Despite the late night it's up for another run and then breakfast and then prepare for a full day showcase. Paste magazine puts on a yearly showcase over three days. Two outdoor stages and one indoors means the show rotate from one stage to the next. It's a full day.
Up first is Elizabeth Moen. She's recently toured as part of Kevin Morby's band but here she leads the way. Elizabeth has a powerful voice and it's well tested in a set full of indie folk Blues styled songs. Some great blues guitar playing accompany Elizabeth as she charms the crowd. Such a fantastic singer, Elizabeth really loves what she does and it's difficult not to fall for her. We are lucky to get to see her on this great outdoor stage and even luckier to run into her later and find her to be as sweet and gracious as one could be. We chat for quite a while and here's to hoping she gets to Toronto soon.
On the back stage, we have Palmyra. What a fascinating 3 piece. Stand up bass, mandolin, acoustic and electric guitars all get used to produce some wonderfully catchy Indie folk songs. You add to that three part harmonies and refreshing, positive and witty conversations from the stage...it's a beauty of a set.
Inside stage now features Baths, an American electronic artist. He produces some clever layered dance tracks as he stands on his own on the small stage. Shirtless and bouncing around, Baths is getting a work out. We are happy to be out of the heat for the short time he performs.
Outdoors we have Mary in The Junkyard again. Just as chaotically fun as they were the first time we saw them, they seem to sound even better today. It's another good set on the outdoor stage.
On the outdoor back stage we have Draag. Best I can describe this band is shoegaze but it's a bit "grungier" then that? five members, waves of guitars, and some haunting vocals are featured on this stage.
On the inside stage we have Lily Seabird. It's delicate folk mixed with indie rock and it's a solid set of songs. The crowd builds up inside to the point where it may just be too crowded so perhaps there's a buzz about Lily Seabird I was unaware of. The songs are great ..but we have to get outside for a band I had on my must see list.
Radio Free Alice are from Melbourne. A five piece post punk/indie rock band that looks young but don't play that way. Noah Learmonth is a dynamic lead singer. Very emotive, and he keeps this indie punk band going. They seem to be melting in the sun (you would think a band from Melbourne would be used to it) but Austin at 95 degrees and playing on an outdoor stage has to be a bit tough. The songs are good..it's a great sound and perhaps we will get to see them again.
Now another big one, the Gurriers. This Irish 5 piece does some fantastic punk rock. Daniel Hoff is the lead singer and he can pull off what's necessary to front a band like this. While his band fills the back stage with waves of noise, Daniel grabs everyone's attention by spitting out stories that keep us focused on him. He needs more room as he stalks the small area he has and it's fun to watch. When he finally breaks free of the stage and gets in with the crowd standing in front of the stage, the place really kicks off, this crowd has very much fallen in love with this band. With only one album out, this band has just begun but it's clear with a little time, they will be playing stages much larger then this.
Now for another complete change of pace we have Brennan Wedl. This indie country artist is somewhere inside on the stage. We can sort of see but it seems everyone has the same idea and have come inside to get out of the sun. From what we can hear, Brennan has a great voice and would be nice to be a bit closer but no chance of that. We decide now to make a break and head back into the city center in the heat and sun (about a 25 minute walk)
We get downtown to the Sidebar where I'm hoping to meet up with some new friends. The place is packed and there's no shade so not sure how long we will make it out on the back patio.
We stay long enough to catch The Courettes. A two piece band from Denmark and Brazil, they throw everything into their music. A blend of 60's girl groups, wall of sound, garage rock..it all blends together to produce quite the intriguing sound. Flavia Couri, the lead singer, is a fantastic talent. She is a force on her own. She is having a blast, despite the heat, and the two piece entertain the sweltering crowd. Sadly, we are just far too hot and we end our day showcase here and go to find some shade and some air conditioning and some food.
After dinner. We go back to British Music Embassy for another full evening
First up on the outdoor stage is Jacob Alon. This Scottish artist stands alone with his guitar and absolutely crushes the crowd with his songs and stories. He is immensely proud of the gay community he belongs to and sings passionately about his life, his friends, and chats about how excited he is about these shows and these shows being his first ever in the US. His singing style/voice and songs do remind me of Nick Drake & Jeff Buckley and Jacob can pull it off all on his own on the stage. It's a lovely warm set of songs with a few disparaging comments about the current US President thrown in to the delight of the crowd.
Inside we have Corto.Alto. This mercury prize nominated Scottish artist (Liam Shortall) brings his jazz fusion to the stage with his band and it's delightful. This multi instrumentalist produces a great set of songs that I struggle to describe. Alot going on here with guitars/synths/saxophone and drums..and the songs have alot of heads bobbing and bodies moving on the floor.
On the outdoor stage we now have Joe Hill. This British indie pop singer has recently released her first album and those songs all feature in her set. She has a lovely voice and with harmonies provided by her band, it's easy to listen to. The songs are solid and I can see why this artist is getting alot of buzz from people like Elton John & BBC Radio. Not as complicated as the last band but it's a refreshing change.
Inside now we have Black Fondu. This London based hip hop/grime artist is fierce. Dimly lit stage is perfect for this artist as he raps over some bass heavy/electronic mixed tracks. It's another complete shift in styles and I can see why this artist has been opening shows for Shame & Fat Dog.
Next band outside is OneDa again. Probably more people here to see her tonight but I gather they may just be her to see the next artist. OneDa is lively and the set is pretty much exactly the same as the set we have seen.
Inside now we have Sam Ryder. I knew very little of Sam Ryder before I got to Austin having only listened to one track (Space Man) and I was fascinated by his voice. He hit the stage and I was close to the front and there was alot of fans here that were having a hard time controlling themselves. I did not realize he was so popular, not only from his Tik Tok vids but also by his Eurovision success. Have to say, his voice is splendid. Standing on stage playing his guitar, he goes through a set of songs that would challenge most voices but he can handle it. He tells lots of stories and the crowd eats it up and this indie pop singer does a great job at pleasing the crowd.
To end the night....I walk a couple of blocks to go see Personal Trainer. This Dutch indie rock band was on my must see list and this is my chance. 7 of them are squished onto a rather small stage and yet somehow it works. So much going on with this band it feels like orchestrated indie rock and it's fascinating to watch. The songs are catchy and it's hard to follow everything that's happening and where the sounds are coming from. The singing is great but it's just a smart part of what's going on here. Complicated indie rock that's done this well is a great way to end the evening.
Jim