Event Reviews

Photos: Ryan Bingham @ Stubb's

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:03:00 GMT

LA-based singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham brought his soulful brand of Americana to Stubb's last week, and photographer Glen Brown was on-hand to snap some photos. Check out the full gallery here!

Photos: Citizen Cope at Stubb's

Mikela Floyd — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:11:00 GMT

Since bringing us "Son's Gonna Rise" in the early aughts, Citizen Cope has consistently entertained crowds around the globe. Last week, he played a packed duo of shows at Stubb's Amphitheatre, and we were on hand to capture some photos. Check out the full gallery here!

Photos: The Avett Brothers at Whitewater Amphitheatre

Mikela Floyd — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:02:00 GMT

Americana-folk family outfit The Avett Brothers played a 6000 capacity sold-out show at Whitewater Amphitheatre this weekend, and we were on-hand to snap some photos. The band will release their latest studio effort, The Carpenter on September 11th, which features new single "Live and Die, streaming here.

Check out the full gallery of photos from the show here!

Photos: Neon Trees Pack the House at La Zona Rosa

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:39:00 GMT

Neon Trees played a sold-out show at La Zona Rosa last night, and we've got some photos from the show here. Check them out!

Fan Review: KGSR Sent me to see Coldplay, and it was Incredible

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:22:00 GMT

By: Becca Core

Recently, a friend and I were joking about how obsessed I am with listening to KGSR. It’s even to the point that I’ve downloaded the app on my phone to use when I’m traveling out of the Austin area, or God forbid, in a place with no radio. Well, as I sipped champagne with that same friend after the Coldplay concert Monday night I thought to myself, “Being a little obsessed with listening to a great radio station sure has paid off!” I’ve also been a Coldplay fan since I can remember, and Monday’s Mylo Xyloto concert was truly one of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve had to date. I think I’ve even been dreaming in neon graffiti in the nights following the concert!

As the Toyota Center’s stadium lighting dimmed and the stage lighting started to rev up, pinching myself didn’t help – I knew we were all about to enter a different reality, one masterfully created. The shared anticipation in the arena was palpable. And what followed was an evening that passed in the blink of an eye, but one full of greatness. The band clearly has a deep appreciation for their adoring masses. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been to a concert where the encore lasted almost an hour and instead of showing up on the stage for the second time, they appeared in the mezzanine amongst throngs of their doting fans. The band members also obviously have a heartfelt respect for one another and the music they create – they even thanked the audience for letting four English best mates share their music with them. It’s always something to see a group of people unite to create something that touches so many in such a positive way.

And Chris Martin, what a stage presence! He surely has an excitable energy that kept him bouncing, dancing, and running to all corners of the stage for the entirety of the concert. While I was slightly disappointed that they didn’t play one of my favorite songs, “Strawberry Swing”, they played an impressively wide range of their works, not only celebrating the spirit of Mylo Xyloto, but also paying homage to their previous four albums.

And last but not least, there were the visual effects. From bursts of confetti and neon balloons filling the air, to wristbands that strategically strobed neon light just when the crowd desperately needed to pump their fists to the beat of the music and so much more, I felt not only that I was tuning in to some of my favorite music, but also experiencing the world in which it was created. And isn’t that just what an amazing concert should do?! Pictures couldn’t capture the feeling, but I am sure I will never forget it.

So without further ado, thank you to Coldplay, KGSR, and Capitol Records for a most memorable experience. I’ve always been a fan, but now my admiration is set in stone, covered in gold, and illuminated in neon lighting!

Review and Photos: The Head & The Heart Keep Things Humble at Sold-Out Stubb's Shows

Mikela Floyd — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:46:00 GMT

Just a year ago, few had heard of Seattle band The Head and the Heart, who made a name for themselves in their rain-soaked hometown with their unique harmonizations and powerful live shows. Fast forward a year, and my have things changed. Since signing to Seattle's Sub Pop Records, the six-piece have exploded onto the indie music scene, performing at festivals across the globe, (including last year's Austin City Limits Festival), and even crossed a task off of every musicians' bucket list when they taped an episode of the television show of the same name last year.

