Fun Fun Fun Fest Day 1: Crystal Antlers, Shonen Knife, Russian Circles, Death, Neon Indian, Jesus Lizard
| All photos by Patrick Michels |
| Death singer Bobby Hackney |
Sitting on the soft grass and turning away from the Orange Stage before Death's set to watch a beautiful sunset over the trees of Waterloo Park really emphasized the superiority of the venue to the mud- or dust-clogged hell that Zilker Park can be. Add to that Transmission Entertainment's no-filler lineup streamlined to two days and fall weather and there is no competition.
Here are a few quick thoughts on some of my favorite performances of the day.
Crystal Antlers
1:45 p.m.
I only caught the last song and a half from Royal Bangs, though the singer's explanation of some technical difficulty was the funniest stage banter I heard all day: "There was a ghost thing on stage and we had to re-computer some, ummmmmmmmmm [drawing out the umm for about 30 seconds] ... OK, this is our last song. We're Royal Bangs!" And with that, they launched into a gloriously sloppy blast of over-driven beats, synth buzz and red-hot guitar. But Crystal Antlers were the next best thing in the psychedelic mishmash of rock, pop and pure energy. For some reason, the heavy reverb and effects on Andrew King's Fender Jaguar reminded me of Abe Vigoda's guitar sound. Damian Edwards' bongos, often sounding like something right out of a car chase scene in some forgotten '70s crime movie, added a fun propulsion to the set, as did his enthusiastic dancing.





Post a Comment
































