Best of SXSW 2015: Vanishing Life

It always seems to be the case that the best SXSW performances are the ones you didn’t plan to see at all, the ones you caught by accident because you just happened to be somewhere at the right time. So it was at Wonderland, where Vanishing Life played immediately prior to United Nations during a daytime showcase on Thursday afternoon. Shit, I hadn’t even known United Nations were playing until I ran into their guitarist at breakfast that morning, and the one-two punch of Vanishing Life and United Nations made for the most enjoyable and thoroughly rocking afternoon of the festival.

For those unaware, the band is a supergroup of sorts featuring Quicksand’s Walter Schreifels (vocals), Rise Against’s Zach Blair (guitar), ….And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead’s Autry Fulbright (bass) and Jamie Miller (drums). Their pedigree might give you some kind of idea about their sound, except not really: Rise Against are probably the closest touchstone, but Vanishing Life’s music is way more pissed off, angry, and overtly punk rock. Schreifels is quite the entertainer, understated in presence, but still somehow completely commanding on stage. Zach Blair’s riffs… agggh, I just want to stick my penis in them! So juicy and meaty and delicious. And an unflappable rhythm section holding it all down. I say all this having just seen one of their live shows, never any recorded music.

Check out a live clip of the band performing at Generation Records in NYC last fall.

More SXSW 2015 coverage here.