SXSW Interview: Dikes of Holland

What's the best garage punk band in Austin do when 2,000 bands from around the world descend on the city where they generally play six shows in a month? Try to keep things as close to commonplace as possible. They drink canned beers, they hang out outside venues, they bring the mayhem.

This week, Dikes of Holland play three shows at Beerland, the venue they've been trashing regularly since the band's inception in 2008, plus their official SXSW showcase at BD Riley's and a day party at the Longbranch Inn.

"We did 13 shows last year," confessed Trey Reimer, who plays bass and guitar in the fivepiece's instrumental carousel. "I'm glad we're playing less this year. Now we can actually see some stuff. Last year, we really only got to see the band that was playing before us before we had to break away."

Nestled into singer Liz Herrera and drummer/guitarist Chris Stephenson's East Austin kitchen, the purveyors of last year's slapping sophomore LP Braindead USA won't miss all the load-ins either.

"The hardest part is getting the gear to and from the venues," bassist/guitarist John Paul Bohon explains. "You're trying to park, and you're playing a show that's two blocks away, but the cops say that you have to park and walk. Then you get there and realize that you're playing upstairs.

"Where did we play two years back? Some upstairs venue. We had to walk eight blocks, haul our shit all the way upstairs, and we played for Gerard [Cosloy, co-owner of Matador Records] and one other guy from Matador. And we more or less blew the show!"