This is fine.
We are still standing and still ready to rock. Most of us had a long one yesterday and into the evening, so yeah we saw a ton of bands on Thursday. We were mostly split up, all over town, and maybe hit a high note for the amount of unique bands our team saw during one day. It was a big one and we of course have some thoughts about what went down. After the jump, you can find our top bands of the day along with thoughts and of course, fancy photos.
We’re anti-Fascist, we’re anti-violence, we’re anti-racist and we’re pro-creative. -Joe Strummer (The Clash)
We all listen to music for a myriad of reasons but, for many of us, it is our source of connection to humanity. A connection that informs us that we are not alone in this world with our own experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Over 7 years and 5 studio albums, Bristols IDLES have found that connection with an audience that spans generations, race, creed, and sexual identity.Their sound explores the typical musical landscape of punk/post-punk/hardcore, brash, aggressive, and thunderous while delivering poignant, timeless messaging, political and personal, softening the edges with tongue-in-cheek humor and pushing the musical confines of a genre sometimes limiting in sound.
This past Sunday night, 5 members of the band Slowdive quietly strolled onto the stage at Austins ACL Live Moody Theater to perform for the capacity crowd, a set that one could only imagine might be about as close to a perfect Slowdive set and performance as one could ever expect from the band. The band, well into its 40 years of existence including a brief 22-year pause between albums 3 and 4, has found itself a new audience of youth amongst the longtime, slightly more aged fans they acquired during their earlier years as one of the prominent purveyors of the sub-genre shoegaze. A genre that has found new life in a generation yet to be birthed when the band began.
Free Week is great. The concept of having people fill venues so bartenders and stage crews have a little cash in their pockets is totally a get-behind theme. Now, my epic level of cynicism that creeps in from time to time means that I will give the evil eye to anyone mad about one-in-one-out at a venue. These bands are playing all over town, all year long and sometimes opening for a touring band you would think is too expensive to go see. #value Let’s go, Austin, spend that twelve bucks.
My Free Week rant is over. Let’s get on to some notables and photos. A. Sinclair is a constant fave for rock and or roll. Abram Shook lends credibility to any music catalog. That performance had two-thirds of Feverbones; they are wicked excited for the new record, naturally so are we. Tres Oui‘s invisible bass player had a killer set (#sarcasm). Space-sparse of Soft Healer was a reset. I got to see The Infinites at Beerland as a full band. I do miss a little of the DIY nature of looping to fill sounds, but the layered gazy post punk sounded really rad with guitars filling the room. Fave thing of the time I spent Red Rivering.
Peep the gallery. I spent time taking photos of friends and the people that make Free Week go. I even used a flash. Crazy right?
I love y’all.
When did Pinegrove become so huge?
David Sackllah posed the question to Twitter (@dsackllah) on the eve of the band’s sold out show at Austin’s Barracuda. Sackllah goes on recalling a time not so long ago when a Pinegrove performance seemed like an under-attended and perhaps under-appreciated experience. Back then, turnouts hovered around thirty people. That was a year ago. Maybe he’s exaggerating the crowd’s smallness, but the visual goes a long way in driving the point home; Pinegrove is now suddenly huge, or at least hugely important to a lot of people.
Hit the jump for more.
I’m sure if you’ve ever read our site, you know how much I was looking forward to the Radio Dept blowing into Austin on a crisp evening. My anticipation was pretty high, and for the most part, the band was successful in their delivery to a grateful crowd.
Photoguy Comment: During their set, fans would randomly raise their hands in an effort to catch the music. I love that feeling. It happened a lot. It also rained just after their set was done. That was cool.
Thoughts and B.Gray photos follow.
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I met up with Brian, our photographer just after 8 on Tuesday night, a little anxious and a little weary. Low, since the late 90s has been a consistent part of my listening experience, not to mention one that I’ve often had trouble explaining my fandom. But, if anything, I left the venue that night with an expression of gratitude, to the band and the many fans that filled the Parish; it was one of those musical encounters few will understand…but those that do will cherish.
Even with the busy week that led up to Fun Fun Fun Fest, we’re always excited to catch one of our favorite acts like Wax Idols. It’s even more important when said artist is coming into town to promote a new record…in this case American Tragic. Check out below for thoughts and comments.
With the weather warming up a bit, we decided it was best to attend the Helio Sequence with 3/4 of the ATH team in attendance; you’ve got to have strength in numbers in case you get dehydrated. The band blew into town fresh on the heels of their latest, self-titled, album. They brought along Portland’s Lost Lander as openers, and treated us to a set of hits and new favorites.
Read on for more thoughts and plenty of bgray pics…
On Sunday I started my week off on a positive note by heading down to see one of my long time favorite bands Matt Pond PA. Making the evening even better was an opening set by a more recent favorite of mine Young Buffalo. Though both bands could feel the sleepiness of the crowd due to possible long weekends, everyone seemed to have quite the good time. Follow the jump for some thoughts and recent music from both bands.
