photo credit: weworemasks

After an exhausting 3 and a half days in Austin, TX for SXSW, both Sunbear and I trekked our way to Fitzgeralds for the proverbial end of the festival. As we were sure that the bands involved would be tired (they all looked beat) and likewise with us, we mustered up the effort and ended up seeing one of the better touring lineups in a few months.

Hit the jump for the recap.

-grizzly

photo credit: weworemasks

This show was all about good times for us. We liked 2 out of 3 of the bands on the bill (An Horse was unfamiliar to us at the time), we drank Sunday beers even though our livers had been pounded for days in a row prior and our good friend Josh had just come home from a London trip where he got engaged and all that good stuff.

photo credit: weworemasks

There was little time between us entering and seeing River City Extension take the stage. This 8-piece band from New Jersey won us over after their opening slot on the Get Up Kids tour back in February, so we were excited to see them bring their unabashedly fun show to the Fitzgerald’s stage. Sure enough, these guys managed to make fans out of everyone in the building. Their downhome sensibilities, despite being from New Jersey, shined through in songs like “Mexico” and “Adrianne.” Their americana leanings of “Our New Intelligence” had the few fans in the building singing along to what we refer to as the “pirate bridge,” among many other things. And like many of their sets, they ended this one after all eight members retreated into the crowd to perform an acoustic, hand-clap heavy version of “Bone Marrow Twist & Shout,” which was a guaranteed sell for anybody on the fence.

photo credit: weworemasks

I had heard great things about the next band, An Horse. Not only from the internet hype machine, but even the bands in the building. This Australian duo was returning to Houston to play for a bigger crowd than their first appearance, which had a total of four people, according to the band. This duo was highly reminiscent of Matt and Kim in energy, but very similar to Tegan and Sara musically. Their set, short and sweet, was a definite good time, as bands in their position often tend to fly by without making a lasting impression. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more material from these guys, as their new album Walls will be hitting stores in late April.

photo credit: weworemasks

The man of the hour, Kevin Devine, is someone I could see perform any number of times. He’s had this penchant for live shows, showcasing his earnest songs in a very vulnerable setting. However, things were different this time around. Sure, we’ve seen him perform with The Goddamn Band before, but we’ve never seen them rock quite as hard. I mean, this set was LOUD. The loudest either of us had ever seen it; and we liked it. Songs like the set-opening “Cotton Crush” and “Buried by the Buzz” had an energy they had never possessed before.

photo credit: weworemasks

The witty banter was there, as usual. Much of it was focused around how tiring SXSW can be (we agree) and other topics of discussion, including not being jealous of labelmate Andy Hull’s beard. The mood was chipper, despite the exhaustion. He played a handful of newer songs, including “She Stayed as Steam” and the title track from his upcoming record, Between the Concrete and Clouds – both fantastic. But like always, he always paid homage to the former regions of his discography. Fan favorites like “No Time Flat” and “Just Stay” were performed as crowd pleasers to many, eventually leading up to the magnificently-abrasive closer, “Brother’s Blood.” Sure enough, the crowd were treated to an acoustic rendition of “the” song, “Ballgame,” complete with the new verse that he’s been playing for years. Sure, Kevin’s music is a bit sad and tear-jerky at times, but he remains as one of the most humble and impassioned songwriters around.

[SETLISTS]

RIVER CITY EXTENSION:

something salty, something sweet
adrianne
mexico
our new intelligence
bone marrow twist & shout

KEVIN DEVINE:

cotton crush
another bag of bones
trailing yourself
carnival
holding down the laughter (bad books)
no time flat (!!!)
buried by the buzz
i could be with anyone
between the clouds and the concrete
just stay
she stayed as steam
yr husband
new song
brothers blood
–
ballgame (acoustic)

Note: Please look out for our interview of River City Extension. It’s lengthy, completely awesome. Those guys were definitely charming and just overall cool dudes.

-grizzly