In the years past, SXSW has always had a Korean night, with a focus on the emerging music scene from Korea. Of course these days, you could argue that The most famous act in the world is Korean (BTS) with another one (Blackpink) not far behind.
With that said, I was interested in seeing Balming Tiger, a Korean hip hop group that was one of the few that made the stateside trip.
Playing an afternoon tent is not always easy as half the people are often there just for the free drinks or snacks, yet the sparse interest was not enough to deter the group’s energy level, which was set to 11.
Starting in a group dance formation, the band quickly jumped from what we thought was a synchronized dance into a party hip hop show. Featuring contributions from each member, the group played an energetic set that took elements from hip hop, dance and even punk. Their enthusiasm kept the crowd engaged and at one point they even tried to get a line dance going.
If I was in the habit of ranking music festivals, both SXSW and Denmark’s Roskilde Festival would definitely make my top five. So when I saw that Roskilde would be presenting a showcase at this year’s SouthBy in honour of their 50th edition happening later this year (after a three year pause due to … well, you know), it was the best of both worlds. And when I saw that Astid Sonne would be playing that showcase, I made sure I was there.
I had seen Sonne perform once before, at Roskilde 2019, where she delivered a memorable performance on the festival’s tiniest, most intimate stage. At that show, she absolutely impressed with a mesmerising blend of electronic and classical elements and this show was no different in that sense. In a way though, it was a totally new experience – a different setup, a different accompanist, and different compositions, but Sonne was working within the same general ballpark. And it was brilliant.
During her time onstage at Cheer Up Charlie’s, Astrid Sonne delivered a performance that was beautiful, unique, and fully engrossing. Maybe not ideal stuff for an outdoor venue full of chatty drinkers, but an incredible performance nonetheless.
We need to talk about COSBY. No, I’m not referring to W. Kamau Bell’s thoughtful docuseries on the rather complicated legacy of Bill Cosby. Nor am I referring to the man himself, though I suppose we do, as a society, still need to talk about that creep. No, I’m referring to the unfortunately named German indie-pop band and specifically why they thought it would be prudent to name themselves after a disgraced comedian who is now known as much for his transgressions as he is for his comedy.
How exactly did this happen? Do … do they not know who Cosby is in Germany? Does it mean something else in German? Sure, the band probably chose their name a while back, but bands have been known to change names that have problematic associations – The Chicks and Sea Power are just two that spring to mind off the top of my head. And sure, there’s a good chance that The Cosby Show (Das Cosby Shöw?) probably wasn’t very big in Germany, and the band could be young enough that they might not have remembered it even if it was. But even if we assume that was the case, you’d think they might do a quick Google search on that name to see what comes up before deciding that this would be their chosen moniker. Unless you’re a death metal band naming yourself after a notorious serial killer or something like that, this is probably not the kind of association any band wants with their name. Then again, maybe it is what they want? I mean, I am writing about them after all, so maybe this is all part of the plan and I’m playing right into their hands. Either way, it’s a very bad band name.
Still, all of that aside, I decided to check out the band anyways and judge them on the merits of their actual music. Would their music be able to rise above such a poorly chosen name? I was curious to see.
But before I would make my verdict on the Munich indie pop band’s music, another German act would take to the Half Step stage on Tuesday night. With a similarly synth based sound but a much better and much less problematic name than the band that would follow them later that evening, Hamburg’s Roller Derby put on an enjoyable set of dreamy indie pop that definitely made a good impression. The band must have also made a good impression on whoever was in charge of Sunday night’s SXSW Music closing party as they were on that bill alongside Balming Tiger and Los Bitchos. I had a chance to see all three of those acts at other points throughout the week and I’m sure that Sunday show must have been a lot of fun.
But what about COSBY? I’ll admit that the show was kind of fun – they had a good energy and got the crowd moving a bit, and I did appreciate singer Marie Kobylka’s stagewear, which had a Lady Gaga meets Edith Prickley vibe. Giving their music a bit of a listen again after the fact, I did find their recorded output to be a bit too glossy for my taste, but the live show was enjoyable enough. Shame about the name though. They should definitely change the name.
While we try to check out as many different kinds of music as possible at SXSW, it’s always a treat to take in a set by a talented songwriter working within the folk/country end of the musical spectrum, and so I always find at least a bit of time to devote to checking out something from those genres. This year was no different and there were most certainly a few talented singer-songwriters who caught my attention this year. Here are some of the ones who stood out:
Mallin Pettersen, March 15, Lazarus Brewing Co.
She may be Norwegian, but Mallin Pettersen’s sound is pure Americana. Playing a mid afternoon set on the first day of Music For Listeners’ series of day parties at Lazarus Brewing, Pettersen and her band impressed with a warm, twangy sound
Holly Macve, March 18, Flatstock Stage
To introduce her song “Daddys Gone”, English singer Holly Macve told the story of the last time she was in SXSW when she got the call bringing her the sad news that her father, who she didn’t know very well, had passed away. The song itself was quite lovely, a beautuful Emmylou-esque performance of a very personal song. Another memorable moment in her set was her cover of “I Will Always Love You”, written of course by another of this year’s performers – Dolly Parton.
Abby Hamilton, March 19, Flatstock Stage
Also appearing on the Flatstock Stage and starting of the final day of the festival for me was Kentucky singer-songwriter Abby Hamilton, whose sound brought to mind the likes of Kathleen Edwards and Lucinda Williams at times. Her standout track was “Trailer Park Queen”, a song inspired by the real life tale of her cousin, who Hamilton noted is “tickled that she’s a song now.”
James McMurtry, March 19, Mohawk
“Rumour has it we put out a record back in August. I heard it’s not bad.” It’s true, James McMurtry did indeed put out an album last year and having given that album, The Horses and the Hounds, a listen, his humble statement on his own work is an accurate one. McMurtry is a stalwart of the Texas scene, with his first album Too Long in the Wasteland coming out way back in 1989. McMurtry’s songs are within the classic story song tradition and to see him play them on the Mohawk stage on the final official night of programming made for a satisfying end to my SouthBy experience for this year.
