Well...we've managed to make it to Saturday, the last day of our SXSW 2025. It's a quiet morning of walking around Austin and breakfast. Not a lot of shows today that we were interested in but one show, over at Lazarus Brewing featured Campfire Social so I decided a great craft beer and show would be nice today.
Around noon we made our way over to Lazarus Brewing. It's about a 25 minute walk and as it turns out, as we walk there, you can hear bands playing elsewhere. A long the walk we walk by the White Horse bar where American Folk singer Will Carlisle is performing. We keep walking but Will sounds pretty good!
Just a little further on, at Zilker Brewing, performing on their patio is Thelonious Love. Hip hop with a band, it sounds clever but, we keep walking
We get to Lazarus, order some drinks, meet up with some new friends and the first band we see there is Cinema Hearts. This three piece is quite the quirky little band. This Washington band is led by Caroline Weinroth and it's a pretty solid indie rock sound from the three of them. Next up is Hiding Places. Brooklyn based band plays some pretty messy indie folk. I have no idea what direction they are going from one minute to the next. They are pretty active on the stage and it's a lot of different tempos and it does push the boundary of indie folk but it is a good set.
Welsh band Campfire Social are up next. This 6 piece band really does some lovely indie pop. Some great harmonies with these guys. Wonderfully melodic, some great layered instrumentation to go with the great voices, they make a great impression on the crowd. Glad we made the trip over for this as this was definitely worth the walk over! I hear enough from this band to know they are very capable of producing what I love from their album/Ep's live. It sounds great. Ends up this is their last show as they cant play as one member ( Carrie Hyndman) has been suffering from some health issues and their festival is over sadly.
Next up and we have Dreaded Laramie. Glam rock power pop blend is a bit abrasive at times but it makes you think. It has some smooth moments but just when you think they are winding down some pretty hefty guitar work comes out of nowhere. This four piece really pump a lot into their set and it's interesting to watch.
Time now to go, get some food, air conditioning, some rest and then out for our last night
Tonight we head back to the British Music Embassy. It's only fitting we end our festival here. It has provided a lot of fun and entertainment this week!
First up outside is Annie-dog. This Irish indie pop singer has a guitarist and drummer with her but the show is all about the singer. It is pop but there is more going on here. Almost Grimes"ish" ..she throws a lot in there. It's catchy and the crowd likes it, she does entertain.
Inside we have Casey Lowery. Casey has a lot of stories, he's amusing and with a solid band behind him, they make some great little indie pop/folk songs. His voice is fantastic and this kid really is very personable. It's entertaining just listening to his stories but add to that some very solid pop songs, it's a pretty good show inside. They sound very good. This London based artist could very well play much bigger stages in the future.
Outside now we have the band Baby Said. Featuring Italian/Punjabi sisters Veronica & Jess Pal, this 4 piece are all built around the amazing voices these two young ladies have. At times they almost remind me of the Wilson sisters from Heart ..it's a rock show with some big guitars and great voices.
Inside, some more Welsh talent and The Himalayas. Read a lot about what they sound like...a bit Arctic Monkeys and a bit of Royal Blood, it's big raucous rock n roll from this 4 piece. Songs are strong enough to keep this crowds attention and they jump into a cover of "Gangsters Paradise" as a bonus. This is yet another band I get to talk to after their show and they are great to talk to, especially since I have a trip booked to visit Cardiff for Oasis and they have a lot of advice on our visit.
Back outside we have Venus Grrrrls. This 5 piece girl group from Leeds play hard. Described as a goth grunge mix, they blast out songs and immediately remind me of the Riot Greek sound of the 90's. Lead singer Grace Kelly does a solid job at keeping this group burning through their set. There's an intensity with these ladies that's powerful and it produces a good 40 minute show.
Now we head back inside and man...it's a show. Black Gold are up on the stage and I was not ready for this. This five piece, fully masked and dressed in black and gold, really really are fierce. Their Nu Metal style can bring plenty of comparisons to bands like Slip Knot and it's reasonably accurate but I find these guys more intriguing. I don't usually dive into bands like this and maybe because it's the last night but I'm fascinated. You would be hard pressed not to nob your head and start moving on the floor when these guys are playing ..it really is something. It's a great set .
Now, for the final band, we head back outside, visit with an old friend from Toronto and up on stage comes The Molotovs. Brother and sister Matthew & Issey Carts lead this London 3 piece indie rock band with style and flare and intensity. Guitar strings broken, brother and sister stalking each other on stage, they are fun to watch. They are a whole lot of fun and there's a distinctive nostalgia feel with The Jam coming to mind often during their set. This band is getting some buzz from their live show and I completely understand. There is a lot of passion and power on display and I can see if they come up with some big anthem like songs, they too will hit some much bigger stages!
So there it is, the final show. We have made it through the week reasonably unscathed. Have met some great new friends, have caught up with some old friends and accomplished what we wanted to do
As a brief overview, it has to be said that there is a distinct possibility that this will be our last SXSW for sometime. I don't like to rule it out forever but as it currently stands (with our political issues between our two countries) we have no desire to return to the US. We've made the most of this visit and we do love Austin but it doesn't get any easier as you get older.
It's sad, especially as we've loved our time here and now that we have discovered the advantages to the wristbands vs badge (cost)..but unless there is a significant shift in US politics, we will not return.
For those Interested in going, there will be a significant change in SXSW plans for next year. It's considerably shorter in length but how that will effect the music portion of the festival is unknown. Austin is not cheap during the festival, hotel costs are inflated, food and drink costs rise considerably as well. We've been to Austin outside of this festival and have friends who live in Austin and it's sadly a well known fact.
All that aside, even in these years where the amount of bands attending has decreased, I've had some of the best live music moments that I will ever have. There are hundreds of official showcases and even more unofficial showcases and so it takes some time and effort to keep on top of who is playing but it's well worth it when you stroll through Austin seeing all of these fantastic shows. These trips may have cost a lot, financially and physically but we have no regrets. We've loved it...and hopefully others have the chance to do it in the future and if you are considering it, please get in touch. I've learned a lot since my first SXSW in 2004.
Jim