After nine wonderfully jam-packed days, another year of SXSW has come to a close.
Here are 20 of our favourite music moments from SXSW 2024.
Eye VDJ Masa demonstrates the power of music, technology, and perseverance
In 2014, Masatane Muto was diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Using eye tracking technology, he has developed a system through which he can continue to DJ and perform using a digital twin. Though Eye VDJ Masa may have lost the majority of his motor functions, after performing his set on the British Music Embassy Stage, you could tell he was absolutely grinning.
Pauli the PSM finds a connection in the crowd
SXSW crowds are notoriously difficult to charm, so when it does happen it’s usually a memorable affair. Such was the case when Pauli the PSM - longtime drummer of Sampha and a charismatic polymath in his own right - spotted an attendee grooving in the front row. The two shared a joyful moment, with Pauli jumping down into the crowd to dance alongside her.
The Lottery Winners win over the audience
“Make some noise like you loved that last song!” frontman Thom Rylance encouraged the audience with lovable self-deprecating charm. But, as the evening progressed, what started as a cheeky form of encouragement ended up becoming a prophecy fulfilled. Showcase gigs can be notoriously difficult - non-existent soundchecks, and a crowd skewed heavier than usual with the industry-type persona - let alone playing EIGHT of them in a single week. However, The Lottery Winners oozed charisma in spades, and won over many an audience at SXSW this year.
Alisa Amador flexes her bilingual musicality
Alisa Amador made history in 2022 for penning the first Spanish-language song to ever win the prestigious Tiny Desk competition. During her set at the Mohawk during SXSW she performed compositions in both English and Spanish. It’s been fascinating seeing how the prevalence of Spanish-language music at the festival increases each year, and Alisa Amador’s set was a beautiful demonstration of music's ability to connect with people, even if they may not understand the meaning of every word being sung.
Pivots invites us into their musical metaverse
Paris-based trio, Pivots, performed their first show ever onstage at Ristband’s Future x Music SXSW showcase this year… and then followed it up by playing their second show ever for a group of headset-wearing audience members who enjoyed their songs while exploring various virtual environments.
Frank Turner starts a circle pit
There are some things you just expect to see at SXSW: breakfast tacos, drink tickets, business cards… a circle pit is not one of them. But, that’s exactly what Frank Turner asked for during his headlining set at the British Music Embassy stage on Monday night, and that’s exactly what he got.
Beharie bears his soul in the corner of a tiny taco shop
There’s something special about being in a place that has no business being a concert venue - in this case the hole in the wall Mexican restaurant, Cuatro Gato, and experiencing an artist that deserves to be huge. Norwegian indie-soul musician, Beharie, filled the space with confessional grooves that felt way too special to be confined to such a small space.
Grandbrothers deconstructs the meaning of piano music
Grandbrothers blurs the line between ambient, minimalism, classical and electronic music by playing the piano in a manner that would have utterly confused my childhood piano teacher - opening it up, using its full potential as a percussive instrument, and sampling and distorting its sound through electronics. Sometimes everything just comes together perfectly - the stellar acoustics of Central Presbyterian, the moody lighting, the presence of chairs (a particular gift during the marathon that is SXSW), and of course the music.
Lucky Lo reflects on women’s rights
There’s a strange, sad, poetry to hearing a song like “Through the Eyes of a Woman” performed half a mile away from the Texas Capitol building. The tune is a protest song exploring women’s rights, specifically regarding abortion. As an intro to the song, Lucky Lo reflected on the political implications of art, especially during turbulent times like these.
Blind Channel shows us what it means to be the “Backstreet Boys of Metal”
Finnish Eurovision finalists, Blind Channel, know they’re campy and embrace it with every chain necklace, dark-linered eye, and synchronized dance move.
Flyana Boss fills the stage with absolute joy
Rappers Bobbi LaNea Taylor and Folayan Omi Kunerede, aka hip hop duo, Flyana Boss are the definition of JOY. You could tell they were having an absolute blast onstage, and that positive energy was absolutely infectious.
Emi Grace proves she’s poised to be the next big thing
With guitar chops, incredible stage presence, and solid songwriting, Emi Grace dominated the stage. After a performance like that, I can wholeheartedly say that she deserves to be huge, and I’ll be genuinely upset if she doesn’t make it big.
O. gets the crowd moshing
Seeing people mosh at SXSW makes me happy. Seeing people mosh to instrumental jazz punk makes me even happier. Drummer Tash Keary and baritone saxophonist Joe Henwood have unlocked something special.
The Black Keys grace the iconic Mohawk stage
Big band, small venue seems to be one of the draws of SXSW time and time again. After delivering the Music Conference Keynote earlier that day, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach performed their hill country blues covers album, Delta Kream, to the 900-capacity crowd at the Mohawk.
Elizaa McLamb stands her ground
“I love Texas, I’m having a fantastic time… even though Greg Abbott told me never to return.” As one of the earlier artists to drop out of their official SXSW showcases due to controversy over the festival’s sponsorships, singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb knew the Texas Governor’s post on X was directed at artists like her. Despite this, she drew a sizable crowd at the Shiner’s Saloon unofficial showcase, with a chorus of fans singing along to her every word.
PEGGY tells us a story
23-year-old Peggy Owens is a reader, and between songs like “Fictional Men” (an ode to our favourite fictional romantic leads) and “Alice” (an investigation into the mental state of Alice in Wonderland’s titular character), this love for the written word is clear. What’s also clear is that PEGGY’s clever songwriting and approachable charm has her poised for big things.
Ivoris and Yayoi Daimon share the stage
Excellence from across the Asian diaspora was on display during the Friends From the East showcase at Elysium on the Friday night of SXSW. Among my favourite moments were sets from Australian indie pop artist, Ivoris, as well as from Japanese rapper, Yayoi Daimon. During Ivoris’ set, the latter came onstage to collaborate - a moment you could tell the two of them were genuinely enjoying.
Kassa Overall has an absolute blast
The 1am timeslot on the second last night of SXSW is a tricky one to fill, with the long days running through the streets of Austin starting to weigh down on people. Leave it to Kassa Overall and his collaborators to dream up the most outrageously fun set I experienced all festival long - enough to keep my tired self up for one last set before calling it a night.
The Dinosaur’s Skin time travel to the future
Band members “Trex” and “Triceratops” are dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. They miraculously survived the extinction event that ended their species and time traveled through a wormhole onto the streets of Taipei. They also happen to be great musicians. Not pictured above: the child who was in the audience wearing a dinosaur onesie and absolutely loving their life.
Yogetsu Akasaka creates a moment of calm
After the nine day marathon of creativity, inspiration, and art that is SXSW, Yogetsu Akasaka provided a very well-needed moment of calm. The beatboxing, chanting, loop machine-ing, Japanese monk led us in a meditation that was a beautiful way to bookend the festival.
Written and photographed by Katrina Lat.
Comentarios