Dive assistant editor Chris Powers is stationed down South in Austin, Texas for the 2014 South By Southwest Music Festival, Follow his travels here on the Dive blog.
Ah yes, finally I have arrived in beautiful Austin, Texas for one of America’s worst-kept music festival secrets: South By Southwest. With countless artists, labels and press outlets descending upon the city, it feels like the center of the musical universe this time of year.
My first day in Austin required a lot of getting acquainted with the city. After exploring the convention center and venturing through the hustle and bustle of 6th Street, I found myself planted at The Mohawk, where Vans was presenting a series of Latin American bands performing over the course of the afternoon. I caught particularly entertaining sets from Rey Pila and Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas. The former supplied reverb-drenched electro pop akin to The Killers while the latter merged Latin-flavored swing with hip-hop styling. While it was a bit of an off-beat way to kick off my SXSW festival experience, I welcomed the change of pace.
After a brief break, I returned to The Mohawk for Pitchfork’s Show No Mercy showcase, which provided a much heavier lineup. Made up of burgeoning metal and punk bands, the showcase was certainly a wake-up call for the weary after a long day of shuffling around the city. YAUTJA’s sludgy riffs and meaty backbone shook the indoor stage to its core. Outside, Iron Reagan from Richmond, Va. offered heavy thrash at blistering pace. The band’s goofy banter foiled the speedy riffs coming from their twin lead guitar attack.
With day parties courtesy of SPIN and Pitchfork, as well as numerous evening showcases, tomorrow promises to be a bit more eventful. However, Tuesday provided a solid start to my first South By experience.
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