Rocks Off

Dead Whale Tide

Club DeVille, Saturday, March 20 Dead Whale Tide hasn't put out an album yet, but if this showcase was any indication, it's going to be a celestial trip through several different rooms of music. Lanky local singer/guitarist Justin Preston introduced many new songs in front of Club DeVille's limestone layered wall, most of them sounding complimentary to fellow local rockers I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness and This Microwave World. DWT, however, opted for a more ambient and dancy tone instead of their past forays into melodic and slower turns. Interspersing new tracks with older original tunes, Preston led the fourpiece through a quick set of poppy droners. As Attic Ted's screeching baubles and beeps drained down from the Caucus Patio, Preston and company – drummer Steven Dayton, guitarist Don Arias, and bassist Zach Ground – drowned them out by turning up the reverb and knocking out any silence possible. The perfect complement to an early-evening sunset, Dead Whale Tide were as good as they possibly could be in the middle of their own self-proclaimed musical metamorphosis. Here's to an equally accomplished SXSW 05 showcase.