Crowd at Fader Fort; photo by Bryan C. Parker
SXSW has garnered a reputation as the largest music industry party in the country. Of the innumerable shows, events, and gatherings that happen over the course of the festival’s ten days, the annual parties hosted by Fader, SPIN, and The Hype Machine currently rise above most others as some of the hottest parties to attend. Entities like Pitchfork and the Windish Agency book solid lineups each year, but none has the public buzz of these three events. All require special wristbands or invites, but with enough foresight and industriousness in the way of early planning and RSVPing, they are obtainable.
THE HYPE HOTEL
Chastity Belt at Hype Hotel; photo by Lukas R. Truckenbrod
The Hype Machine’s party, Hype Hotel, is the newest of the three parties, and this year moved into a large warehouse on East 5th St. For the 2015 installment, the five-day long party featured lineups curated by an array of blogs like Gorilla vs. Bear and Pigeons and Planes and artists such as Spoon, Best Coast, Odesza, and Earl Sweatshirt. Thursday night’s lineup with bands Hinds, Chastity Belt, and Autre Ne Veut most attracted the team here at Pop Press INTL., and both Lukas Truckenbrod and Bryan Parker caught acts a different points in the evening. The Hype Hotel leans toward a club atmosphere, emphasizing free mixed drinks and red bull and offering only one beer option — Miller Lite; no thanks.
Autre Ne Veut at Hype Hotel; photo by Bryan C. Parker
Glowing neons glow over the crowded, dim floor. If you run out of the six drink tickets supplied, you can always ask at the door for more. From the main room, party-goers can access a fenced-in, outdoor area with food vendors and various sponsor displays. With great lineups, free drinks, and parties that start at noon and run until 2:00 AM, it’s not surprising that the destination remains in high demand year after year.
SPIN DAY PARTY
Will Butler at SPIN Party; photo by Bryan C. Parker
SPIN magazine impresses me. Each year, they prove they not only possess mainstream appeal and industry clout but also book exciting, up-and-coming acts. This year’s lineup featured big names like Will Butler of Arcade Fire and rap sensation Run the Jewels along with less-known punk rockers Metz, on-the-rise Australian slacker-rocker Courtney Barnett, and austere post-punk act Viet Cong. Rain threatened to put a damper on part of the afternoon, but Barnett didn’t let it slow her down, as she delivered a powerful set of crunchy rock songs. Barnett’s live show employs a noisier and more forceful aesthetic than her laid-back, rambling recordings. Seeing a band diversify between recordings and live performances always works for me; I’d rather see something fresh than hear perfect recreations of album tracks.
Will Butler at SPIN Party; photo by Bryan C. Parker
Earlier in the day, Will Butler (backed by a cast of players all wearing black shirts proudly labeled WILL in cheesy font) put on an excellent show. Undoubtedly, Butler has learned how to captivate an audience from his time playing with Arcade Fire. Brother Win has a reputation for being a charismatic frontman, but with a new solo album out and live dates booked, Will deserves recognition for his own ability to deliver a solid live performance.
Twin Shadow at SPIN Party; photo by Bryan C. Parker
Twin Shadow, who also has new material to promote in the way of a newly released third album, Eclipse, performed a set of new and old material. George Lewis Jr. opened the set with previous radio hit “Five Seconds,” drawing the crowd in with familiar material before giving them a taste of new material. The SPIN party always offers such quality acts, and although the booze doesn’t flow as freely as at other celebrated SXSW day shows, a few bucks for beer is a small price to pay for a lineup this good.
FADER FORT (Sponsored by Converse)
Hinds at Fader Fort; photo by Bryan C. Parker
Fader Fort may be the ruler of all SXSW day parties. Fader has experimented with a few miscellaneous sponsors in recent years, but 2015 had them once again working with their tried and true event sponsor Converse. RSVPing and picking up the necessary wristband are always talked about events leading up to the festival, to say nothing of the always solid lineup. Fader has no qualms about assembling a bill that includes punk, lackadaisical indie pop, R&B, and rap all in a single afternoon. The magazine (and their annual SXSW party) have been known to lend a significant boost to relatively unknown acts–a phenomenon I admire.
Girlpool at Fader Fart; photo by Bryan C. Parker
This year’s big names included Chance the Rapper, Hudson Mohawke, Bleachers, and Migos, but just as many virtually unknown bands drew me in–namely all-female bands Hinds and Girlpool. Playing the last of their 14 SXSW shows, the ladies of Hinds appeared next to delirious onstage, opening the final day of the event. They sang Happy Birthday to one of the band members and fell completely to pieces laughing during their cover of Thee Headcoats’ “Davey Crockett.” Later, Girlpool plodded through their set of minimal pop.
Kali Uchis; photo by Bryan C. Parker
A diverse combination of singer Kali Uchis (who covered Latin sensation Selena), punk rockers Sick Feeling, rapper Vince Staples, and ultimate apathy-rockers Alex G constituted the early afternoon portion of the day. Each act offered something distinctive and all represent Fader’s willingness to showcase fresh young acts rather than the same old household names.
Kevin Gates; photo by Bryan C. Parker
Hip-hop dominated the final hours of Fader Fort 2015, beginning with rapper Kevin Gates plowing through a relentlessly high-energy set. Gates commanded attention, but lost mine completely on some quickly sputtered, borderline unintelligible but clearly sexist language. A little research later yielded that the dude has made some waves in the media for some fairly twisted behaviors with ladies. Not cool, and thus no more words here.
Tink with Timbaland at Fader Fort; photo by Bryan C. Parker
After a surprise DJ set by Porter Robinson, Timbaland made a surprise appearance to introduce his “protege,” young R&B singer and rapper Tink. According to Timbaland, Aaliyah (with whom Timbaland worked) appeared to him in a dream and said that “Tink was the one.” The lauded hip-hop producer was careful not to tread on the legacy of the beloved artist, but made his point clear. He’s all in on Tink. Her show proved why. While the young artist’s recordings lean toward mellow, plaintive R&B ballads, her live show at Fader Fort on Saturday showcased a proclivity for forceful flow and heavy rhymes. More of that, please.
Travi$ Scott at Fader Fort; photo by Bryan C. Parker
DJ Hudson Mohawke ended the night with a set during which Travi$ Scott appeared to drop a few bars. The rapper quickly took to hanging around Mohawke’s DJ booth and grooving for what seemed like an eternity before leaving the stage and sitting on the pit railing, bobbing his head and occasionally singing along to Kanye’s “All Day” loop. To cap the night, Twista emerged and did one song, but the show still ended about 45 minutes before it’s slated time. Many in the crowd had suspected (expected?) a visit from rumored Kanye West or Drake, but neither appeared.
Travi$ Scott at Fader Fort; photo by Bryan C. Parker
On one hand, no one else was officially announced for the evening, and one can’t be too upset about a non-confirmed non-appearance. However, the show did end significantly early and most of the crowd left stunned and surprised. It seems pretty clear that another act was scheduled and didn’t show, but that doesn’t detract from the quality programming Fader Fort delivered all week and in years past. By next year, the Pine St. Station where the event is held is slated to be no long available for use. Perhaps SXSW 2016 will usher in a new era for one of the festival’s biggest parties. Until then, peruse the gallery of photos from this year’s biggest parties below.
All images © Bryan C. Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
