Live music review [photos]: Big Freedia brought her bounce party to Mohawk Monday
Last Monday’s Big Freedia show at The Mohawk saw a large crowd despite Austin City Limits Music Festival’s first weekend taking place just prior to the New Orleans Bounce Queen’s date. Freedia is a popular performer with the LGBTQA+ crowd and this show certainly didn’t fly under the radar for Austin’s gay community who came out en masse. The drag artist popularized the Bounce style of dance music, propelling the singer to mainstream popularity in the last several years.
Glam rock, drag artist Caleb De Casper warmed up the Mohawk audience with an over-the-top at times, yet fully realized musical performance that wowed fans. De Casper’s “Johnny Be Goode” was a crowd-pleaser and honest-to-god rock anthem. De Casper hit the full Bowie glam rock apex with “Radio Trash” complete with a quick crowd surf while his band played on.
An already crowded Mohawk got even more crowded (though not at capacity) after De Casper left the stage to cheers and a constant stream of fans visiting at the merch booth for photos and swag. Big Freedia came next with a quad of dancers and a top-notch DJ / hype man along for the 70 minute performance that lead off with the booming bass of “Big Energy” while asses flew all over the stage.
Freedia also invited fans on stage late in the set to show-off their own twerking skills while they yelled at them to “get yo’ asses in the air, yo!” while a clutch of fans exchanged dance moves to cheers of encouragement from energized fans, ready to cut loose at the drop of a hat if need be.
All photos: Ryan Vestil
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