Live music review: Night one of Free Week 2023 featured Et Ceteras, Semihelix and Die Spitz
If last night’s Tito’s Free Week 2023 kick-off party at 13th Floor is any indication of what is in store for Austin music, it is going to be a great year for local artists. In contrast to last year’s freezing temperatures and lukewarm return from the Pandemic pause, Thursday evening’s relatively balmy weather, a full slate of great music and a full-fledged PR and sponsorship push from the Red River Cultural District team translated to full rooms, elated fans and even happier local musicians for the first salvos of Free Week. