‘Paste’ Party
Galaxy Room, Wednesday, March 17If there was any doubt about the pairing of psychedelic pioneer Roky Erickson and literary balladeers Okkervil River when the Chronicle forged the bond between the two local icons at the 2008 Austin Music Awards, they disappeared with “Rokkervil’s” redebut to headline the first day of Paste‘s weeklong bender. The eclectic lineup spoke to the magazine’s cultural sweep, ranging from the Stevie Nicks-like reach of Lissie (eschewing folkstress labels with a cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”) to Suckers‘ cathartic indie anthems. Most impressive were the crook-mouthed sincerity of Chicago songwriter Joe Pug‘s Dylanesque aphoristic ballads and the Carolina Chocolate Drops‘ veritable history listen of self-proclaimed “Genuine Negro Jigs.” Rokkervil stole the day, however, ushering in tunes from their new collaboration on unreleased Erickson recordings, True Love Cast Out All Evil. The melding of Austin’s premier howler with the city’s leading erudite indie yelpers proved uncannily natural, with a surprising Burrito Bros country-rock slant on “Moody Tunes” and Erickson’s scruffy acappella start to “Be and Bring Me Home.” Stripped of his guitar for the LP’s title track, Erickson shifted uncomfortably onstage, but Will Sheff and company lead the head 13th Floor Elevator through the new tunes to erupt in a joyous sing- and clap-along for “Starry Eyes” and closer “You’re Gonna Miss Me.”
This article appears in March 19 • 2010.
