Austin – It was the calm before the storm here in Austin with the anticipation of SXSW growing. Though it seems to begin earlier every year, it seemed Austinites weren’t so eager to begin the fest on a cold Wednesday evening. The show, dubbed Holy Hell @ Holy Mountain, was listed as a “killer rock-n-roll line up to get SXSW started with” and featured four rock n’ roll acts that spanned the genre. Though all were modern rock n’ roll, they each seemed to draw influence from classic acts. The Venus Illuminato lay somewhere between Zeppelin and The Doors, Born on the Floor borrowed from Lou Reed and Bauhaus, MEGABIG from 70’s Springsteen and Meatloaf, and Burning Avalanche from Sabbath.
Headliners, The Venus Illuminato, used their Holy Mountain performance to prep for their nine-show stint at SXSW. Floating between recording sessions with famed Austin producer, Frenchie Smith, and performing in and around East 6th, the band has kept busy since their move to Austin a year and a half ago.
The band presents accessible psychedelic rock n’ roll. Catching flack in the past for their dress and demeanor, this is a band that has stayed true to themselves through their years together and line-up changes. The supreme current line up features founders and songwriters Rob Franco on vocals and Brandon Kennedy on guitar, joined by Alex Kane on bass, Devin Anderson on drums, and Julie Kennedy on percussion.
The band opened with crowd favorite, “Mount Olympus,” that was re-worked from acoustic man-ballad to an electric stunner. Franco’s crisp, raspy voice slides perfectly over the lyrics, “I climbed Olympus/Mouth purple by my wine.” No stranger to crowd banter, Franco kept the audience engaged as they played new songs to be released on their upcoming full-length. It was during a rendition of Jackie Wilson’s “Doggin’ Around” that Franco truly got to showcase his vocal talents and personality. Down on his knees, his bluesy voice serenaded a female audience member. Not to be outdone, guitarist Brandon Kennedy wailed out an epic guitar solo we haven’t seen since the 70’s. Kane and Anderson stayed tight knit on rhythm, providing even more body to the music.
A newer band to the Austin music scene, Born on the Floor features David Dubois, formerly of The Saint James Society, on lead vocals and guitar. Slowly the band is gaining momentum and perfecting their stage show. A big fan of reverb, the music has an eerie psychedelic tone as Dubois lets the vocals fade in to the instrumentals. Though the lyrics are quietly introspective, the guitar is the star of this band rather than the vocals.
MEGABIG draws influence from a side of rock n roll many modern bands choose to ignore due to cool factor. Though their Facebook lists The Who, Kiss, and Hendrix as influences, I got more of a Springsteen backyard jam vibe. One thing is for sure, they certainly go big. Throughout their songs, the instrumentals build in a way that’s meant to be followed along with on Guitar Hero. The three-piece sounds much larger than basic drums, bass, and guitar as they let the guitar roar at full volume. Pinning against rock n’ roll confines, even the drummer chimes in surprisingly on lead vocals and harmonies for high intensity power rock.
Perhaps the most rock n’ roll occurrence was not found in the music at all, but in the appearance of Burning Avalanche’s vocalist/guitarist, Garrett Childs. You might see him around town sporting his floor length fur coat but last night he took it to another level, appearing in the fur coat sans shirt. Once it was their turn to take the stage, Childs removed his coat, performing topless in 30-degree weather in the open-air venue. Perhaps the smoke machine accompanying the band kept him warm, perhaps he didn’t care. I feel this physical description perfectly describes their music and feel no need to describe it in actual musical terms.
These are the bands that make Austin the music town it is. Each band displayed a level of talent I felt lucky to witness in one night, in one venue, with few others watching.
Ilyse Kaplan
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