Even the pups, of which there are plenty, seem to be enjoying it. It only takes a few songs and one enthusiastic (or perhaps inebriated!) reveller is already at his feet, standing in front of the stage clapping along. We also learn about Julie – a pillar of the homelessness volunteer community in Austin with who the band are staying. And there are heart hand signals from both sides. “I just wanted to tell everyone that… Julie, this song… it’s not about you. This song is called ‘Leach.’” Laughter resounds.
The famous Austin motto is ‘Keep Austin Weird’ and if one band should win SXSW’s oddest moment award it would be local 4-piece Heavy Meddo. Least of all because the guitarist is using a tickertape music box and untidy violin bow on his fret board. Delivering their own esoteric take on mellow kraut-tinged psych rock inside Hotel Vegas where projections dance across their faces, members take it in turns to lie in the middle of the audience on the floor. It’s also possible the singer and guitarist (who wanders around the stage in what appears to be the contents of a dressing up box, occasionally using his head to smash the drum kit’s cymbals) missed their breakfast tacos because they move between being snuggled up to the lead guitaristandchewing the button on his shirt or apparently gnawing at the strings on fellow bandmember’s bass. In fact oral fixation seems to be the theme of the day, when earlier on the outdoor patio, O SEES’ John Dwyer, between a giant pickle mascot stage diving and surfing around the Hotel Vegas patio stage, pops his own microphone into his mouth whilst churning through a typical 100mph dual-drum kit set.
In fact, now inside Hotel Vegas John is bantering with the bassist of California’s GracieHorse. “Turn up the vocals” he yells in support of his fellow line-up buds. “Turn up my uncle?” the bassist replies with a grin. It’s a moment of light comic relief in what is a very brief and sombre set (perhaps due to some technical issues and equally preferring the strength of the music to do the talking), but it’s a stunningly understated set which meanders between alt-country and americana. A beautiful couple in the audience slow dance in a truly romantic way and fans of Courtney Marie Andrews will find much to love in its warm lap steel sound.
That’s it. Hour is up. I had wanted to let you know that, talking of lap steel, Protomartyr also have added a lap steel player to their line-up, which sounded great at their midnight set at Lucille’s on Rainey Street. Whilst singer Joe was happy about the addition (“He makes our songs sound better”) he wasn’t best pleased about the strobe lights. And yet, between squints and observations about the high-rise building lights opposite, the new songs including latest single ‘Make Way’, as well as the ‘shitty old songs’ all sounded great
DAY 2: TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2023 (written 15.03.23)
They say every cloud has a silver lining, which is good because not only has the weather started to turn with the clouds rolling in, a late finish the night before meant slightly messing up timings in the morning and being faced with the odd but beautifully serendipitous situation of the first band of the day being the last one of the previous night. Even in daylight The Black Angels are as suited to the packed-out Mohawk where Marshall is throwing its day party. All business as usual – and without the Empire Garage show’s interruption of a strange momentary stage invasion from a crazed fan – which I forgot to mention previously.
“I mean I was taken!”
“Yes, take me… it was so good” agrees one audience member’s friend at the Women That Rock day party at Cheer Up Charlies next door. Jaguar Jonze is in town having travelled all the way from Australia with band in tow, and whilst this might be the first show they have played in Austin, let alone SXSW, from the sheer number of phones being held up you can tell the crowd were on board.
Whilst together, the 4-piece looked more ‘pop’ wearing rainbow make-up and co-ordinated yellow and black outfits under the huge disco ball and neon backdrop of the Cheer Up Charlies stage, their hefty, menacing guitars and punchy choruses, tied with singer Deena’s captivating stage presence offer a far more exciting pop-rock prospect – bringing to mind the colourful idiosyncratic Return to Saturn era of No Doubt. A cover of Nirvana’s Heart-shaped Box sharpens their edge, as does set highlight ‘Cut’ which gets arms waving with an audience singalong. “I knew we’d make you music industry people dance” shegrins. Which is better banter than the line about eating BBQ, which the audience have probably already at least 10 times already that day.
Much later in the evening, on a chilly patio at The Drafting Room in Austin’s ‘historic’ Rainey Street (how much history remains is questionable having undergone huge gentrification in recent years) there’s also more than a hint of Gwen Stefani in the vocal delivery of Child Seat singer Madeleine. Fully acclimatised to Austin’s changing weather, the Californians’ set is a warm trip through 80s-tinged indie-rock, bolstered by a 4-piece line up and fun cover of Tears for Fears’ Shout which showcases the power of Madeline’s voice. Arms wave from the inside bar – but not because it’s a set that demands crowd participation, but rather, because the floor level stage has plunged into darkness and as the band continue to play, the stage crew swiftly check cables and turn spotlights just in time for closing track ‘Burning.’
A surprising stand-out from the day was sisterly Brooklyn duo Overcoats. Performing at Cheer Up Charlies with a drummer and backing track, their vocal-led americana pop falls somewhere between First Aid Kit, Wet Leg, Hinds, and The Big Moon. Showing their bond through strong stage interaction they hug and facing each other as well as the audience, and calmly gesture with occasional synchronised choreography (which, they proudly declare, was made up just beforehand in the hotel lobby). Each song felt big, particularly Fire & Fury which Hana picks up a guitar for, to give an anthemic finale to a set that bodes well for their forthcoming new album.
