popwreckoning

So, there’s this band whose CD has been playing in my car constantly since seeing them at Crosstown Station a while back. They’re called The Bright Light Social Hour and they’re from Austin, Texas.

It was one of those impulsive “I’m going to see this show, it could be really awesome or really terrifying” kind of nights. Well, it was definitely the former.

TBLSH has been on tour since September throughout the entire U.S. and Canada. They even made a PSA video about their tour.

If they played the whole tour like they did in KC, I’m sure they are making an impact in every single venue. They are just one of those bands. The kind you dance to the entire night, get their songs stuck in your head for weeks, and that you can’t seem to get enough of.

Sitting down with them before the show I could tell it would be an eventful night. Between the laid back personalities and the kindness of every member, they treated me like I had known them for months.

TBLSH is fronted by bassist and lead vocals, Jack O’Brien who’s stage presence pulls the audience in. Although, it could be his long hair and epic moustache that makes him so memorable.

These guys know how to rock, plain and simple. Their sound is a fusion of blues, funk and southern rock all mashed together making a beautiful blend that appeals to any loving rock n’ roll fan.

There’s this moment in their live show that sticks out the most. During a dynamic guitar solo from Curtis Roush, all four band members dancing around the stage stop to snap their fingers in the microphone.

After giving their self-titled a listen, the snapping has easily become my favorite part of their album. About halfway through the 10 minute track “Garden of the Gods,” I find myself snapping along with ease and usually rocking out the solo in my car.

Oh, and they have a keytar. Any band with a keytar is a win in my book.

These guys took home six awards at SXSW 2011, including Band of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Bassist, Best Keyboardist, and Best Producer. They have played Austin City Limits, appeared on the cover of The Austin Chronicle twice, were featured in Paste Magazine’s Best of What’s Next and have sold out multiple venues in Austin and across the U.S.

The Bright Light Social Hour is a band we all need to keep our eyes on. They’re going places.

Casey and Bethany talked to Portugal. The Man at the Atlantic/Chop Shop Records Showcase during SXSW this year.

You can check the full interview out below:

. SXSW interview with Portugal. The Man.

Their new album In The Mountain In The Cloud will be available July 19 on Atlantic Records. Pre-order now at portugaltheman.com!

As the annual ACL festival returns to Austin this year for its 10th anniversary, they promise a big lineup filled with the hottest current acts and some major alums.

This year’s lineup boasts acts such as Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Nas & Damian “Jr Gong” Marley and Cee Lo. You can see the full lineup below.

This year’s Austin City Limits festival is set for September 16-18. Tickets are already available, here.

Austin, Texas based singer-songwriter Brandon Kinder has made quite a name for himself. Not only is he the front man for the indie folk rock band The Rocketboys, but he’s ventured out into the solo world as well, under the moniker The Wealthy West. He used SXSW to his advantage to debut some new tunes of his own and though I wasn’t even in attendance, I can tell you they were well-received.

I was lucky enough to experience The Rocketboys firsthand in a live setting, and let me tell you, it was fantastic. I have always held the belief that when a band is better live than they are on the album, that’s when you’ve found a true gem. When a recording can’t express everything that a band is, that’s how you know. That’s the real music; those are the passionate ones. And though I only briefly met them on a college town stop in the middle of Missouri over a year ago, I bought two albums on the spot and don’t regret a dime of it.

Brandon Kinder’s solo material released under the name The Wealthy West definitely sounds like the material I’m so familiar with, but it has a more intimate and acoustic feel to it. Kinder’s songs are accessible and he has a knack for heartfelt storytelling. His music has a touch of an Americana feel that I’m sure is thanks to his Austin roots. It’s simple and that’s why I think I’m so drawn to it. The first song “Love Is Not Enough” is simply an acoustic guitar, a keyboard and Kinder’s soulful voice singing earnestly and honestly. “Another Bad Idea” features touches of banjo and tinkling percussion; the steady tempo and bright percussion balances nicely with the melancholy lyrics. “Give Me Resurrection” is quiet and intimate with whispered vocals. “You cannot take my love away” is repeated over and over throughout the song with subtle backing vocals to create a truly beautiful piece. “Home” picks up in tempo slightly and features a more hopeful sound with plucked guitars, harmonica, accordion, and banjo as well as female vocals which really add character and warmth. The short and sweet EP wraps up nicely with the now-familiar melancholy musical and lyrical sounds in “Not A Pretty Pair”. It’s a small sample of what’s to come in future volumes, clocking in at a mere fifteen minutes. But I assure you it’s a fifteen minutes well spent.

