SLUG SXSW 2014 Stats – Day Three 03.13

SLUGger: Alexander Ortega, Editorial Assistant
Number of shows: 5
Number of FREE alcoholic beverages: 2
Food item of the day: Guadalupe scotch ale @ The Ginger Man
Number of parties attended: 0
Number of intentionally faded, wacky-color dyed hair: 3
Amount of swag: 1, snap-it bracelet

-8 p.m. Burnt Ones/Rock Showcase @ Lit Lounge Upstairs = One Thumb Up
-9 p.m. Touché Amoré/Ground Control Touring @ Red 7 = Thumbs Up
-10 p.m. PUP/Rock Showcase @ The Main = One Thumb Up
-11 p.m. Timber Timbre/OPAK/Secret City Records @ St. David’s Bethel Hall = Thumbs Up
-12:30 a.m. Vaadat Charigim/Austin Psych Fest @ Hotel Vegas @ Vostead = Thumbs Up

Best show of the day:
-12:30 a.m. Vaadat Charigim/Austin Psych Fest @ Hotel Vegas @ Vostead = Thumbs Up

After getting turned off by long lines for the day shows that we attempted to get into, morale was a bit grim for the evening. I was lucky enough to watch Timber Timbre in an acoustically florid church room, which was quite a treat, but the passive spectatorship aspect left me wanting more. As I made my way to the Austin Psych Fest showcase, I found it strange that the Smiths-esque, post-punk rock of Vaadat Charigim would be a part of it, and surmised that it could have been out of place. As the psychedelic lights shone on their backdrop, though, their singer/guitarist adapted to the showcase by slightly re-intoning his vocals (compared to how they sound on The World is Well Lost) to be less baritone and more bright. One could say that such a change-up may be disingenuous in a band, but it played out effectively and rendered dancing and enthusi-asm from the crowd. Their set was engaging and emotive, and I loved that they let their songs’ catchy elements stand out amid their melancholic sound. Additionally, their drummer, though he played mostly straightforward beats in a metronomic manner, was on point and drove their set home. It was the perfect cap for the day.