ATH vs SOTO SXSW Party – March 12th @ Hotel Vegas

First there was Covid, then I had another kid, but I’m back this year to reignite the annual AustinTownHall vs SideOneTrackOne SXSW Party. It’s a 3 stage extravaganza over at Hotel Vegas, bringing in some of our favorite acts from all over Austin and having them throw down ridiculous sets that make us all proud of our music scene. Huge shout out to John at SOTO and 101x Homegrown for the organization, and thanks to the Vegas crew for having us back here. This year, we’ve even got a fun playlist for you to sample the tunes and share around to get your friends excited.

Show starts at 3 PM on March 12 at Hotel Vegas/Volstead! FREE! See you there!

Darkbird Drop Pop Hit

A few years ago, when we were throwing one of our ATH vs SOTO SXSW shows, we had Darkbird on the bill, and since then, we’ve been keeping tabs on one of that shows standout performers. This week, they’ve got this incredible bouncy pop tune ready for you all, produced by Walker Lukens, so you know there’s going to be hooks galore. I mean, the driving synth lines definitely feel like they’re here to provide you with the necessary energy, just bouncing and pumping your fists in the air as you sing along with your friends. I’m not always a straight pop fan, but when its this good, you can’t really turn away from it can you? No! So just turn it up!

Did You Hear the New Darkbird Tunes

If you happened to hit up our SXSW show with our friends at Side One Track One, then perhaps you’re in on this, but Darkbird were one of the band’s that stole the show that night. Their set was energetic and forceful, and lets face it, pop music just doesn’t get much better. The group just dropped two powerhouse new tunes, leaving me with the same dropped jam I got from their live performance. Just press play and fall in love with these Austin folks.


SXSW Awards – 2017

How is it possible we’re already through SXSW hangover week? It seems like only yesterday the ATH crew was hanging at Hotel Vegas, with Lone Star in hand, kicking off the week a couple of Sundays ago with the awesome lineup put together by Nathan and our boy Mr. Laird. As always, we move on, reflect on the fun behind us, and plan for the next great lineup or festival. Such is the beauty of living in the live music capital of the world. To look back on the festival, Nathan, Brian, and myself came up with an arbitrary list of awards with each of us picking our choice for the category.

Hit the jump for our awards, final thoughts and a few related pics from a fun, exciting, and draining week.

Read more

SxSW 2017: ATH vs SOTO Party Pics

Who is ready to relive the greatest day of music ever assembled by John Laird and Nathan Lankford? Ever.

The jams were copious as were the tender moments. The showcase highlighted the talent in Austin with bands watching bands that shuffled up to be other bands. We had international celebrities in attendance, as well as every familiar face possible. I took photos, some with an Instax. We ate sausage wraps and drank beaverages. It was perfect air for a whisky.

Click through and be impressed.

Read more