Be sure and give Brandon Kinder’s music a listen. It’s passionate and simple, and you can’t go wrong with a sweet voice and an acoustic guitar.

Casey kidnapped the Republic Tigers and got a quick interview between sets at the Atlantic Records/Chop-Shop Showcase. Listen!

. “Interview with: The Republic Tigers

Their EP, No Land’s Man, was released on April 18. Pick up a copy at your local record store or hit up iTunes.

Saturday at SXSW was a day of great excitement mixed with a little sadness. This was the final day of the festival, which meant there some big heavyweights to look forward to, but this was also it. When the music stops on this day, it’s time to go back to reality.

I had big plans for Saturday, and sorry folks, but they didn’t include Kanye. I didn’t really care to trek all the way out to that venue just to gain street ‘cred.’ Saturday I was anticipating seeing Community’s Donald Glover rap, Panic! at the Disco‘s return with just two of the original members and of course, some of my favorite local bands.

I began my day on a very sunny rooftop (hello, sunburn) to interview some of the fantastic artists on Big Picture Media‘s roster. PopWreckoning talked to bands such as LoveBettie, Death on Two Wheels and more. We even talked to a representative from To Write Love on Her Arms. You will find those interviews posted on PopWreckoning in the come days.

After grabbing some much needed coffee after the interviews, I decided to check out the PureVolume House. I hadn’t been yet this year and was feeling guilty for already missing out on so much of their amazing lineup. PureVolume throws one of the best parties at the fest. After grabbing some free pop chips and and a drink, I found a nice spot to watch James Vincent McMurrow. I had heard the name, but had yet to actually hear any of the music. The vocals were amazing – just beautiful. The gentle folk tunes performed a nice backdrop for this guy’s standout voice.

Home Video followed with some fun pop rock songs, but I had to head out after just a song because I had a long walk to catch one of my favorite formerly-local bands.

I hope these guys know how much I love them, because it was quite a trek across the interstate to find the tiny park that the Noise FM were about to play in. My poor feet! This Chicago trio (formerly of Lawrence, Kan.) delivers fun indie dance rock songs. Singer/guitarist Alex Ward‘s voice was a little scratchy from the jam-packed week of performances, but it was still fun and his sore throat didn’t stop his good humor – there were plenty of jokes to be had about the Pabst sponsorship.

From there it was back to the main stretch of the fest to catch the ever-so-wonderful Chop Shop/Atlantic Records Showcase. (PopWreckoning has interviews to come from that showcase as well, so keep an eye out). Scars on 45 had just started when I made my way in. The six-piece British band quickly had me hooked with their catchy indie pop tunes with passionate lyrics.

After Scars on 45, I caught another performance from Kansas City’s very own the Republic Tigers. I had already caught them at SXSW at the Central Presbyterian Church, which was an ok performance, but the guys seemed a lot more together for this one. It was a huge improvement and especially showed on their newer songs, which were a lot more engaging this time around. Perhaps all they needed was that extra rehearsal, but boy, what a difference it made. “Merrymake It With Me” especially stands out from the new material and really gets you dancing.

My final Chop Shop/Atlantic performance was the rock/punk act the Joy Formidable. Frontwoman Ritzy Bryan was mesmerizing to watch as she executed some beautiful dynamic control. The petite woman has some power to her pipes.

