Author: jon.wagner

Show Review: Sigur Ros @ Bass Concert Hall (10.04.24)

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On a balmy October Friday night, opposite the insanity of the first night of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, something of another story altogether was brewing across town at the 40 acres. After skipping our fair city the last time around during this orchestral iteration, the Icelandic trio, Sigur Ros returned triumphantly to the University of Texas campus. The experiences between the Zilker park faithful in contrast those in attendance at the Bass Concert Hall could not have been starker. Here was the trio and their rotating accompaniment on their last show date of their 8-date orchestral tour in the US and in the process simply expanded time and altered consciousness. Adjectives and prose fail me to describe just how hauntingly beautiful, breathtakingly colossal, and overwhelmingly entrancing they can be when in form.

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SHOW REVIEW: THE RESIDENTS @ THE PARISH (04.09.23)

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Well, it took nearly a week to mentally regroup from the insanity witnessed on stage on Easter Sunday. At a resurrected Parish on the East side, Resound Presents welcomed the longstanding anonymous art collective, The Residents, for their Faceless Forever / Dog Stab! Tour. The tour, which was originally scheduled for 2020, correlated to the 40th Anniversary release of the classic, Duck Stab!. As always with all things, Residents, the performance was a wild synthesis of surreal, avant-garde artistic ventures and wide-eyed catharsis. Follow the jump for more.

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SHOW REVIEW: BOBBY WEIR & WOLF BROS. @ ACL LIVE (3.7.23)

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Amid the inescapable ramp up of impending SXSW insanity, on a balmy and foggy evening last Tuesday, our Capitol City welcomed yet another legendary guitarist in Bobby Weir to the esteemed Moody Theater stage. As is typical with all things “Dead“, the bright-eyed, tie-dyed masses of all ages were lined up in full throated spirit in anticipation of an early 5:30 door opening, jockeying in place to get a shot at the front row. Custom shirt and glass pipe vendors were sprawled out along 2nd St., each with their warring psychedelic playlists creating an echoing corridor of weirdness. It was the picture perfect backdrop for Weir, who was on his first full-fledged solo tour since his 2020 pandemic-shortened concert run. Lucky for us, he was treating his loyal Austin deadheads to not just one, but two sold out evenings in our fair city. Read more

Show Review: Golden Dawn Arkestra @ The Paramount Theatre (12.10.22)

 

Saturday night in Austin welcomed the arrival of Saturnus the Great in collaboration with the reemergence on Earth of the interstellar musical collective, the Golden Dawn Arkestra, into the City of the Violet Crown. Hailing from the planet Cygnus, many light years from our home galaxy, the band fronted by leader Zapot Mgwai (Topaz McGarrigle) and backed by a 14-piece band and dance troupe, delivered a glorious performance that inspired the audience to love and dance freely. Anytime we humans are lucky enough to witness the glory and abundance of the Arkestra in motion it is certain to be a celebration of the human spirit and transportation and transformation through music. Last nights show was truly no exception. Read more

Show Preview / Interview: Golden Dawn Arkestra @ Paramount Theater (12.10)

 

Saturnalia is upon us! Join Golden Dawn Arkestra this Saturday at the Paramount Theater for a celebration of exuberance! All narrative elements of the comic below were derived from a recent interview of bandleader, Zapot Mgawi while on the Planet Cygnus. All sketches by jon.wagner, @jwagnerviz

Date Saturday, December10th
Location The Paramount Theater
Doors 7:00 PM, Show 8:00 PM
Tickets From $20 at the Paramount Theater

 




Levitation Festival – Wrap Up

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And just like that, Levitation 2022 has come and gone as fast and powerful as a Slift guitar interlude. With absolutely no remorse for ear drums, the entire billing unconditionally brought their fucking A game. Earsplitting, breakneck, and with style points in spades, this years fest was one for the record books. 2 nights of Gizz, 4 nights of the Osees, La Femme and Black Angels closing things out, what is not to like? If you were following along, your ATH crew enlisted amongst the thronged masses in the Red River Cultural District this weekend to get a massive dose of culture. We spread out as much as possible over the weekend and below are our major takeaways and favorite shows you should be listening to and seeing live if you get the chance. Until next time, hit the jump.

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Levitation Interviews: Babe Rainbow

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“There’s no formula for happiness that’s guaranteed to work”, sings Angus Dowling on the opening line from “Open Up Your Heart,” the latest release from Babe Rainbow. “It all depends on how you treat your friends, and how much you’ve been hurt. But its a start, you open up your heart, and try not to hide what you feel inside.” Throughout the new album, The Organic Band sets a strong tone of acceptance, respect, and speaking truth to love. Gone are the blase, stoner surf-pop days which so often tends to lead to apathy and negative connotations from a judgmental listening community. Babe Rainbow is taking up the reigns to make a statement and cultivate positive energy in all forms. Read more

Babe Rainbow – The Organic Band

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Turn your gaze up. The naked stars are out. The boombox is cranked to 11, salty air on the fresh breeze, and cool sand squeezes between your toes. You enjoy friendly conversation at length and share some laughs. It is “Smile Time”…so much so that your jaws hurt. Find the cooler covered in wet sand and grab some cold beers. Time to wax up the Hobie longboard for tomorrow A.M.’s rally, and gather ’round a warm fire dug into the sand. After a long sunny Saturday in the surf, that sounds epic to me. Now picture this vibe in album form. That is the newest effort from Babe Rainbow, The Organic Band, wrapped in a tight wetsuit. It is Saturday Night.

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Show Review: Khruangbin + The Mattson 2 @ The Mohawk (3.30.18)

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Aside from the inevitable grooves, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Khruangbin show at Mohawk on Friday night, afterwards it became very clear. It was my first time to see the trio live and here’s my three main takeaways: 1.) Nobody is still quite sure how to pronounce the name…and just forget spelling it correctly, 2.) That 70’s inspired psych jams from Southeast Asia and the Middle East can induce a dance party in ATX for the ages, 3.) That something with roots so strikingly foreign to Texas (and even today’s stateside music scene in general) can come across as spellbindingly authentic. All that and more after the jump. Read more

Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio / Ike Stubblefield Trio @ Antone’s (9.29.17)

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Rarely does the opportunity arise when a living legend makes their way through our fair city. Even rarer when 2 living legends happen to share the bill. Rarer still is the unlikely scenario where both legends are vastly proficient on the same instrument…in this case the Hammond B3 Organ. This perfect storm of unfathomable talent and unrivaled musical accomplishment took the stage at Antone’s on Friday night with Dr. Lonnie Smith and Ike Stubblefield showing in no uncertain terms why they are considered some of the best ever. Follow the jump for more on the show. Read more

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