SXSW review: Paste Magazine 20th Anniversary Party Day One
Not much was going on in the way of day parties on Monday. Perhaps one of the best options was that Paste Magazine kicked off its 20th Anniversary Party by partnering with Women Who Rock, an organization dedicated to “champion women in music and women’s health awareness. The lineup for day one was intentionally all female and spread across an indoor and an outdoor stage, 30 minute sets, with zero overlap.
Pom Pom Squad
Pom Pom Squad was on my buzz band list this SXSW. Mia Berrin came out a Y2K top, paying homage to Lux a la Virgin Suicides and chunky red boots. Front woman, Berrin commanded the crowd, making sure to get the audience response she wanted. Pom Pom Squad busted out their top track “Head Cheerleader”. Guitarist Alex Mercuri brought a goofball energy, showboating with a pink guitar. Berrin put down her guitar to play “Cake”, bouncing around the stage singing “Thought you didn’t want me” with the angst of Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis’s “Freaky Friday”. This band was certainly one of the highlights of the Paste Magazine party.
Pillow Queens
Admittedly jet lagged from a twelve-hour flight from Ireland to Austin, Pillow Queens arrived at The Pershing for the first of several shows for SXSW. “If you can tell by our translucent skin, we’re not used to this heat,” Cathy McGuinness, front woman, bantered. They busted out into “HowDoILook”, creating a punk statement against body norms and standards. Pillow Queens will be releasing their first album on “April 1st, if you know us, it’s very fitting,” Sarah Corcoran, on bass, quipped.
Katie Toupin
Katie Toupin was not a name I was familiar with on the roster, but she brought a familiar, country twang to the showcase. She stepped on stage with an electric acoustic guitar in hand, rocking leather jeans and a patchwork duster jacket.
Introducing her song “Astronaut”, Toupin had been reached out to by NASA to have the track included on their commercial for Johnson Space Center, located in Houston. The track was mellow and aspirational. Toupin tossed in a version of her Houndmouth song “Sedona.”
Featured photo: Michael Maly
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