A brief phone charge and a giant water later, I found myself in line in front of Red 7. A group of us were eagerly anticipating seeing one of our favorite NBC comedy stars: Donald Glover. But instead of performing comedy, we’d get to see him rap. Unfortunately there seemed to be some confusion about what line we were supposed to be in. Our line had merged with a line for the Beauty Bar’s “secret show.” The secret act? Death from Above 1979. It was very tempting to stay in the line I had accidentally ended up in for Death from Above 1979. Very. But I was excited about Glover and there were like 20 other acts I wanted to still see that night. If I went to DFA, I’d be committing myself to only seeing them after a long wait. I tweeted what I was considering, but settled on finding the correct line for Glover.

Some running around with a group of Glover fans and we finally found where we were supposed to be for Glover’s performance as Childish Gambino. By some crazy luck, once inside the venue, I found myself standing right next to Glover’s “Community” co-star: Danny Pudi. Nicest and most genuine guy ever. He talked to everyone around him, answered tons of questions and took photos with a people with a very authentic smile. It was great to see him there supporting his best friend, not only on television, but in real life as well. When it came time for Childish Gambino to start, Glover began with, “Alright. Where’s my boy, Danny? Let’s get a light on Danny.” A spotlight found where Pudi was standing and everyone cheered. With a big grin, Glover finally set into his first rap.

Glover’s rapping isn’t quite as smooth as his acting, but he has a lot of potential. His lyrics are hilarious and filled with pop culture refrences. Some roughness to his voice and occassional rushing of the lyrics against the music where his primary flaws, but those are things that I have no doubt he can work out with more practice and chances on stage. This was, after all, one of his first live performances as Childish Gambino.

From Childish Gambino, I found myself at Stubbs. I had no idea who was about to perform, but there was a group of guys very, very excited in the front row. I asked them the band about to play. “Tres Mountains!” they excitedly responded. They looked a bit aghast when my face still didn’t register any sign of recognition. “Pearl Jam‘s guitarist!” They finally cheered together. I admit, the music was not my type of thing. The guitar solos were pretty amazing, so I get the excitement there, but as a whole, the songs really blended after awhile: none really stood out.

In complete contrast to Tres Mountains, the band that followed blew me away. Awolnation came out and the way the audience responded, you would have thought that this was some sort of legendary act that had been around for years – not some band that just got their first single on the radio just a few months prior. Perhaps some of the excitement was carryover for singer Aaron Bruno, who started Awolnation as a solo project after his other band, Under the Influence of Giants, went on hiatus. Awolnation is atmospheric indie rock – there’s almost a spacey quality to it, but it is also very heavy, and thusly, grounded. It isn’t what I’d usually call danceable, but there’s an element of dance to it at times. It’s a big blend of a bunch of different genres and these guys pull it off well.

Bruno is very charismatic on stage. A stretch of his arms produces a wild cheer from the crowd. A reach out of the microphone gets a huge chorus response. Bruno was also the first musician that I heard bring up the tragedy of the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan. He not only voiced his concern and support of the country, but he also wrote it on his arm.

The band I was most eager for at Stubbs was Panic! at the Disco. I know that I lose hipster points for liking such mainstream music, but I can’t help it; they’re fun. This performance was a of particular interest to me because not only were they debuting several new songs, but it was also one of their first performances since the band was reduced to just two of the original members: singer/pianist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith. Two friends filled in on the bass and guitar parts vacated by the former bandmates.

This was a ridiculously fun set. We laughed, sang and danced. Urie has one of the most animated faces that I’ve ever seen in music. Even when he flubbed some lyrics on a new song and had to peek at a cheat sheet, it was still a fun moment. I also really enjoyed when he squeezed in “super moon,” into of his lyrics: “your eyes are the size of the super moon.” This band has come a long ways from when I first saw them six years ago and brushed them off as Fall Out Boy ripoffs. I stand corrected for my younger self’s comment.

To end out my night, I decided I would hole up at the PureVolume House. They had a great lineup planned to close out the evening. One of my favorite violinists, Owen Pallett was finishing tuning when I arrived. I found some friends at the venue and found a spot to watch Pallett. They had never even heard of him and were a bit wary of a guy with a violin, doubting he could really rock out. Their jaws dropped once he began playing. Pallett is a one-man show, but he creates his full sound by engaging in loops. He plays out a line on the violin and records it. Then plays it back as he plays or sings something new. It’s fun to watch him build songs on stage. His music is sweet and breathtaking. For those unfamiliar, you might recognize his signature sound on some early Arcade Fire work. He used to heavily involved with their string arrangements and he even wrote one of his songs about the love story of Will and Regine from that band.

