Saturday night at Cheer Up Charlie’s served as the launchpad for Austin rockers Young Tongue to share their debut full-length with the world. The band recently released Death Rattle through Punctum Records, who operated as one of the event sponsors for the evening. Punctum and Young Tongue partnered with arts collective Raw Paw, who always curates a multi-sensory environment. The experience transcends music and incorporates art installations, literature, community, and audience interaction. Saturday’s event featured a huge, inflatable jousting setup–not the medieval kind (though, hey, you never know with Raw Paw), but the American Gladiators kind–for showgoers to enjoy.
Modern medicine opened the night, but I must confess I missed the set as I furiously typed away finishing up the second issue of True Sincerity (shameless, I know). I do have it on good word from our photographer Madeline Harvey that the band sounded great. Boyfrndz, easily the band most divergent on the evening’s bill, played second, cranking out heavy, sludgy riffs. I admire that about Raw Paw’s aesthetic–they aren’t afraid to test the boundaries of what’s popular. They know how to avoid playing it safe.
In celebration of the new album, Young Tongue headlined the outdoor stage, bringing their energetic stage antics and glittering makeup to the Cheer Up Charlie’s stage. With the spectacle of a giant steel keg that gets beat with drumsticks and Liz Baker’s dance moves, the group always manages to be visually stimulating, an appeal that pairs well with Raw Paw’s ethos.
Cheer Up Charlie’s’ brand new outdoor sound system made the band sound as solid as I’ve ever heard them as their developed bass lines punched authoritatively over disjointed, angular guitars. Young Tongue manages to move smoothly between quick changes within their multi-faceted songs. Although their new album is called Death Rattle, their show is unmistakably alive. As the patrons of Cheer Up jousted it out across from the stage, Young Tongue jousted with death itself and emerged victorious, bringing the crowd to life with their spirited performance.
Math rockers Chipper Jones and electronic group Capyac held down the duties of closing out the night with back to back sets on the venue’s indoor stages. Chipper Jones brought their intricate drum and guitar arrangements before Capyac sent the room into a frenzied dance party full of balloons, spandex booty shorts, and a dizzying light display. Dig photos of the night from Madeline Harvey (with a touch of assistance from yours truly), in the gallery below.
All photos © Madeline Harvey & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Select any image to open set in slideshow viewer.
