Grupo Fantasma Credit: Photo by Sandy Carson

Mess With Texas

1001 E. Sixth, Friday, March 19

Local promoters Transmission Entertainment’s two-day party started life in 2007 mixing hip alt-comedians and their favorite bands at Red 7. After a couple of years in Waterloo Park, the latest rock (and nothing else) incarnation has switched to scrubland east of I-35. Admiral Radley typifies the kind of lilting indie rock that established the party’s credentials, with a sound that brings back the tremulous beauty of Granddaddy’s Jason Lytle’s vocals. Less convivial was ex-Circle Jerk Keith Morris. Even though joyous punksters Woah Hunx gave up half their set for him – “In the spirit of friendliness,” chirped bouncing frontwoman Katherine Petersen – the Black Flag survivor was frustrated and bemoaned “the clusterfuck of Austin” before his new band Off! struck a single chord. Yet that frustration channeled straight into the “Hate this song? Wait 60 seconds for another” school of nail-bomb hardcore that he still dominates. At least the weather was sunny. Warped Tour veteran the Bronx is more than used to blasting their greasy rock on sun-scorched parking lots, and while Saturday’s shock-metal headliner Gwar turned its South by Southwest panel into a raucous discussion of space penises, Austin Latin funksters Grupo Fantasma glinted like only that Grammy-nominated 20-legged groove machine can.

This article appears in March 19 • 2010.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.