I had already caught a Cults set during SXSW, but they continued to impress with their mysterious lyrics and lo-fi indie rock.

It was getting late and I was ready to grab some Z’s before having to drive back home the next day. However, I was determined to make SXSW go out with a bang, so I planned on sticking around for PureVolume’s final band of the night: Das Racist. Some DJ kept the crowd awake and moving, but what should have been a fifteen minute started to turn into over an hour. Finally, the duo in Das Rascist jumped up on the stage. After all the anticipation, this was my biggest flop of SXSW. These guys were so drunk that they were barely together and coherent. It was a complete mess. Some drunk kids up front still seemed to enjoy it, but after waiting for as long as I did for the shit show, I quickly left after two songs. This was not worth it, but at least I saw plenty of other amazing acts to make up for it.

My phone had died ages ago, shortly after my last tweet about possibly seeing Death From Above 1979. So I was surprised when I had tons of missed calls, missed texts and missed tweets about what happened to me. True, I hadn’t meant to be out past four – dumb Das Racist’s fault – but the amount of worry about my whereabouts seemed a bit much. Turns out the Death from Above 1979 set turned into a riot and police had to come pepper spray and taser some of the crowd. People thought I might have been a part of that because of my last tweet. Eeks. Maybe I ended out my night the right way after all. Regardless, this was a very memorable experience and I look forward to seeing what future years at SXSW bring.
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Check back for interviews from SXSW. You can see more from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW at the following links: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Check out more photos from Saturday, March 19 below:

SXSW – a time to explore, see new music, and eat a ton of street food. Also a time to meet new people and hang out with friends you wouldn’t normally get to see. Amongst all of the official SXSW showcases there are tons and tons of unofficial parties, official parties, unofficial showcases, and other cities showcasing their own talent. That’s exactly what Kansas City did.

Friday: First stop of the day, the MidCoast Takeover showcase at Liberty Bar on East Sixth. A ton of Kansas City, Lawrence and Chicago bands all drove or flew or transported down to Austin for the unofficial showcase. Seeing a band from Kansas City play in Austin at this huge festival is a little surreal to me. They’re friends and people that I see night after night at bars or at restaurants having dinner.

The first band I saw was the Slowdown. I’ve been hearing their name a lot lately but hadn’t had the chance to see them yet. Even though the sun was hot and burning my skin, they grabbed my attention enough to stand outside for the set. For more information and to listen go to their Facebook.

I missed most of Auternus‘ set due to the need of food, and of course, the free Boulevard.

Apparently it was a day to see bands that I hadn’t seen before. Even though I feel like I should have. Next up, the Republic Tigers. I absolutely love watching these guys. Vocalist Kenn Jankowski‘s energy on stage combined with the rest of the band just makes me… happy. Seemed like everyone else had the same impression too, dancing along with new tunes from their upcoming EP.

Oh, Appleseed Cast. How I kick myself for not going to a show sooner. I’ve missed out on so much. They absolutely blew me away. Actually, I don’t even have words to describe how awesome it was. They’re such an influential band to every other band that I listen to now. I had friends from New York, Chicago, and all over the country at this showcase just to see them.

The rest of my day consisted of wandering around Sixth Street, eating veggie dogs and hanging with friends. Kind of a slower midday for me when it came to shows.

Tried to make it back to Liberty Bar in time for the Beautiful Bodies, but didn’t get there until right as they were loading out. However, I did get to catch Cowboy Indian Bear‘s set. And per usual, they didn’t disappoint.

Back to the west side of the bridge for Junius at Valhalla. I had never heard of these guys, but my friend convinced me to go. I’m really glad I did too. It was intense, and heavy. I loved it.

Saturday seemed the longest and busiest day out of the entire week. Woke up late, rushed to get downtown for a few interviews with the Big Picture Media group. Look for those sometime in the next week.

