For the past half decade or so, I’ve made a conscious effort to get ahold of one of the coveted SPIN laminates to attend their annual SXSW party held at Austin institution Stubb’s. This year, there’s more backlash against corporate sponsorship than ever before, but SPIN’s party comes out of that argument pretty clean. Crispin Ciders were served free of charge at the event, but beer still cost a few bucks, and no gaudy corporate banners cluttered the stages. SPIN is, of course, one of the larger print music publications in existence, but their event generally boasts a solid lineup of artists and avoids any garish marketing or flash-in-the-pan pop stars.
The final notes of Future Islands’ set rang out just as I made my way through the doors of the venue leaving only the crowd murmur and the sound of my fracturing heart. This was the spot I’d been waiting to see the band, and I’d only managed to hear half a song. I guess this is what I get for waiting until a band’s final appearance at SXSW to catch them. Lucky for me and other Austinites, they’ll be back next month for a show at Mohawk.
As I shook off my woes, glam pop band Temples began performing on the opposite end of Stubb’s outdoor area. The UK band’s songs have been all over the radio in recent weeks to coincide with the release of their new album. I’ve liked the songs well enough, but I don’t think that the band’s full ethos became clear to me until I saw them live. With glittering paint at the corner of his eyes and his giant brown curls spiraling down around his face, lead singer James Edward Bagshaw (a British name if I’ve ever heard one), lead his band through psych-tinged, glam-rock songs with a distinct Marc Bolan vibe. The energy of the crowd wasn’t yet churning as it was still barely afternoon, but Temples’ live sound was definitely on.
In one of the afternoon’s only hang-ups, all-girl psych rock band Warpaint took entirely too long to get gear working and levels checked, resulting in only a three-song set. The crowd was audibly disappointed, but what music Warpaint did play, they performed with dynamic intensity. Even in the broad daylight, their reverb-laden pop sounded like some forsaken thing slithering through through the brooding darkness.
Schoolboy Q was determined to take the party up a level and wasted no time kicking off his set as Warpaint finished. Stepping over the monitors onto the speakers in the photo pit, Schoolboy Q leaned out into the crowd and performed most of his set only feet from fans and with photographers surrounding him. And he didn’t complain once. It was refreshing to see a hip hop star not be so hung up on himself or lamely deriding the crowd, onstage behavior I know isn’t universal but that I’ve experienced far too much at hip hop shows. Schoolboy Q just plowed through one song after another and had the crowd completely pumped by the end of his set.
Cloud Nothings performed next, destroying the stage with their barrage of noisy indie rock. One of the most impressive things about Cloud Nothings is how innocuous and peaceful frontman Dylan Baldi can appear just before he emits a gritty strain of screaming vocals. Drummer Jayson Gerycz must go through dozens of drumsticks in a week and easily holds a place as one of the most furious drummers we’ve seen perform. Cloud Nothings will be back to Austin soon for an amazing bill with (one of our favorites) The Men at the Mohawk. We will be there, and so should you.
SPIN continues to put on an excellent SXSW showcase each year, and we highly suggesting keeping a lookout for their RSVP in the weeks leading up to next year’s festival. You can keep up with them on twitter at @SPINsxsw and @SPINmagazine. Below you can check out our full photo gallery from the event. All images © Bryan Parker and Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
