Playing at a church is an unique experience, and one which bands would be smart to take advantage of. St. David Sanctuary in Austin is one of the most unique spaces for a show during SXSW – it’s got great acoustics and a real feeling of intimacy. Two bands that played there on Wednesday night both used that space to their advantage.
Bubble Tea and Cigarettes
A duo originally from New York and currently residing in Seattle, Bubble Tea and Cigarettes‘ mellow, dreamy lush pop worked almost perfectly within the church setting.
Their music (think similar to Slowdive’s self titled 2017 album) is made for intimate settings with the group’s subtle vocals dancing through all the crevices of the inner Sanctuary. The group brought their own floodlights resulting in the crowd just barely seeing the silhouette throughout the show. Their new record is due sometime this year and I’m excited for it.
Lo Moon
A group from Los Angeles about to release their third record in April, Lo Moon took advantage of the space to a much different effect.
About halfway through their second song, the band lost all power to their equipment. Some people can get flustered in this situation and the show could have gone downhill. Instead, lead singer Matt Lowell quickly adapted and the group transitioned to an acoustic set, playing a song from their new record.
Given the great acoustics that come with playing a church sanctuary, the transition played out really nicely and the crowd rallied around the band, making the inevitable transition back to digital sound that much more satisfying.
