Sixteen Deluxe

Encore, Wednesday, March 17

The raw, warm rush of reverb that pulsed through the dark interior of Encore signaled the return of Sixteen Deluxe, giving way amid psychedelic projections to the warped afterburners of “Warmjets” igniting like an anthem for a Daydream Nation. A decade beyond the locals’ demise, the reunion of Sixteen Deluxe, complemented by the release of early demos and live shots on Year One (Bunkhaus), coursed through a nostalgia of Austin hits, but braced by a fervor and uncompromising power that salved any wounds in the wash of distortion. Cloaked behind the wave of her dark hair, Carrie Clark scowled “Shanesong” with an unhinged intensity “between sick and stoned” as guitarist Frenchie Smith arced wicked riffs in the corner. “Baby Headrush” quaked in a tumultuous percussive pummel, careening against the wall of fans pressed tight and absorbing at the front of the stage, while highlight “Idea” swallowed halcyon slacker daze in a ripped haze. The tight guitar loop of “Red River Anger Management Society” swirled behind Smith’s vocals, fomenting a hypnotic pull, but it was closing cover of Big Star’s “Kangaroo” that set the night in perspective, Clark introducing it as a song that “started everything for us” and letting her voice linger envelopingly into the climaxing crush of feedback.

This article appears in March 26 • 2010.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.