Live music preview: A Giant Dog and Caleb De Casper to take over Mohawk Friday
Yes, we know it’s hot. It’s been the hottest Summer on record here in Austin. You’re already sweaty, warm and wishing for cooler days, but that’s not gonna come anytime soon. What is coming this Friday to Red River District venue, Mohawk are Austin garage punks, A Giant Dog led by manic stage presence, Sabrina Ellis along with LBGTQA+ performer Caleb De Casper whose glam rock show is both over the top and sensational. The gifted songwriter has a knack for incredible live performances. The show is presented by Resound and KUTX. Upstart all-girl act, Die Spitz opens.
With a bill like this, all you need to know is you should show up to get your socks knocked off by not one, but three great local acts. AGD with lead guitarist and vocalist, Andrew Cashen stirring up riff after riff to sweeten Ellis’ bombastic lyrics is a true talent and likely to climb set pieces, fences, and other high places during the show. The man is a jumper. Ellis is perhaps the most dynamic female lead in town. The first show I ever saw her play, Ellis zeroed in on this heavyset dude in a Hawaiian shirt at Continental Club, jumped off the stage and proceeded to repeatedly belly buck the man as the band began the next song. The move was both unexpected and delightful in it’s spontaneity.
This summer, ahead of the band’s summer tour dates, their record label, Merge will reissue A Giant Dog’s first two full-lengths — 2012’s Fight and 2013’s Bone —worldwide on limited-edition colored vinyl, reintroducing the world to the quintet Spoon’s Britt Daniel calls “the greatest American rock and roll / punk band since I don’t know when.”
De Casper’s glam rock show is nothing to sneeze at. His opening set at the same outdoor stage as Friday’s show for Big Freedia a while back was off the chain good. Once De Casper finished his set, crowds of fans congregated around the merch booth, angling for both a T-shirt and a photo with the charismatic singer. We even got a shot with De Casper because why not? Sometimes art is just fun.
Speaking of fun, the four young ladies that make up Die Spitz who currently host a Sunday evening residency at Hotel Vegas are perhaps the most fun young band in Austin at the moment. Steeped in punk tradition, the foursome play grunge, punk and garage rock songs with abandon. Their Mudhoney cover is legit. If you arrive late to Mohawk Friday and miss Die Spitz you’ll only have yourselves to blame.
Tickets for A Giant Dog are still available from the Mohawk online box office and at the door Friday provided there are still some left. Grab your friends, grab your sweatbands, grab onto something, because kicking off the weekend at Mohawk might cause a seismic shift in the Earth. Or not. Either way, you’ll have a good time.
You must be logged in to post a comment.