Catalina Perez
University student, coffee addict, and freelance music journalist hailing from Austin, Texas. In my spare time you can find me perusing record stores for CDs.
SXSW day 3 saw us push through aching legs and exhaustion for an amusing, jam packed schedule worth our while
As I awoke in my bed at 10:00 AM, I lay there realizing that today was going to be our second longest and most involved day at the festival. I dragged my feet out of bed, physically tired but mentally eager to get my day started, and grabbed a quick breakfast taco before heading out to the festival. Getting stuck in the typical Austin traffic was not quite part of my plan (although it should’ve been because I’ve lived here long enough to know better) and as a result, I arrived downtown a little later than I should have. Sprinting to the Marshall Funhouse at Parish, we were able to arrive about halfway through Spyres’ set and witness a phenomenal show nonetheless. The Glaswegian band played ‘The Thing’ off their latest release ‘Karaoke Sellouts’ and fan-favorite ‘Otherside,’ amongst others. The four-piece did not miss a beat and their vocals remained stellar as noticed by the crowd who filled the venue to the brim. I wish we would’ve gotten there earlier to experience the full set, but they’re definitely on our list to see again this week.
After Spyres’ set concluded, we waited around for local Austin band, Die Spitz, and were lucky to come across a very eccentric and jovial show by Skinny Lister. The British folk band’s set went above and beyond what generally happens at shows with vocalist Lorna Thomas competing in arm wrestling contests with audience members while the band played on. Their sprightly folk music also stood out in terms of instrumental choices with the group jamming out on a double bass, melodeon, stomp box, and mandolin. Melodeon player Max Thomas’ brightly animated movements and passionate playing remained a delightful spectacle throughout the show.
Die Spitz went on after Skinny Lister and tore the Marshall Funhouse down with their wild show. This is my third time seeing the punk band and I always have the most fun at their shows and have not been let down. They opened their show with ‘Slater’ off of their 2023 album ‘Teeth’ and led the crowd through a lively and chaotic show full of headbanging, screaming, and a small mosh pit in the crowd (which is typical of a Die Spitz show). Towards the end of their set, vocalist Ellie Livingston climbed the railing on the stairs leading up to the balcony at Parish and yelled “Are you ready South by!!!” before headbanging while clung on to the railing and eventually making her way back to the stage. After their show ended, we left the Marshall Funhouse and made a quick pit stop at Target (because I forgot my earplugs and my ears felt like they were bleeding and going to fall off) before heading back to the BME to check out O..
After a short walk, we were greeted by the British Music Embassy neon sign at the venue, a sight that’s become very familiar over the past few days. Once inside, we could hear O. beginning their set at the alternative stage, just up a small hill at the venue. The London duo put on a very interesting show that featured a passionate Joe Henwood on the baritone saxophone and a very chill Tash Keary flashing a smile on the drums. Their set featured new single ‘Green Shirt,’ and a more seasoned tune ‘Grouchy,’ amongst other favorites. Despite the music being instrumental, Henwood had no problem sharing banter with the crowd in between sets; however, Keary remained a bit quieter the whole time. After rounding off our first show block of the day, we headed towards 6th street to find something to satisfy our hunger.
We stumbled across Roppolo’s pizza where we chowed down on a pizza while we did some work and just took a breather from the hectic back to back shows. Feeling very much satisfied, we decided to head back to the BME (we’ve basically been living at this venue at this point) to check out Coach Party. Introduced by BBC radio DJ Steve Lamacq, Coach Party’s set included songs like ‘What’s The Point In Life,’ ‘FLAG (Feel Like A Girl),’ and ‘All I Wanna Do is Hate,’ for an enjoyable experience with good energy, catchy music and a blend of different genres. Coach Party’s second ever show in the United States exhibited enthusiasm and vivacity which made for a high-spirited show.
Following Coach Party’s set was a performance where we had no clue what to expect. As we’re waiting for the band Noah and the Loners to walk out, we’re greeted by four young faces as they go pick up their instruments. What ensued was a showcase just as energetic and loud as Die Spitz at the Marshall funhouse. Noah and the Loners’ set summoned the angsty 2000s pop punk sound for a fun and fiery show. They played a new song called ‘Keep Me Young,’ which they stated they had only played once before. Although the band members were only 19 years old, they put on a show which was reminiscent of a group that had been performing for a while. “Barton Springs is fucking great,” declared lead vocalist Noah Lonergan as he explained that they had gone swimming here in Austin a day or two prior. The four-piece finished off the set strong and left an impression on the crowd as I heard concertgoers commenting on how great they were at such a young age. Following the set, we decided to decompress some more inside the Sheraton hotel where the BME was being hosted, and do some work.
Our last show of the night at BME was Shelf Lives, a vibrant group from London, composed of Jonny Hillyard on guitar and Sabrina Di Giulio on vocals. Shelf Lives’ set was bursting with energy and very exciting to watch in spite of most of the crowd not reciprocating the amount of high-powered energy the dyad put out (which they should have because they were fantastic). They started off the performance with their first single ‘Shelf Life,’ a very techno-injected, upbeat track that was further intensified with flashing stage strobe lights. Midway through their set, someone noticed one of the stage’s speakers wasn’t working and as a result, the dynamic duo paused momentarily until it was fixed so they could continue to blast through their set which included a new song about ‘Uncle Fred.’ Their set was very memorable and so much fun to experience; props to Shelf Lives who powered through in spite of technical difficulties. They definitely closed our day 3 experience with a bang and we absolutely have them on our list to go check out again before the festival ends.
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