That hot sun burning on my skin that I mentioned earlier? It officially conquered it’s goal and gave me a pretty bad sunburn.

Now on to the highlight of my day, the No Sleep Records Showcase. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay for the whole day like I wanted to due to other interviews scheduled. I did, however, get the chance to see Former Thieves. I’d been looking forward to seeing their new set all week. All songs except one were off their highly anticipated album, The Language That We Speak which will be available online and in stores on April 19. Needless to say, this album will fucking slay. They’re set was so damn good. They were in sync with each other and had a great stage presence. My favorite performance of the day.

I also saw Into It. Over It. play again on the inside stage. He gets better and better each time I see him.

After Evan’s set I walked to the Atlantic/Chop Shop Showcase to do a few interviews. Watched the Republic Tigers set and I think I liked it this time around better than the day before.

Joy Formidable played after the Republic Tigers. I couldn’t get close enough to see without lifting my camera up over the crowd that formed close to the stage. Good thing it didn’t make a difference to enjoying their set. Front-woman Ritzy Bryan‘s energy swept through the crowd and picked everyone off their feet.

Portugal. The Man headlined the showcase. I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t get a preview of their new album set to release sometime this year.

I ended up back at Liberty to catch my friend Sheppa (from the Nomathmatic)’s DJ set. Then danced the night away with friends! A perfect evening to end the week of SXSW.

Oh, and one more thing. On Sunday we had the most delicious crepes! I can’t decide if it was the crepes themselves or the atmosphere, or quite possible our totally awesomely French waiter.

See you next time, Austin.

For more SXSW photos check out my Flickr HERE.

Just as important as going to Austin to see music is going to Austin for the food. I’ve previously mentioned my affinity for breakfast tacos, but Friday I tried a different culture’s food. Not sure if it blasphemy to eat something that isn’t Mexican that close to Texas, but this morning called for Coffee with a capital “c.” No one does Coffee like the French. So Friday morning, I found myself at Le Café Crépe, being handed a menu by a Frenchman who was greeting me with a “Bonjour, mademoiselle.” Behind a glass window, employees were preparing mouth-watering crépes. Sadly, we were in a rush (as always), so we got our mochas to go and paired then with pain au chocolat, which is bread with chocolate. The flaky bread was fresh from the oven and filled with gooey chocolate. A light dousing on powdered sugar made this perfectly delectable. As we walked toward a first venue in considerably better moods, we promised to revisit the restaurant when we had more time, which we did Sunday morning before driving home.

After brushing some spilled powdered sugar off my shirt, I dashed into Emo’s for the mysterious Cults. For a long time, it was downright impossible to find out anything about this band and hopes of catching them on tour were slim to none. Fortunately, they seemed to have changed their mind on that as they have started touring more extensively and the band was practically everywhere at SXSW. The band is essentially the pop project of couple Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin, but they were joined by a full band for the performance. “Go Outside” was the only tune I really knew, but the lo-fi pop songs were all catchy and light-hearted…at least in sound. Lyrically, the duo likes to stay true to their name and often draw inspiration from cult leaders.

Chain Gang of 1974 was playing in another room at Emo’s just above Cults, so I went to check out this buzz band. Don’t be fooled by the 1974 in their name. They sound like a better fit for the 80s, but without going overboard on synths. There was an edge to the music, but also a danceable beat. If you’re like me and have heard the buzz about this band, but hadn’t checked them out before, start by giving their epic “Hold On” a listen.

Foster the People is a band that I was saying should be huge since last year. “Pumped Up Kicks” was my summer jam. Radio was a little slower to recognize its catchy awesomeness, so a lot of people are just discovering Foster the People. In the year since I’ve first learned of this band, I’ve only come to love them even more and seeing them live only solidified my love. At times this piano pop rock group sounds like Peter Bjorn and John and then other times it seems like they’ve got some Vampire Weekend thrown in, but with the subtlety of a group like Tennis. There are a lot of diverse influences working together very smoothly for this band, so if you’re lagging behind with the radio stations, get on it and check this band out asap.