But none of that mattered when the band took the stage at Stubb's Sunday night, for their second sold-out show of the weekend. "I don't think any of you guys realize how amazing this is to us - selling out two Stubb's shows! This city rocks," gushed Violinist Charity Thielen, who also handles background vocals. And amazing, it was. For as polished and cohesive as The Head and the Heart sound on their self-titled debut album, their live act is a thing of beauty – a stripped-down event that showcases their music perfectly.

They took to the stage with "Cats and Dogs," flowing as seamlessly into "Couer D' Alene" as it does on the album. They continued through tracks from their debut, before offering up some new material, before which vocalist Jonathan Russell joked "this is the last day of our tour - it's like a Friday night for us. Too bad it feels like its 130 degrees outside." Before kicking into "Lost in my Mind," the hit that inarguably put them on the map, Russell was chatty once more - revealing that he wrote that song about his brother in Virginia, his home state before relocating to the Pacific Northwest.

A lovely acoustic track, the Civil Wars-esque "Ever Since (Chasing a Ghost)" began their encore, to a mostly quiet crowd eager to hear this b-side from their iTunes session. And in typical fashion, the show closed out with "Rivers and Roads," which, bolstered by Thielen's commanding vocals, could be considered a master class in harmonization.

While the night was hot, and the crowd was a little distracting, their second sold-out show proved that The Head and the Heart pack a hefty punch of staying power.

You can check out more photos from the show here, along with the full video and photos from their appearance in the KGSR Music Lounge.

Death Cab for Cutie Charm Fans with an Orchestral Evening

Mikela Floyd — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:09:00 GMT

Though they headlined an Austin show a little over six months ago, that didn’t stop Seattle indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie from selling out Friday night’s stop at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. With an evening that boasted accompaniment by the Magik*Magik Orchestra, fans expecting an out of the ordinary DCFC show definitely got what they bargained for.

After a startlingly quiet opening set from Youth Lagoon (seriously, you could hear a pin drop in the at-capacity theater), Ben Gibbard, Chris Walla, and co took to the stage after a lovely instrumental intro, to open their set with “Passenger Seat,” from their timeless album Transatlanticism. No time was wasted in between songs, as “Different Names for the Same Thing” kicked up immediately, even more emotionally charged than usual due to the string accompaniment.

The evening continued with a solid mix of the band’s repertoire, including several songs from Narrow Stairs, a few from Codes and Keys (which orchestra leader Minna Choi helped to arrange), and a heavy dose of Transantlanticism. A highlight came with the one-two punch of “Cath” into “What Sarah Said,” (a standout on the 2005 release Plans.)

After a few more songs, Gibbard joked “thanks for coming to our recital, everyone!” before leaving the stage for a brief moment, returning sans orchestra for the lesser-known “405” from 2003’s We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes. Though feedback issues persisted, that didn’t stop the music, as the orchestra materialized back on-stage for “I Will Follow You Into the Dark,” and “Monday Morning,” both of which had audiences belting each and every word. The moment that every fan had been waiting for came in the final moments of the show, however, when the band performed their heartbreak anthem “Transantlanticism” with the full force of the Magik*Magik orchestra behind them. It was a transcendent moment for every room, and there were certainly more than a few misty eyes in the crowd.

Was this a show for everyone? No. The varied set was full of some obscurities not known to those more familiar with the band for their radio hits. But this was a fan’s show, through and through. And for this fan, it was a stellar evening.

Punch Brothers Bring Progressive Bluegrass Sound to Austin City Limits

Andrew Miller — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:49:00 GMT

From stage right, the sounds of Punch Brothers tuning their instruments created the backstage area into a makeshift orchestra pit. The blue lights were shining on the stage, the cameras were ready and at 8:00 PM the band faced the crowd beaming with smiles. Lead singer Chris Thile proclaimed: “We have wanted to do this for so long;” making it very clear they were living out their childhood dreams. With those few words, they quickly opened the set with “Movement and Location,” revealing the talent of the group and showcasing the skill of every musician on stage. On the heels of the opening song, the band broke into “Next to the Trash,” at times waltzing around the stage to the rhythm and ending the song with a duel between Thile on the mandolin and Gabe Witcher on fiddle.

