Spent most of Day One stuck at work, but still managed to hit up some choice bands, some not-so-choice venues, and just barely survive Texas’ liquor laws.
We had a trio of correspondents covering South-by-Southwest in 2010: Robin Sinhababu, Ted Chase, and Abby Johnston. This is Robin’s recap of Day One; Ted’s is here, and Abby’s is here.
HOZAC Party @ Trailer Space Records
Puffy Areolas (?)
I was working up (down?) on South Congress Wednesday night, and around eleven I clocked out and high-tailed it down to the Hozac (Horizontal Action Records) party at Trailer Space Records, which has good evening shows at their store in East Austin. Where other clubs have floor-to ceiling columns that obscure views of the band, Trailer Space has two large shelves of LPs that constrict movement but also give you something to look at, which is especially handy if the band sucks. That wasn’t the case when I got there; what I believe were northern Ohio’s Puffy Areolas were skronking it out to the delight of a packed crowd inside and the indifference of a packed parking lot outside. They’re a physical, jumping around kind of band, so they looked awesome but a bit constrained on the small Trailer Space stage. I think they could pull off a show with a bigger stage, such as Emo’s or Carnegie Hall.
My friend Cole, in town from Washington, was in danger of falling prey to Texas’ liquor laws, which end retail sales at midnight. That’s still laxer than the District’s, though. Anyway, we ran across the street to Ideal Soul Mart, one of the best-named businesses in town, to find probably the slimmest pickings in some time. The barren shelves could only mean one thing: a packed show at a cool venue nearby. Unfortunately, we already knew about that.
The choice of blue Boone’s Farm, O’Doul’s, and Smirnoff Ice was decidedly not going to cut it, so we made a beer run elsewhere with a couple minutes to spare. Then, I dropped him and 24 ice cold cans of Lone Star off at Trailer Space, and left him to make many friends while I went back downtown to see High on Fire.
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Action! PR Showcase @ Mohawk Patio
High on Fire
I’ve heard plenty of High on Fire, Sleep, and bands they’ve influenced, but before this night I’d never seen Matt Pike play. He’s got great presence: charismatic and in charge of the stage, but also the friendliest, most relaxed metal frontman I’ve ever seen. Plus, his guitar skills are totally suited to the trio format.
Before they started playing, Pike responded to the packed, cheering house for about thirty seconds, but his vocal was never turned up, so almost no one knows what he said. Unfortunately, that was a sign of things to come, as High on Fire had easily the worst sound I’ve ever heard at the usually good-sounding Mohawk. Pike’s guitar was totally muddled with reverb, and although the effect abated a little after the first song, it dulled riffs and scrambled solos for the entire set. Des Kensel’s drums sounded far too harsh, and except for when Pike was high up on the fretboard, bass and guitar were all mashed up.
The main reason the sound was disappointing is that the playing looked great. Kensel’s a great hard rock drummer: like the best of them, he can groove without sacrificing a powerful approach to the kit, and can play hard-hitting fills that accent the guitar and bass without disrupting the beat. Bassist Jeff Matz, who replaced Joe Preston a few years ago, would instantly switch back and forth from picking at heavy chords to fast, fingered playing, depending on whether the band was in sludge or fast mode.
I write "fast" instead of "speed-metal" because High on Fire didn’t really go there. For all their heaviness, their sound is measured and has a classic rock quality to it. Pike embodies that best, switching easily between rhythm and lead playing, singing out, and giving no reason to think that his band would ever need another guitarist. Some credit for that is due to Matz, who can also play both rhythm and melody and is a competent yeller when they’re playing, although during soundcheck you could hear that Pike’s growl is way better.
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Prosthetic Showcase @ Mohawk (inside)
Scale the Summit
Inside, Houston’s Scale the Summit were playing a trickier, more quick-on-its-feet brand of metal than on High on Fire (see above). Actually, what they were doing doesn’t have much to do with what High on Fire does; progressive metal is energizing in a different way, and it’s not heavy. The absence of vocals further trained my eye on the technical, note-y guitar and bass playing.
Although Scale the Summit isn’t my kind of thing, they’re fun to watch because they play together. They’re too flashy, but at least they’re all flashy toward a common purpose instead of being flashy in separate, annoying directions. Actually, that’s not entirely true; the drummer needs to take it easy with the splash cymbal.
My main gripe with Scale the Summit, and many bands of related genres, is that their best songs still just sound like lots of cool segments forming a line. Their best songs are only the sum of their parts, and nothing more. That’s why I don’t own records by bands like them, but I like going to the shows. Tricky fills and riffs are fun to watch, especially when the players seem like they’re having a good time.
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Unfortunately missed:
– Two Star Symphony @ The Hideout, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
– Yahowa 13 & Plastic Crimewave Sound @ Rusty Spurs, 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM & 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM.
– Dustin O’Halloran @ Central Presbyterian Church, 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM.
– Califone (QRO photos) @ Club de Ville, 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM.
– Torche (QRO live review) @ Club 1808 Patio, 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM.