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt was a performance that was so epic that it got its own post. You can find that here. In short, the wild performance art band got us to run around the venue, freestyle dance in the middle of a clapping circle of strangers and jump up and down under a parachute while shouting, “We’re alive! We’re in love! We’ve got hope…just because!” Definitely gets the award for most memorable set of SXSW.

Reeling from the insanely fun experience of Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, I stumbled out to Sixth Street a bit dazed and unsure of what to do next. How do you follow up a band with a parachute? I found myself wandering. First I traveled up to Mohawk, where Ted Leo was starting an acoustic set a little early. Crisp vocals and friendly tone demonstrated why this guy is a favorite of so many. From Ted Leo, I bounced to a tent next door where Glasser was taking the stage for the Rhapsody Party. A beautiful set, but one that couldn’t quite match the almost holy experience of seeing that band the night before at Central Presbyterian Church.

When I wandered out of Rhapsody, I honestly had every intention of giving the music watching a break and finding a spot to charge my phone. But then luck took me by Stubbs and a woman asked me to check-in on Foursquare in exchange for two passes to the exclusive Spin Party.  How can you pass up something as simple as that? I love social media!

Some middle age guy that I had never seen before was on the mainstage when I walked in. In awe of my sheer luck, it took me a moment to realize I knew the song being performed: “Touch Me once, touch me twice…” Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark was singing the song from one of my favorite soundtracks of all time (and no this was not the OMD performance at Stubbs with the camera boom incident). I might have dismissed OMD when I first walked in as some rando middle age dude, but he’s still got it. As an added bonus, Moby joined OMD on bass.

From OMD to DOM, the inside of Stubbs was getting packed for this buzz band. “Living in America,” has long been my jam. How can you resist the slinky chorus, “It’s so sexy to be living in America”?

And back outside, the Spin Party band I was most anxious for: The Kills. With Jack White in attendance at SXSW, there were some rumors of some special collab, but this was a straight up the Kills set. And I was ok with that. Allison Mosshart continues to steal the show no matter who she’s on the stage with – her vocals, her attitude – it’s just impossible not to watch her.

I left the Spin Party before TV on the Radio to chat with the duo behind Acrylics. Look for that interview soon on PopWreckoning. After my chat with Acrylics, I wandered through the Brooklyn Vegan Party to briefly watch the Dodos, Middle Brother and J. Mascis. I had heard a lot about J. Mascis, but I found the set kind of boring. The falsetto just wasn’t my thing. So I quickly left and went to catch a band from across the great pond that I knew would entertain: A Silent Film. I had the privilege of seeing this passionate piano rock band at their first US show ever back in Kansas City during the Fall. They seem a lot more confident now and delivered such a great set that people even asked for an encore and the venue guys, who had at first seemed very anti-encore to stay on schedule, even gave their approval because they were enjoying it so much. This band could easily draw some comparisons to Keane, but I find Keane rather sleepy. If anyone has heard of the UK’s Embrace, I would say that is a more apt comparison.

!!! might not be a band name that everyone can understand or say, but people have no problem understand the band’s music. The tent that !!! was a non-stop dance party. It kind of reminded me of seeing LCD Soundsystem at Bonnaroo – a little similar with the music and with the vibe.

I trekked far from Sixth to the Lustre Pearl to catch the next two acts. Noah and the Whale is a band that I had been eagerly anticipating for SXSW. Their romantic folk ballads had won my heart on recordings, but I had yet to see them live. They were supposed to play SXSW two years ago when I was here, but canceled. Then I was supposed to see them at Lollapalooza and they canceled. This year was to be my chance. Now, after finally getting the chance to see them, I think I’m ok that they canceled. Love their music, but they were one of the most boring bands of the festival. I didn’t need another Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, but I just didn’t feel any energy or passion from these guys. I’d rather just go home and listen to my CDs because this particular live performance added nothing.

In contrast, the band that followed had plenty to watch on stage. Gayngs followed and this is autotune done right. This is a supergroup featuring members of Bon Iver, Doomtree, The Rosebuds and more. I don’t believe I counted all 23 members there for this performance, but they sure came close to a full group. The stage was packed. The soft-rock set got the audience dancing and I think any Austinites holding a grudge for the band’s unfortunate cancellation at ACL was quickly forgiven by this performance.

