Show Review: Gorgeous Hands @ Swan Dive (6/7)

Gorgeous Hands is the reincarnated version of Magnificent Snails, and they booked a local show over at Swan Dive to help promote their new single, which we were proud to toss up yesterday.  I headed out to the show, solo, as Brian Gray is a busy man, and I wanted to give some attention to some great local acts. Read more for some quick thoughts on the bands and the evening. Dangeresque opened the evening just after 9, and while the band had some energy, I’m going to keep my mouth shut on this one. No need to belittle local acts.

Then I was treated to the Couch, who are just now starting to throw out some new tunes after last year’s Old & Touchin Blue. They’ve added the adorable Sara Houser, who really propels the band’s sound in a stronger direction.  She reminds me of watching that scene in Empire Records where Gina climbs up on the roof, looks nervous (wringing her hands) then just belts out with an incredible voice, but it’s not all about Sara here.  The drumming was spot on, loud and steady.  Honestly, I didn’t have any expectations for the group walking in, but they’re now on my radar as one of the hot bands in town.

My final act of the night was Gorgeous Hands, and they lived up to the expectations I had of the group.  They write tight pop-rock tunes, and give off an ecstatic exuberance in the live setting.  Rusty’s vocals sounds really strong, as did that of the backing vocals by the rest of the group.  It’s always nice to see a band executing a tried-and-true formula with such precision and energy.  Their new songs sounded really strong, and everyone in the audience seemed more than excited to get their hands on the single the band so graciously was giving away for free.

All in all, the show was solid, with two really great bands excelling just as one would hope.  The winner for me was Swan Dive, however, as the sound was really solid, the beverages were cold, and the whole vibe was more than I expected.  Hopefully more people in Austin will start to support local bands again, and there’s not a better place to do it. Here’s those new jams by the Couch and Gorgeous Hands to get you in the mood.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/kaiser.mp3]

Download:The Couch- Kaiser

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Gorgeous-Hands-Generator.mp3]