Tuesday was also the day for a British Invasion and by the bustling crowd gathering inside Seven Grand for Leeds, UK’s Dance to the Radio label showcase, there was a lot of interest in what was on offer. Opening the party were Yorkshire’s Avalanche Party – who have become local favourites since playing SXSW 2019 and always seem to go down well with the US crowds, enamoured by their lively performances. Whilst down the road at Sellers Underground, London’s Speedy Wunderground label put their first stamp on Austin with a showcase featuring, among other UK acts, a restless and energetic set from New York’s Been Stellar whilst Manchester bands The Goa Express and The Golden Dregs play a packed out British Music Embassy showcase at Cedar Street Courtyard.
Back on Rainey, The Vices are clearly doing everything right. Under the marquee in the yard of Half Step, the Netherlands 4-piece storm through a brisk indie guitar pop set and share an occasional anecdote (like how they were picked for Manchester’s Beyond The Music SX showcase event after unwittingly handing a pair of branded socks from their merchandise stand to someone at Brighton’s Great Escape festival, who in turn would later book them for this event). From the smiles on everyone’s faces – audience and band – everyone is having a great time and as the crowd step closer to the front for The Coral-esque jaunt of The Neighbour, a late-night party unfolds.
DAY 1: MONDAY 13 MARCH 2023 (written 14.03.23)
Whether you’re catching waves of sound on the wind as you watch a band from a field or find yourself navigating the darkness of an underground venue, the first day of every festival is unofficially known as ‘orientation day’. Usually this means finding venues, and essentially, calculating the distance between each one to make sure you make it to the live sets you want to watch. And regardless of whether you’ve attended this festival before, SXSW is no exception.
And that’s even before you figure out what the weather is going to do and what to wear. One band who clearly don’t have to worry about that is Brooklyn’s Razor Braids. Taking to the Hotel Vegas stage, ablaze in scarlet from head-to-toe as part of the venue’s opening Spring Break Boogie showcase, between a cover of Weezer’s Buddy Holly (“we definitely did write this one”, grins vocalist Hollye) and some bang-on indie-rock harmonies somewhat lighter than the serrated edge their name and inspiration would suggest (“this is about some shitty guy from Nashville”) their on-stage presence (featuring serious back bends from guitarist Janie) is proof there’s far more to this 4-piece than meets the eye; a band seeing red, not just wearing it.
And they’re not the only ones teaching us that Red is the new Black. Red appears to be the colour of choice throughout the day; on the Volstead stage, duo Jane Leo’s lycra leggings are teamed with leopard print leotard and LCD Soundsystem punch whilst atmospheric 5-piece Loveme’s singer leads the band’s alluring Twin Peaks roadhouse vibes. Much later, in the early hours, even Christian Bland of The Black Angels’ crimson bomber jacket stands out all the way to the back of the Empire Garage as the band return to perform to a home crowd fresh off the back of their UK/European tour and brings the day to a hypnotic close.
The sun may be shining but on Hotel Vegas’ Patio Stage, a storm is being whipped up by not one, but two Austin residents called Billy. As sandy clouds swirl up from the most pits before them both, Billy Glitter are purveyors of blistering beret-topped garage-rock which occasionally comes up for air as it meanders between styles within the genre, whilst the only pause from metal rock trio Rickshaw Billies Burger Patrol is when they hurtle though a song so hard the sound system can’t cope. “I know it’s no good, but you didn’t need to cut the power,” jokes guitarist Sean. Everything soon starts up again and the moral of the story? If you lose your phone in the mosh pit, some kind soul will pop it on the front of the stage, covered in dust, for after-antics collection.
It must suck to be in a band when your own stage time clashes with that of an influence in another venue across town. It’s perhaps a very real situation for synth trio Cloudland Canyon whose instrumental New Order sounding soundscapes open Forcefield’s official SXSW showcase. Instead of being at The Moody Theatre where their Manchester counterparts will perform later this evening as part of launch for Beyond The Music with Loose Articles and The Orielles, they are warming things up nicely at The 13th Floor; formerly known as Beerland, the venue appears to have had a much-improved transformation with beautiful ceiling tiles and psychedelic 60s posters in frames on freshly-painted exposed brick walls. And it is swiftly destroyed by one punter who suddenly drops his pint on the floor in all the excitement. He offers to clean it up, but the bartender is cool with it, more concerned about replenishing the contents of his glass.
Earlier in the day I’m tipped by an Austin resident to check out the local line-up before The Black Angels’ set in the Empire Garage; I miss Pearl Z but manage to find a spot between the should-to-shoulder crowd and underneath swirls of heavy cigarette/vape/weed smoke to witness local favourites Sir Woman whose rousing vocals well surpass any of those I’ve heard all day. I wonder if, were it not for the neo soul, nu jazz genre, this would be way bigger internationally than it is. Vocalist Kelsey is next level; good as any Adele, with sass to boot, accompanied with full band including ‘backing’ singers Spice and Roy Jr whose talent also pushes them centre stage. The audience cannot be silenced as respectful cries and cheers fill the venue.
Other honourable mentions: Good Looks, Iguana Death Cult, Fatal Jamz, Puppy Angst, Cafuné, Divino Nino, OK Cowgirl, Death Valley Girls, M(h)aol, Ghum, THICK, Manny Walters, Enumclaw, Venus Twins, Hotline TNT, Thus Love, Strange Ranger, Bartees Strange,
Just The Type 