When I returned back to the main area of SXSW, I headed back to Stubbs for an old SXSW favorite of mine. The Airborne Toxic Event has this amazing ability of making viola look badass. Viola is not a badass instrument, but this band knows how to make it rock. And if one viola wasn’t enough, the band had another join the performance as part of a string quartet set up on the side of the stage. Awesome. They played through songs from their popular debut and several from their upcoming release. The Airborne Toxic Event never disappoints. But the rest of the night did disappoint. TATE would end up being my last of the night. After waiting in another line for an hour and encountering several venues that ended up being Badges only, I gave up on Friday and decided to call it an early night before the final day of SXSW.

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Check back for more to come from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW. You can see more photos from Day 3, Friday, March 18 below and click these links for Day 1 and Day 2:

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is something more entertaining than any loling cat on the internet. Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is more winning than Charlie Sheen could ever hope to be. And Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is a phenomenon more beautiful than double fucking rainbows. So what does it mean?

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is the name of a band. There were a lot of good bands at SXSW this year, but there was only one Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt and that band was the best band at SXSW. A daring statement, but one worth making.

When surrounded by the thousands of bands at SXSW, you have to make yourself memorable. You have to stick out. This is how Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt stood apart from the crowd.

1. TPDR blew off the stage. They were up close and personal and joined the audience on the dancefloor.

2. TPDR was theatrical. With a set up and light show that looked like it was stolen from my grandmother’s garage sale the band already had a unique thing going on. It’s March and the main source of light was a light up plastic snowman. But it wasn’t just the surroundings that were decked out. The band was, too. The guitarist looked like he fell out of the 80s with his retro shirt and big ‘stache. The singer was wearing a purple dress with ridiculously poofy sleeves, but he paired the dress with some sneaks for running around the venue better.

3. Energy! This band does not stay still even when tuning. One second the singer’s hopping in the center of the floor and the next he’s pushing everyone back into a circle to direct different audience members into the center to dance. Then before you can blink, he has you marching through the venue to the back where he founds some random bucket to hop up on and sing his next chorus.

4. TPDR has a parachute. That’s right: a parachute. As the set was nearing its end, TPDR brought out a mysterious duffel bag, opened it and just asked everyone to grab a piece and pull. A giant, colorful parachute popped out and the entire crowd got underneath. “Jump and sing this with me: ‘We’re alive! We’re in love! We got hope…just because!’” exclaimed the singer. Never was there such laughter and glee at a concert as when this group chanted that anthem and jumped underneath a parachute. It was kind of insane, but also ridiculously fun.

5. The music. Don’t think that TPDR is a gimmick band. They sounded great – especially if you’re into groups like Tilly and the Wall, Blastoids or This Show Is the Rainbow. TPDR could easily stand on a stage like any other band, deliver their songs and it would be a solid set. So why do all this other stuff? It’s fun. That simple.

So was it a concert? A circus? A parade? A party? Whatever it was, it was uniquely Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt.

And if you have an affinity for exclamation points or want to hear more from Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, visit here.

Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin with Thursday’s blog. It was St. Patrick’s Day and I had originally RSVP’d to a few daytime showcases, expecting to see a handful of smaller, lesser known bands. However, without the wristbands of the day before and with the confusion of RSVP lists, I didn’t actually end up getting into anything for the first part of the day. It was a minor disappointment but it did allow me time to go find the press room and photo edit for a bit- something I desperately needed to get caught up on before I was drowning in a five day backlog.

However, this stroke of luck landed me in the line for Stubb’s about two hours before the doors, meaning I was one of the first twenty people in the door. Stubb’s tends to be one of the more popular venues (and it’s one of the few all ages venues) so it tends to get pretty full fairly quickly. Meanwhile hundreds of people filled out the outdoor venue (something this Seattle girl wasn’t used to). I planned on staying at Stubb’s for most of the evening, then wandering to see what was going on at a few other places.

