SXSW Day 3 Roundup: Lady Pills // Hunter Sharpe // Negative Gemini // Fews // More

Filed Under: Live Shows, SXSW — By: Oliver Bouchard

The Berklee College organizes a showcase every year at Brush Park. We like it a lot, because we can snatch a few oysters and a cup of bubbly there. But this year they also had particularly good music.

Right upon entering the tent, Boston duo mar|co caught our attention with their sleek synth pop and Marie Lang’s beautiful vocals.

But before we could leave, garage rock three piece Lady Pills took the stage and made us stay. If you think that a long dress is not rock’n’roll, singer/guitarist Ella will prove you the opposite. I am sure we will hear more of them.

And again no chance to slip out of the tent: Plastic Waves a dreamy fuzz rock/pop band headed by Andre Bellido and supported by four more band members live, which we could not miss: they played their way into Elke’s festival favorites.

Please let the next band suck, we thought, as we urgently had to move on. They didn’t, so we snapped also a few photos of IAN.

Next up Austin local Hunter Sharpe was rocking the Flatstock stage at the convention center as if the audience was not lounging on sofas. That is professionalism and I am sure Hunter and his band won some new fans that day. Update: More Photos.

In the contrary, DMAs from Sydney up on the Radio Day Stage could not shake off the corporate environment so easily: their performance was lacking somewhat joy and excitement. Their debut album is still among Elke’s current favorites.

Lots of excitement could be found over at the Hype Hotel: Electronic solo act Negative Gemini shone on the big stage with the the rockstar lighting, even though she again had that big table in front of her. I can’t wait to see her at a show where she has more control over the setup. Update: More Photos.

After a short snack, we made it finally to the British Music Embassy at Latitude 30, every year one of the most popular events at SXSW. Fuzz rockers Fews were on and they went berserk on the small stage and left the audience, and us, in awe.

Half a block away, Poliça was playing The Parish. Channy Leaneagh was as always a charming, charismatic performer, but this time I had problems understanding their show: why do they go through the effort of setting up two drum kits when you barely can seem them at the back of the stage? Why is the only other instrument a bass, when the music is driven by synths?

We had multiple options for the hour after midnight, but after we couldn’t really get a view on Bleached at Barracuda, we went to see Fickle Friends at The Sidewinder. They are a pop band from Brighton, who genuinely enjoyed their time at SXSW.

And then there was Boyfriend at Cheer Up Charlie’s, a burlesque rapper, who spits out feminist lyrics over recorded beats. It was a fascinating show, which ended in a cupcake battle, which didn’t leave us unscathed and probably caused a lifetime ban for her at the venue.