At a whopping 90 degrees on Friday afternoon, attendees of The Austin Chronicle’s annual Hair of the 3-Legged Dog South by Southwest day party searched for shade at Hotel Vegas with complimentary tacos, cold brew, and THC drinks in hand.
If you looked close enough around the patio area, you’d see small nods to the Chronicle’s longtime 3-legged mascot Hank, who passed away earlier this year. As a way to commemorate him, temporary tattoos and other merchandise of the beloved pup were available to shop and wear. Literally the biggest salute to the canine, however, was a larger-than-life foamcore cutout of his image placed in front of the stage, greeting attendees who braved the heat to catch local music acts.
Kicking off the party with a bit of southern hip-hop, J Soulja kept spirits high with a positive attitude, in spite of technical difficulties. Donning a black beanie and white sunglasses, the Austin-native opened with “What it Is,” off his 2020 album From the Soul. “On the count of three, I need everyone to shout where you’re from,” he exclaimed, engaging the crowd with a call-and-response in between tracks. After running through tracks like “TROUBLES,” “Boomin,’” and “ROOF,” Soulja ended his 17-minute set by taking a joint from an audience member and tucking it away in his beanie.
Next on the stage was SKATELAND, founded by Dorian Williams II and joined on stage by Chris Daschkey on bass and Marshall Kummer on drums. The indie pop project opened with a few new songs – one titled “Challengers” – and even proposed a toast to the late tripaw pup, after sharing a heartwarming story about him. Running through released and unreleased tracks alike, the trio finished the show with new track “Heavenly Body.”
Bringing dynamic soul to the stage, Tomar and the FCs delivered a performance that featured first-class solos by saxophonist Jorion Dawson and keyboardist James Rodman. The Austin-based group performed a few tracks off their latest release Soul Searching as the audience tapped their toes and clapped their hands along with a tambourine-wielding Tomar Williams.
Closing out the bash with a bang, J’cuzzi brought the heat – and a pivotal teal chair – while seemingly making everyone forget about the high temps outside. Stepping onstage in flamboyant outfits with dinosaur spine-like details, the experimental group put on a show that can only be described as pure chaos of the best kind. Memorable moments included the pink-faced vocalist Gorge Bones slithering in between audience members in the grass, a mini mosh pit, and lots of chair spinning – a satisfyingly dizzy end to an always-dizzying week of music.
This article appears in March 14 • 2025.