Japan Music: SXSW 2011 - Dirtnap Records Showcase

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

SXSW 2011 - Dirtnap Records Showcase

Our final showcase at SXSW was in the basement of Easy Tiger, for a trio of great bands from one the best independent punk labels running in the states right now - Portland's Dirtnap Records.

The trio of bands (Mind Spiders, Bad Sports and High Tension Wires) were a bizarrely interchangeable pile of bands, but by saying so, I mean from a lineup standpoint. While they each had their own particular sound, each band shared members, with some folks playing in all three bands.

The band members could be considered local royalty as well. Along with including members of some larger bands like Riverboat Gamblers and the Marked Men, it also seemed like the crowd was full of locals and friends, just out to support their friends on a night that also happened to be a SXSW showcase.

First up was the Mind Spiders. Fronted by Mark Ryan of the Marked Men, Mind Spiders play dirty garage punk that would fit in just as well here in Detroit as it does down in Texas. The band bounced around from powerpop to raw garage grit with an organ surging all the way through.

The Mind Spiders spilled almost immediately into Bad Sports, with the transition made much easier by the fact that some of the people never left the stage. Despite only a partial lineup change, the sound made a noticeable switch, because Bad Sports is as removed from garage as could be, but just as complimentary for the vibe of the show.

Bad Sports play punk rock, tried and true. When I say that, I mean they subscribe to the tried and true formula of a punk rock band that knows three chords and plays them all. As they did so, they wrapped each song into a perfect 3-minute package with powerful pop punk riffs and an energetic energy that, of course, paved the way for the next band, again with minimal lineup changes.

High Tension Wires was really the band I was there to see. Fronted by Mike Wiebe of the Riverboat Gamblers, I was excited to see one of Texas' most exciting frontmen on his local soil and in a different realm. Last year's visit to Austin allowed for multiple options to catch the Riverboat Gamblers, but this was going to be entirely new.

The name High Tension Wires is remarkably apt. All the members of this band took the stage and busted into a full-frontal assault of rock and roll, and you could tell that they all wanted to jump around, and on the small stage they were visibly vibrating and the platform they stood on bounced up and down.

At a Gamblers performance, Wiebe immediately becomes an uncontrolled explosion, just as likely to be singing from atop a table, railing, bar or in the middle of the crowd. High Tension Wires has found a way to keep the man in one place - by putting a guitar in his hands. Even while tied to the stacks, Wiebe exhibits the same energy; it's just projected away with his music and voice with the physical presence removed from the equation.

With a crowd that included the members of Peelander-Z, the vibe was very contradictory. On one hand, everyone there was very much aware that they were in the presence of a collection of bands that were absolutely amazing; on the other hand, everyone was also there to dance, drink and have a good time to a lot of great music, without letting the SXSW vibe weigh on any of their minds.

The space for the showcase fit very well; cramped, but cozy, it felt like a house show, just a bunch of bands playing in a local basement. Combined with the friendly feel, the idea that most everyone in the space knew each other and that the same folks kept getting on stage all night, it was a vibe that this is a scene that is doing very well, is very friendly and has a ton of great music to share with the world. Situated mere feet from the constant mayhem of 6th Street, it felt like we were miles away, in any city anywhere, checking out local bands in a basement.