More than once, I’ve written about Red Bull Sound Select‘s ability to book killer shows. The corporate-backed music series refuses to stick to one venue, one city, or even one genre. Red Bull Sound Select shows happen all over the country, in myriad venues, and have begun to bring lesser known bands from one city to another. While early incarnations of Austin shows consisted of solid local bands, recent installments of the series have recruited bands from out of town alongside outstanding local acts. Saturday night at Hotel Vegas, Austin’s own Mirror Travel opened the night, followed by Dallas surf rockers Sealion and headliners, Seattle psych punk band Night Beats.
After showing up promptly at nine, I checked out the grounds, which consisted of a well-lit, tree canopied outdoor stage, built by Red Bull just for the event. Toward the back of the outdoor space as a claw game machine filled with rad prizes. Mirror Travel hadn’t taken the stage by 9:15ish, so I bounced two blocks south to neighboring venue Scoot Inn for an epic local bill happening simultaneously. Regretfully, I returned to the side door of Hotel Vegas just in time to hear the final notes of Mirror Travel’s set ring out. I was genuinely bummed, as I’ve commented before on how much I love the band, which recently lost a bassist. I’m sorry to report that I’m note sure if the group has replaced their bassist or if core members Tiffanie Lanmon and Lauren Green are operating as a duo. Without seeing their set, I can still confidently say they’re a band you should paying attention to, and it was great to see them get some love alongside bands from out of town.
Having never heard of Sealion, I was pleasantly impressed when the four-piece began to crank out their watery, surf-punk jams. The band’s riffs reminded me of a less affected version of Seattle surf-noir band La Luz with grittier vocals and less emphasis on harmony. Frontman Hunter Moehring handles much of the vocal responsibilities, while bassist Samantha Villavert’s voice provides balance on several songs. Even though the band is from nearby Dallas, their presence on the bill and the fact that no one I knew at the show had heard them previously speaks to the important work Red Bull Sound Select is doing to network outsanding emerging artists from around the country.
After running back over to Scoot Inn, I made the doors back at Hotel Vegas just as Night Beats took the stage. The trio is relentless and frantic, pacing manically as they pummel the audience with a sonic onslaught of blistering guitars and drums. Paper streamers dangle from the trees, which are lit with strings of lights. The streamers whip in the wind, occasionally hanging around the necks of band members. At the back of the stage, a sparkly, blood-drizzled mannequin sits propped, tied to a pair of balloons. Bassist Tarek Wegner’s right arm is painted to match; it appears flayed and bloody from just below his elbow all the way to his fingertips. The ideas of raw flesh is an apt metaphor for the band’s gritty and snarling garage rock.
At one point, someone from the crowd yells, “I wanna have your babies,” while the band tunes. “We don’t want those,” Wegner responds quickly before launching into the next song. Later in the night, between songs, a viscerally violent selection from William Burroughs’ Naked Lunch is played over the PA as the band disccusses something inaudibly among themselves. The band is drenched in sweat. The crowd is drenched in sweat. But there’s something perfect about the sweltering summer night and Night Beats’ brazen rock n roll. They’re bringing the heat, and we keep asking for more. Even in the haze of the next morning’s hangover and semi-deafness, something tells me we won’t regret it.
All photos © Bryan C. Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
