By: Sam Desmond & The Brooklyn Dodger
Greetings metal heads!
As many of you know, some of your very own staff from 89.5 FM WSOU have ventured down to Austin to experience the annual SXSW Music Festival. While SXSW is hardly all metal, all the time, it is THE place to be for music right now, and, at least for those not enjoying the scenery and the scene in Austin with us, we’ve got you covered.
In the spirit of WSOU’s Campus Buzz programming, myself and The Brooklyn Dodger ventured out into the Austin nightlife for a firsthand look at some of the amazing free shows being put on by some up-and-coming indie bands.
First stop – fun. And no, we are not just saying we had fun. The red hot indie band, dominating the scene with songs such as “We Are Young,” “Carry On” and the album titled single “Some Nights” took the stage twice in Austin yesterday. Helping Waterloo Records celebrate their 30th anniversary in business, the trio took to the outdoor parking lot stage for a special acoustic set in front of a packed crowd. Let me just say – these guys sound just as amazing live as they do on the album, and the crowd knew it. Amidst the free cans of Monster and the 80+ degree heat, you could have sworn you were listening to them straight off the album.
The trio also had their scheduled showcase last night at the 1100 Warehouse. Slated to follow the UK-based punk group, Tribes, fun. brought a packed house – hundreds upon hundreds in attendance in the infamous Texas heat. Unfortunately, fans were left restless in the dark for over an hour, as technical difficulties prevented the band from going on. A symphony of boos and chants for “we want fun.” rang out, but fell on deaf ears.
According to the band’s twitter (@OurNameIsFun), the trio was stuck on the side of the stage because of issues with the venue. When they eventually took the stage, they apologized, in several expletives, for being unable to perform for their fans. While the crew from WSOU was forced to leave as they finally began to play an acoustic-only set, tweets from fans hailed the performance as “sending shivers down my spine.” The group is slated to perform at the Woodie awards at 6:15 p.m. today, and at Stubbs tomorrow night, where WSOU will hopefully get a full performance.
Trekking across Austin for the final show of the night, the Dodger and myself wound up at Lambert’s, an intimate bi-level bar, perfect for smaller acts. While several artists showcased their talents last night, including River City Extension out of Toms River, N.J., we went for Campus Buzz favorite Kevin Devine. Hailing from Brooklyn, Kevin Devine is well known throughout the N.Y. Metro Area, but proved also to be a favorite amongst the Texans. In a 40 minute set, he was laid back and casual, interacting with fans across the bar, even taking a request from an eager fan in the audience for the fan favorite “Santa Barbara.”
While he might look like your everyday Joe you pass on the sidewalk, make no mistake about him – Kevin Devine is an extraordinarily gifted performer, and had a packed crowd in a bar enticed and hypnotized by his lyrics, energy and overall grateful demeanor. For us, Kevin Devine took the night as the best performance. He is slated to perform a solo acoustic set at Maggie Mae’s on 6th Street this evening.
Dubbed by the WSOU crew as “hipster central,” Austin is putting on some of the most popular, and most talented, indie bands out there right now. On deck for tonight, in addition to more Kevin Devine, are The Shins, local favorite out of Glen Rock, Titus Andronicus and Say Anything.
Check back for additional updates from the crew at WSOU, and make sure to follow all of us (@Sam_Desmond, @WSOUBrklynDodger, @WSOUTheColonel and @TMI_WSOU) as we continue to explore Austin and the SXSW festival. Look for WSOU trending on twitter with #wsousxsw, and listen in daily between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST for live updates from Austin!
Until tomorrow!
Greetings metal heads!
As many of you know, some of your very own staff from 89.5 FM WSOU have ventured down to Austin to experience the annual SXSW Music Festival. While SXSW is hardly all metal, all the time, it is THE place to be for music right now, and, at least for those not enjoying the scenery and the scene in Austin with us, we’ve got you covered.
In the spirit of WSOU’s Campus Buzz programming, myself and The Brooklyn Dodger ventured out into the Austin nightlife for a firsthand look at some of the amazing free shows being put on by some up-and-coming indie bands.
First stop – fun. And no, we are not just saying we had fun. The red hot indie band, dominating the scene with songs such as “We Are Young,” “Carry On” and the album titled single “Some Nights” took the stage twice in Austin yesterday. Helping Waterloo Records celebrate their 30th anniversary in business, the trio took to the outdoor parking lot stage for a special acoustic set in front of a packed crowd. Let me just say – these guys sound just as amazing live as they do on the album, and the crowd knew it. Amidst the free cans of Monster and the 80+ degree heat, you could have sworn you were listening to them straight off the album.
The trio also had their scheduled showcase last night at the 1100 Warehouse. Slated to follow the UK-based punk group, Tribes, fun. brought a packed house – hundreds upon hundreds in attendance in the infamous Texas heat. Unfortunately, fans were left restless in the dark for over an hour, as technical difficulties prevented the band from going on. A symphony of boos and chants for “we want fun.” rang out, but fell on deaf ears.
According to the band’s twitter (@OurNameIsFun), the trio was stuck on the side of the stage because of issues with the venue. When they eventually took the stage, they apologized, in several expletives, for being unable to perform for their fans. While the crew from WSOU was forced to leave as they finally began to play an acoustic-only set, tweets from fans hailed the performance as “sending shivers down my spine.” The group is slated to perform at the Woodie awards at 6:15 p.m. today, and at Stubbs tomorrow night, where WSOU will hopefully get a full performance.
Trekking across Austin for the final show of the night, the Dodger and myself wound up at Lambert’s, an intimate bi-level bar, perfect for smaller acts. While several artists showcased their talents last night, including River City Extension out of Toms River, N.J., we went for Campus Buzz favorite Kevin Devine. Hailing from Brooklyn, Kevin Devine is well known throughout the N.Y. Metro Area, but proved also to be a favorite amongst the Texans. In a 40 minute set, he was laid back and casual, interacting with fans across the bar, even taking a request from an eager fan in the audience for the fan favorite “Santa Barbara.”
While he might look like your everyday Joe you pass on the sidewalk, make no mistake about him – Kevin Devine is an extraordinarily gifted performer, and had a packed crowd in a bar enticed and hypnotized by his lyrics, energy and overall grateful demeanor. For us, Kevin Devine took the night as the best performance. He is slated to perform a solo acoustic set at Maggie Mae’s on 6th Street this evening.
Dubbed by the WSOU crew as “hipster central,” Austin is putting on some of the most popular, and most talented, indie bands out there right now. On deck for tonight, in addition to more Kevin Devine, are The Shins, local favorite out of Glen Rock, Titus Andronicus and Say Anything.
Check back for additional updates from the crew at WSOU, and make sure to follow all of us (@Sam_Desmond, @WSOUBrklynDodger, @WSOUTheColonel and @TMI_WSOU) as we continue to explore Austin and the SXSW festival. Look for WSOU trending on twitter with #wsousxsw, and listen in daily between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST for live updates from Austin!
Until tomorrow!
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