Photo: The Residents get weird at The Paramount
Anyone thinking that the final two days of SXSW would bring out massive crowds may have found some relief in the rain that stuck around for much of Friday, which seemed to scare off some of the throngs. However, the rain didn’t stop a myriad of acts from putting on their best performances across town. If Wednesday was defined by rock and roll and Thursday by the alt. country and Americana vibe of the Heartbreaker Banquet, then Friday was reserved for a little bit of everything, ranging unexpected world sounds and art rock to fiery, roof-shaking rock. Out of it all, here are five acts that stood out…
Getting down with The Stone Foxes
The Stone Foxes at Little Woodrow’s
The rain subsided just in time for The Stone Foxes to hit the makeshift stage on West 6th St and the Bay Area band intended to take full advantage. Using blues-rock as a foundation, the band thrives on conjuring a sort of Animal House kegger atmosphere. Their outdoor set filled up the bar and attracted curious passerby, who danced along on the sidewalk. The band’s rambunctious energy culminated with a an extended and oddly appropriate cover of “Natural Woman” that brought the whole crowd to their knees before coaxing them all back up into a dance party.
숨[suːm] at The Paramount
Discovering something completely new is the beauty of SXSW. Sitting in the Paramount, I had no idea what to expect from this Korean duo whose name I couldn’t decipher (I later found it it’s pronounced ‘soom’). I figured that any act opening for the Residents would be a little strange, but wasn’t prepared for how mind blowing this performance would be. Eloquent and flawlessly composed, Jiha Park and Jungmin Seo both handled a range of instruments that I had never seen or heard before, and all of which produced a dazzling feast of sounds. Park alternated between a bamboo oboe (Piri), Yanggeum – a delicate instrument in the dulcimer family, and a Saenghwang – a bizarre, otherworldly mouth organ capable of producing an array of haunting, transfixing sounds. Seo focused on the Gayageum, a large wooden instrument with 25 strings that looked and sounded like a complex challenge. These instruments are found in traditional Korean music, but Park and Seo use them to craft their own contemporary sound that blends jazzy, dissonant playing with distant roots of tradition. Together these two muscians masterfully emphasized not only their uncommon choice of instruments to compose something modern sounding, but also the emotional effect of space and silence between the notes. When you see and hear them live the music feels almost freeform, but there is no doubt that every single not is both intentional and filled with purpose. The duo’s hypnotizing performance was maybe the last thing I expected to see at SXSW, but possibly the most culturally awakening and mentally stimulating.
The Residents at The Paramount
Avant-garde rock pioneers and consummate artists The Residents took to the stage at the Paramount Theatre in celebration of the SXSW premiere of Theory of Obscurity, a documentary film detailing their half-century long career and influence. The elusive troop performed what would be their final installment of the “Randy” “Chuck” and “Bob” trilogy, aptly titled “Shadowland” and, as lead singer “Randy” announced to begin the performance, the show would center around dark introspective themes of death and reincarnation. The stage featured a fairly minimal set design by Residents standards, with a giant white sphere serving as the focal point upon which short films of various characters wearing skull masks and telling eerie stories were projected. Percussionist “Chuck” and guitarist “Bob” wore checkered spandex body suits with white tuxedo jackets and dreadlocked wigs with illuminated goggles to cover their faces, and both remained silent and stoic for the duration of the performance. Sporting a spandex body suit, sparkled thong, old man mask, and clown shoes, vocalist “Randy” would prove to be the ring leader and a true performance artist, combining hoarse singing, poetry, acting, dance, and storytelling as he led the captivated audience through the show. The performance took on a sentimental tone when “Randy” suddenly announced to the crowd that this would be the band’s final performance with “Chuck”, an active member since 1981. In a show of respect and admiration the crowd gave the percussionist a standing ovation before moving closer to the stage for the final songs of the set, many wondering if the departure of such a key member and the ominous theme of the show perhaps means the end to the legendary Residents.
Meat Market at 720 Club
It felt fitting to see these nerdy Oakland dudes playing inside what was unquestionably the shittiest, most rundown venue at SXSW. The inside of 720 Club (formerly Metal & Lace and Headhunters) felt like little more than a dirty garage or maybe a crackhouse, and Meat Market’s catchy tunes brought to mind a punkier Weezer with simple lyrics that are poppy and fun. If you were looking for something care-free that you could bob along with and hold your beer up to, Meat Market was the set to see.
Low Cut Connie
Low Cut Connie at 720 Club
Damn if it doesn’t feel good to see a straight up rock and roll band, and Low Cut Connie are just that. Up until they hit the stage – basically a shithole made of rickety wood planks and sheet metal – I had forgotten that I first heard Low Cut Connie with their cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into The Fire”. Frontman Adam Weiner pounds, kicks and dances on his piano keys, his love for Jerry Lee Lewis fiercely apparent and a shining beacon of hope that younger musicians still know what it means to boogie. The crowd quickly went into a frenzied dance when the band tore though their rootsy soul, and Brit Dan Fennemore upped the ante even more with his Jon Langford-esque kick your ass rocking. With so much great rock and roll at this year’s SXSW it’s hard to pick one favorite, but if forced to choose my favorite act, I would probably say Low Cut Connie took the cake. Give these Philly cats a bigger stage and a decent sound system and there’s no telling what they’re capable of.
Photos by Arthur VanRooy.
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