Four Days of Clash kicked off with BLXPLTN and Como Las Movies at Hard Luck Lounge at SXSW – The Cosmic Clash
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All Photos: Brandon Sandler
Guest Contributor: Heather Forrester
The first day of The Cosmic Clash’s epic Four Days of Clash of unofficial SXSW showcases kicked off March 14. Fans converged at favorite East Austin live music dive, Hard Luck Lounge, a place known for cheap drinks and good times.
Though it was Wednesday, a mid- point of the lengthy 10-day festival, the energy at the event held steady. The evening was capped by Austin punk/garage/indie-rock/rap fusion impresarios, BLXPLTN proceeded by Samurai Shotgun, who played in the late afternoon. Both acts electrified the Hard Luck with their similar sound as performance protégés. The two acts know each other. Before leaving the stage following an electrifying set, Samurai Shotgun gave a shout out to their musical brothers, leaving the air filled with excited anticipation for BLXPLTN’s upcoming set.
As the last of the sun’s rays streaked across the patio of the venue local cumbia band Como Las Movies helped fans shake and move into twilight with their infectious rhythm, bongo drums and Spanish lyrics. Whether you are bilingual or not there was no denying the message: relax, have a good time and just let go. Their moniker is nod to the film soundtrack-like sound they create. CLM’s Latin-influenced sonic tapestries made for an ideal sunset performance.
Conjunto Los Pinkys kept the Latin theme going with legendary local musician Johnny Degollado on accordion. The group encouraged the audience to clap along while giving a shout out to the venue’s food truck, recommending the spicy fried chicken dish.
The Mystery Achievement followed with their sharp, White Stripes-esque guitar reverb, while boasting a talented front woman in Sheridan Roalson. Their songs alternated between heavy rock and mellow harmonies. The group cites influences as disparate as Built to Spill and Nick Cave if that gives you an idea of how eclectic this act is. They’re hard to pin a label on and that’s a good thing.
Finally, the Hard Luck crowd was ready for closing act BLXPLTN. Popular music site Noisey once described the band by proclaiming “Doesn’t matter what hat they put on; BLXPLTN are going to burn down the stage, the crowd, and your house.” These guys are hardcore.
Vocalist TaSzlin Muerte complained of having throat issues (his vocal chords were shot) but if he was struggling to sing, it was hard to tell. As soon as the band started playing the crowd started to thrash and jump around to the music. Even SXSW show-weary, BLXPLTN delivered a scintillating performance.
“This shit’s so real” a fan screamed while bumming a cigarette from his neighbor. BLXPLTN doesn’t just sing or scream, they have something to say. Muerte challenged the audience between songs “Maybe something that we’re saying is connecting with somebody?” as he described how we all speak the same tongue no matter the language, and that’s being human. A fitting tribute to a night of multicultural music and community.