There was never a dull moment throughout the night as songs from past albums such as “Wayside (Back in Time)” and “Missy” pleased the die hard fans, while “Clara”, “Patchwork Girlfriend” and “Hundred Dollars” held the attention of fans new and old. Although every member of the group showcased their talents during the nearly two-hour performance, the virtuosos never took control of the spotlight. The energy and immense talent never left the room and although the night consisted of original songs, the band’s cover of Radiohead’s “Kid A” allowed them to add their own dissonant flair to the song with the ominous fluttering fiddle, banjo and heavy picking of the mandolin. To finish the night, Punch Brothers chose the upbeat tune “Rye Whiskey ”giving the crowd one more exciting experience.

For the encore, “New York City” and “Don’t Get Married Without Me” were played for a second time, however, the crowd did not seem to mind as it was a chance to spend more time with the group. After the encore they finished the night by paying homage to Earl Scruggs by performing “Groundspeed” and Levon Helm by performing The Band’s song “Ophelia”. For a band pinned as a bluegrass group, the Punch Brothers have an immeasurable amount of talent and imagination allowing them to branch out to fans of all genres of music.

Photo by Scott Newton. Courtesy of ACL TV.

Feist Wows Fans at Stubb's

Kyle Gregory — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:01:00 GMT

Austinites love indie singer-songwriters, and Canadian crooner Feist entranced a sold out audience at Stubb's Thursday night. The Broken Social Scene member played tracks off all three of her solo albums, with special attention to 2011's Metals.

The show was a slow build, as Feist opened with the plaintive "When I Was a Young Girl" off of 2004's Let it Die, followed by "Comfort Me" from Metals. She shook things up with the aptly titled "Commotion," it's pulsing beat infusing the crowd with jittery life, which was diffused into a smooth mellow as she transition to the jazzy "How Come You Never Go There" and sugary-sweet "Mushaboom."

Feist fully enraptured the crowd with "The Circle Married the Line" and its dramatic crescendo. After sipping some wine and catching her breath, the singer had some fun with the audience, asking all of the couples to sing along, followed by all of the single people, followed by all of the people on a mission to break a couple up. In a nod to her roots, she also invited all of the Canadians to sing along.

The crowd obliged, raising their voices for "So Sorry" and "My Moon My Man" the first tracks of the night off of 2007's The Reminder. Their performance drew praise from Feist, who thanked them for their "enthusiasm and volume."

Feist maintained the high-energy with "Feel It All" before slowing it down with her best performance of the night on the epic "Graveyard." She closed the show with a long string of tracks from Metals including "Anti-Pioneer," "Undiscovered First," "The Bad in Each Other," "Caught a Long Wind," and "Get it Wrong, Get it Right." For her encore, she broke out some older songs, playing "Secret Heart," "Sealion," and "Let it Die."

Radiohead Wow Fans With Intimate Austin City Limits Taping

Mikela Floyd — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:43:00 GMT

Photo Courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan

A band like Radiohead is not one you'd expect to see in a setting as intimate as the stage at "Austin City Limits". Yet when they announced a long-awaited Austin stop at the Frank Erwin Center (one, it should be noted, which sold out in minutes), a flurry of fan chatter began about whether the band would take their Austin date as an opportunity to make their ACL debut.

And debut they did. Thom Yorke and his bandmates from Oxfordshire took the Austin City Limits stage just past 8PM, after brief opening remarks from ACL producer Terry Lickona. Without even a word to the crowd, Yorke kicked off the set with "Bloom," from the band's latest album, The King of Limbs. But they didn't stick solely to album material; the band treated the die-hard fans Tuesday night to a slew of rare tracks, including B-side "Orgy," a song about the banking industry that Yorke revealed "almost disappeared like a wet fart into the wind." They also performed "Staircase," a new song that's been added into the setlist for most of their 2012 tour thus far.

After a solid set (including a do-over on In Rainbows standout "Reckoning") and an abundance of spastic dancing - a Yorke specialty - the band returned to the stage to close the night with "Paranoid Android," arguably one of their biggest fan favorites to date.

Many were skeptical of how a band like Radiohead would translate in a small setting, but with the uproar of applause that followed each song throughout last night's hour-plus performance, it was clear that no matter the venue, Radiohead are one of music's best live acts.

Radiohead's setlist: