After bringing you several stories leading up to the Sour Notes epic tour kickoff at Red 7, today we have follow-up coverage of the event. As expected, the 14 band show resulted in a packed house at Red 7 for an all out blast that included a wide range of artists. Core members of the Sour Notes, Jared Boulanger and Amarah Ulghani also run a collective called No Play Music, which is responsible for organizing shows such as the recent Bummer in the Summer and, like Pop Press International, generally spreading the gospel of independent culture.
After attending a few of the No Play Music curated bills, in which one can include the tour kickoff show at Red 7, some facts make themselves apparent. First, when the Sour Notes and No Play Music put together a show, they go all out. Secondly, they have a mind for diversity and inclusion. You won’t catch them booking a bill full of bands that all sound the same. From the quirky pop of Waikiki to the hip-hop infused rock of The Cymatic to the folk tinged tunes of Jess Williamson, the artists that performed at Red 7 last Saturday were cut from different cloths. This diversity is a refreshing find. The last important factor revealed by their shows is this: you can trust them with your time. So often, you hear buzz about a band or a show and the payoff doesn’t quite meet your expectations. With a No Play Music bill, the trip and the cover charge will be well worth your time.
Each band contributed something vital to the vibe of the evening, but clear highlights emerged as the event transpired, the first of which occurred with Waikiki’s cover of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” The meat of the bill had to be Houston’s New York City Queens who destroyed the inside stage with their high-energy rock and preceded a set by the Sour Notes themselves who delivered an equally powerful set. The Sour Notes were at the top of their game, riding the energy of the upcoming national tour, which is now underway. We were also thrilled to see so many female fronted groups performing—Jess Williamson’s freak-folk music that features banjo and cello, Little Brave’s alternative rock, and San Antonio’s ferocious punk outfit Mrs. Howl, to name a few. 
The Royal Forest followed the Sour Notes set inside with their floating indie rock that emphasizes keys and synths. You may recognize founding member Cody Ground from his days fronting the band Loxly. Ground and his projects hold a lynchpin status in the Austin scene, and it’s always great to catch one of their sets. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention as a highlight the full-force onslaught of recent resurfacers The Midgetmen, who sounded great on the inside stage.
The night closed out with the multi-member Burgess Merideth’s upbeat set of pop tunes on the outside stage and KNIFIGHT’S dance-centric songs that borrow heavily from New Order. KNIFIGHT is a band that 
continues to get increasing buzz in the Austin music scene. Their dark electronic pop is a fitting way to close out such an epic show in the early hours of the morning.
If you missed this show somehow, or especially if you’ve never seen the Sour Notes live, do yourself the courtesy of marking your calendar for their return from tour in mid-August. For now, the bands next show is at Stubb’s on September 6th following the Yeasayer set. However, with this industrious crew, something earlier may crop up, so keep a lookout on their website here.
Click on any image below to open the set in slideshow view. All photos by Bryan Parker.
