Still, it was a relief when everything came together for Adult DVD Monday night at Swan Dive; their infectious, funny rave-ups finally popped the audience. Sweat dripped, bodies bumped up against each other. Moves were busted. For a kid who longed to experience a prime house set at the Haçienda in Manchester in the late ‘80s, or a DFA dance night on the Lower East Side in the early 2000s, this might be as close as I’ll get.
If I were a writer for the NME, my hyperbolic headline would be “I’ve seen the future of indie sleaze, and its name is Adult DVD.” And look, I realize it can be intoxicating to rub shoulders with bands you admire, but I promise this isn’t that; this was Den of Geek’s unanimous favorite band of the festival. The band is working on their debut album with Fat Possum Records as I type and I’m smashing the preorder button first chance I get. I’ve been walking around singing “BILL MURRAY, BILL MURRAY IS LOST IN JAPAN/TOM HANKS, TOM HANKS SAYING CATCH ME IF YOU CAN” into strangers’ faces. Look it up and you will be too. – Nick Harley
2charm
Sometimes you have to take a risk and tell your millennial bosses that the must-see artists at SXSW are two shirtless guys from Melbourne doing pushups onstage in Ugg boots. I’m talking, of course, about 2charm, the indie sleaze “gooner pop” duo. We caught them at Seven Grand Whiskey Bar on Sunday night, and their 1 a.m. set delivered exactly the second wind we needed. I first discovered 2charm back in October with their single “boyfriend,” and they followed it up with their debut album star scum city in February. What I didn’t realize before seeing them live is just how choreographed their performances are. Every song has its own set of moves, and at times it felt like I was playing Just Dance Sweat Mode, trying to keep up during my favorite track, “girls.”
Yes, it really is all about girls, but the men of Den of Geek were just as into the set. I don’t know if I can definitively say they were the best act we saw at SXSW as a group, but I can say with complete confidence that they were my favorite of the festival. Consider me charmed. – Darcie Zudell
Merrick Winter
I saunter into a scene I don’t feel quite cut out for, my first time in a church in 10 years and it’s arguably the most beautiful music venue in all of Austin. With nothing but an artist title, two ears, and a dream, I sit second pew. Central Presbyterian Church has walls 70 feet high built out for the echoing melodies of Merrick Winter.
Winter combined vocals akin to Caamp (Ohio mentioned!), and Elliott Smith adjacent songbooks to take this audience on a train ride. No, seriously, he beckoned us to take the California Zephyr if we hadn’t already in the title track of their latest full body of work, The California Zephyr. His stance on flying: “Hell no. Sorry…God.” Winter was quick on the draw to thank his audience. Maybe it was the Holy presence or just his London charm. – Riley Clark
