SESAC DAY STAGE
Austin Convention Center, Wednesday, March 18
The first seven acts of the SESAC Day Stage’s four-day shuffle through 48 South by Southwest showcasers proved a crash course in eclecticism. Madrid a cappella wiz Hyperpotamus, crutched by four microphones and a bevy of foot petals, kicked off the Music Conference’s official portion by howling and looping his way through his own material plus a fleshed-out cover of the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Mexico City’s Natalia Lafourcade was quick to counter, trying her hand – and jet-black Les Paul – on McCartney’s “Blackbird” and a three-song sampler of south-of-the-border girlie action in overdrive. The groundwork she laid in the realm of loud ladies quickly gained ground when San Antonio’s Girl in a Coma swooped in all Heartless Bastards-style. Nina Diaz’s half-cry, half-scream – revved by sister Phanie’s crash-happy drum work – was enough to enter this femme trio into the conversation. Brooklyn fourpiece the So So Glos probably couldn’t remember the last time the Clash played, but they sure sound like the Combat Rockers. Toronto follow-up DD/MM/YYYY transfixed heavy on the art rock to the early portion’s largest crowd. Post-disco electro-dance was served at the hands of the Golden Filter, New York’s less trendy version of Roxy Cottontail. Feedback-happy Atlanta trio All the Saints pushed noise rock to the brink, getting so carried away in rawk that the band forgot when its set ended.
This article appears in March 20 • 2009.