101X Homegrown Live at the Historic Scoot Inn: Live Review

Aaron Behrens; Photo by Madeline Harvey

This past Saturday, local radio station 101X hosted their Homegrown Live series with a solid bill of mostly local acts at East Austin’s Historic Scoot Inn. Despite the particularly high door charge ($18!) for a local show, the crowd filled in by the end of the night to cheer local headliner Aaron Behrens and the Midnight Stroll as he steps out of Ghostland Observatory for some time in the solo spotlight.

Aaron Behrens; Photo by Madeline Harvey

Mostly known for his work with Ghostland Observatory, Aaron Behrens has employed the Midnight Stroll to facilitate his solo swaggership, commanding the cozy Scoot Inn stage and the two microphones that sit atop it. He held a small bullet microphone laden with effects as he jumped around the stage with trademark sunglasses (dark Ray Ban wayfarers this time) adorning his face, shielding himself from the flashing lights. His impressive vocal range will call to mind Cold War Kids’ Nathan Willett (though Ghostland predates the Kids) and Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala. A nasally snarl with plenty of attitude, Behrens’ music is trendy indie pop while sometimes diving into more aggressive alt-rock territory, never letting up the energy and giving the receptive crowd a special veteran performance in the gorgeous, mid-size Scoot Inn patio venue.

Ranch Ghost; Photo by Madeline Harvey

Ranch Ghost is touring with Behrens and should receive a four hats out of five rating, meaning one dude missed the memo and didn’t wear a hat. Mostly floppy and always dingy, the hats plus one were super retro garage rock. It was the third band to feature a three-guitar lineup, this time made up of cheapo pawn shop guit-boxes, contributing to the band’s lo-fi live sound complete with generous slap-back echoed vocals that dwelled into the psyches of the audience, who obviously dug the laid back grooves emanating from the floppy brims of the Nashville outfit. Swampy and sometimes out of tune in a pleasurable primitive way, the band gave us quick hits and simple tunes that emphasized lead singer Wank Williams’ vocals, which carried enough grit and growl to balance the high pitched whine. Obviously channeling days past, the group remained grateful and energetic throughout as the only non-local band.

Slomo Drags; Photo by Madeline Harvey

Before the hats came to the stage, we had Slomo Drags come out and give us some pop rock. Everything was there in terms of tangible goodness – talent across the stage, hooks, pop sensibilities, eclectic mix of sounds (three guitars, three-part harmonies, keyboards), but something was missing for this PPI correspondent. Maybe lacking edge, the group came off smoother than a leather jacket on a bar top. But less leather and more plaid. Too bad, since the group was incredibly tight, harmonizing lead guitar lines and the aforementioned harmonies that sounded killer through the deluxe sound system. Diet Rock: all the rock without the roll?

Nic Armstrong; Photo by Madeline Harvey

Kicking the night off was Nic Armstrong & the Thieves, an Austin-based band with English origins. The first band to feature three guitars on stage, Armstrong’s English snarl lead the six-piece which included a saxophone to his right, which was unfortunately not bolstered by a larger horn section, and maybe playing second fiddle (horn?) to the three other guitars. I would have liked to hear more saxophone in the rootsy mix. At both times exuding British pop songwriting with American roots rawness, it was Armstrong’s high snarl that gave the group its edge.

Ranch Ghost; Photo by Madeline Harvey

Over the crowd filtered in slowly and maintained an eclectic mix of casual listeners and dedicated enthusiasts. Perhaps it was the steep door charge or the relatively early set times at the residentially located Scoot Inn, but the crowd didn’t seem to really pack in and let loose until obvious favorite Behrens came on stage, a shame for fans of diverse music, up-and-comers, and local acts.

Select any photo below to open in slideshow viewer. All photos © Madeline Harvey and Pop Press International.