SXSW METAL REPORT: DAY 1

Wednesday has done and drawn to a close, and an awesome day it was. Highlights included Young Widows, The Bronx, Fighting With Wire, Jucifer, El Mariachi Bronx (The Bronx as a full mariachi band), Valient Thorr, Pack of Wolves, These Arms Are Snakes, and finally meeting MS contributor Corey Mitchell in person. There’s so much to be seen today, Kip has gone missing, and I’m hungry, so I’ll make this quick:

Highest level of kick-assery: Valient Thorr. I mean, like, have you ever seen this band? Good god. It is not possible for more ass to be kicked in a 40 minute set.

You were either there, or you weren’t: El Mariachi Bronx. Sure, there was the WTF factor of knowing it was really a punk band dressed up in full mariachi outfits, but the fact of the matter is that they absolutely nailed it. Frontman Matt Caughthran told me in an interview last year that the band had recorded a mariachi album and planned to tour it, but I never thought I’d see the day. His constant ear-to-ear smile told the story that the band was just as excited as the audience.

Best band of the night: These Arms Are Snakes. Blew everyone in attendance at The Red Eyed Fly away. A truly phenomenal, absolutely mind-blowing live band. Go see them if they come through your town… you will be in awe. Frontman Steve Sneer is a class-A rock star, a highly gifted and talented entertainer, and drummer Chris Common has got some kind of insane, super-human talent, one of the smoothest drummers I’ve seen live in years. Not to take anything away from the rest of the band; these guys were tight as fuck and stole the night for me.

Biggest disappointment: plain slices of pizza and street hot dogs that consistently cost $4. What the fuck, Austin???

If anyone’s seen Kip, holler at me.

-VN