Aussie BBQ
Brush Square Park, Friday, March 17
So this is both an apology and a confession. First, I’d like to apologize to Western Australia’s Flairz, because you’re not even all teenagers and neither of the guys in the band has a voice that’s broke. I think I also wrote elsewhere that drummer Scarlett Stevens is actually the singer. That’s incorrect. My bad. Sorry. Second, I have a crush on the three of you. That might sound kind of weird, but once anyone sees you play, they will too. Never mind that, added up, your ages don’t even qualify you for a midlife crisis; the three of you rock in a way that most adults could only hope to emulate. Really. Every 12-year-old in the world should be this cool. On the first song, you break out a Townshend windmill and a “Thank you, Texas.” From “Rock & Roll Ain’t Evil” to “Speakerbox,” every note, every riff was a total “fuck yes,” even if you aren’t old enough to say the f-word. Hell, you’re not old enough for either the sex or the drugs, but the three of you are welcome to rock & roll in this town any time. Watching you play is just damn fun. It’s hopeful, it’s spirited, it’s contagious, it’s why people come here to SXSW. So, accept my apology and my thanks.This article appears in March 17 • 2006.