Before that night, I had never even heard of Foster the People (I know this is practically blasphemy, but I live under a rock sometimes). After listening to amazing songs like “Pumped Up Kicks”, “Helena Beat”, and “Houdini,” I’m more than convinced that they will be one of the defining bands of this decade and quite possibly in the genre of indie pop. For a band that has been out about a year and a half, they are already playing Coachella and SXSW. Their first full length album, Torches, is due out May 24^th. For someone who absolutely can’t stand most mainstream indie bands, they caught me by surprise.

For me, they aren’t just another cookie cutter indie pop band. Their anthems are catchy, California summers recorded for posterity against a background of synth and some addictive drums, all layered with a dose of frontman Mark Foster’s incredibly dulcet tones. The Los Angeles based band is not just musically sound, but they are an amazing live act as well. Every single person in the crowd was dancing, clapping, and singing along, and the show was a blast. Next to Flogging Molly, they were probably one of the better shows I saw all week.  From lo-fi pop to catchy dance hits, they are going to be one of this summers greatest new bands.

Up next was Noah and the Whale, playing new tracks off their early March release, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down. Overall they weren’t bad, but they weren’t exactly to my tastes either. An almost painfully stereotypical English indie folk band, they are classically talented and good, if that’s the sort of thing you are into. Visually, they weren’t very entertaining, but overall they had a fairly solid set. Good acoustics, decent music, and a breezy, warm summer night and you’ve got a decent show. Even if you don’t like indie folk, they are worth a listen and even maybe a gander at a live show.

The third act of the night at Stubb’s was Portugal. The Man. I had never gotten to see them live, and due to press restrictions in the photo pit, I couldn’t actually shoot the show. However, I did get to stand back and really listen- something that I don’t get to do too often at festivals. After about twenty minutes I came to the conclusion that it was minorly anticlimactic. As good as they are recorded, I just wasn’t feeling their live set. For an indie prog rock band of this magnitude, I was expecting more energy, more precision, more general enthusiasm. That just wasn’t the case for that night. I plan on catching them in Seattle at some point, but until then, I can’t really make an adequate assessment of their live set.

After two vaguely disappointing sets, I decided to hit the Velveeta Room, a tiny bar on 6^th to catch Adam Arcuragi & The Lupine Chorale Society with some friends. Surprisingly, for this infectious blend of blues, country, indie folk, alt rock, and soul, their set was pretty amazing. It was two-step at its finest and was a great way to mellow out between the other sets. Adam Arcuragi is immensely talented, but from what I could see and hear of the Lupine Chorale Society, they either needed a better sound tech or a whole new ensemble – I’m honestly not sure which. Adam’s songs are soulful, a coined “Death Gospel” of poignancy and cathartic lyrics and melodic ballads. Probably one of the more heartfelt sets of the festival, I was truly blown away by the artistry and skill that was apparent in every note of his. Some tracks could have used more piano, some a fiddle or a cello, but overall they were obscenely good to be playing a half empty venue on St. Patrick’s Day.

To round off the night, I found out that Ron Sexsmith was playing an acoustic set at the Hilton Garden at Creekside (a trek and some hunting to find, but worth it for Sexsmith). Acoustics in conference rooms are barely adequate for someone of this caliber, but with an acoustic set, I was surprised. The Canadian singer-songwriter played some of his more popular works, taking requests from the sheepish and adoring crowd. Ron played his guitar and sang his heart out, soulfully pouring passion and skill out into the waiting crowd with precision of a master of his craft. Between songs, he charmed the audience with a running commentary and some general discussion about his works and his life. Pushing the boundaries of intimacy with his fans, Sexsmith managed it with stammering grace.  One of the best acoustic performances I have seen to date and another highlight of the festival, I will definitely be checking out his catalogue and film extensively in the near future.

With that chilling beautiful set, it was time to return my gear to the hotel, a long walk to the breezy Austin night and catch some sleep before the weekend events and the upcoming long haul.

(Look for the rest of my SXSW coverage coming soon!)

Find the artists here:

Foster The People
Noah and the Whale
Portugal. The Man
Adam Arcuragi & The Lupine Chorale Society
Ron Sexsmith

SXSW

Check out more of my Day 2 photos here!
(Please note that due to memory card failure, this is a fairly small set).