SXSW Concert Review: San Fermin, March 13

One of my must see bands at SXSW was Brooklyn’s San Fermin, a chamber-pop band that put out an album last year that I thought everyone would know and love, but didn’t. With a barrage of SXSW performances this year, I will assume that this will happen shortly after the festival.

Playing some random house for some random company’s non open bar day party, San Fermin took a while to set up, but once they did, the group proceeded to play an impressively tight show that highlights many of the talents that made this band one of my favorite discoveries of last year. Among these talents are:

– Allen Tate’s baritone voice, which sounds like a less angry Matt Berninger. It’s a powerful voice that adds additional weight to any track

– A powerful horns section featuring two roaming band members who added excitement with rare dueling trumpet/sax solos

– Rae Cassidy’s infectious smile and her incredible range as the female vocal lead. The high notes of Cassidy balanced out nicely with Tate’s low voice to create a wide spectrum of sounds.

With so much talent on stage, it would be easy for one band member to dominate the show, yet under Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s helm, the group was able to reign in their talent into a cohesive unit whose delicate arrangements and orchestral vibe makes them quite unique here in Austin. Check them out.

Posted on by Ricky in South By Southwest

About Ricky

Britpop lovin Chinaman, consumer of all things irrelevant. Toronto Raptors fan.