SXSW UPDATE: THURSDAY’S SUMMARY
Another day, another hangover. Aside from the aforementioned Slash surprise show (see below), there was plenty of great music on Thursday. Highlights included Japanese sludge-rockers Boris, heavy art-metal pioneers The Melvins, local hard rockers Dawn Over Zero, unsigned LA pop-rockers The Hanks, and ’80s synth-pop revivalists Chromeo.
My day started bright and early at 2pm at Stubbs’ outdoor stage. Free admission and one Miller High Life tallboy can later (at $3 how can you resist?) I was down in it, watching the Japanese sludge-metallers Boris peform. This was the sludgiest of the sludge; in other words, totally awesome. The Melvins followed with an amazing set, proving why they are the forefathers of this genre. The mostly bearded and tattoed audience headbanged in approval, all except the really stoned dude in front of me who couldn’t muster so much as a bob of the head.
Next it was down to the Copa to see Dawn Over Zero perform in front of mostly no one in the backyard patio. I’ve written about Dawn Over Zero on here before, but this was my first opportunity to see them live. They are a really, really talented group of guys and ten times as deserving of a record contract as any signed hard rock band on a major label today (Hinder, Nickelback, this means YOU!). These guys are a must listen: http://www.myspace.com/dawnoverzero
After a delicious Vietnamese dinner courtesy of DOZ’s drummer, it was on to see Slash at the Hi Lo. See my previous post about that. Subsequently I was denied admission to see Apollo Sunshine at some club whose name escapes me, but things happen for a reason; I wandered into the Troubador next door and ended up chatting with a mix engineer from LA who raved about the band that was going to go on next, The Hanks. The Hanks played their own brand of pop-punk to a packed audience mostly in the 18-21 bracket; these guys write great songs with great hooks, without being trite or overdoing it. The singer’s high and elegant voice reminds me a lot of Thursday’s Geoff Rickly (in a good way). The drummer in the band was dead on, right behind the beat. A highlight came when the bassist (I think) stood atop the bar, donned a trombone, and straight tore shit up, if that is possible with a trombone. Check em out: http://www.myspace.com/thehanks
After not getting in to see some obnoxious band with two drummers and way too many people on stage, I passed the Flamingo Cantina. I had planned on seeing Rwake and Alabama Thunderpussy last night and Chromeo today at Vice’s day party, but the allure of the marquee was too much for me. The line was short and it looked like I’d be able to get in without a wristband. Unfortunately I had to sit through a terrible indie rock band, Black Lips. This band sucked. Every song sounded the same, and their peppy energy just seemed so forced. Ugh. But it was worth it all for the amazingness that is Chromeo.
Who ever said that a jew and an arab couldn’t get along? Chromeo is a duo from Montreal who play ’80s dance-synth-pop with nary a trace of irony — these dudes love this music, they MEAN it. Comprised of Pee Thug on the keys and vocoder and Dave 1 on vocals and sometimes guitar or bass, the band now has a live drummer in tow (who plays synth pads, of course). The minute the band started, the audience erupted into a frenzied danceathon, the energy of which was maintained the entire length of the set, featuring mostly songs from their 2004 release She’s in Control and a couple of new tunes as well. This band might just be so un-metal that they are, in fact, metal. Check it out: http://www.myspace.com/chromeo. Check out “Needy Girl” and “You’re So Gangsta” for the goodness, as well as well the new cut “Fancy Footwork.”
Today I am going to attempt to see At All Cost again at 2pm, though not sure I’ll make it. What else is in store? Who knows. Great things happen when you don’t plan them (i.e. Slash). See ya’ll tomorrow.
-VN
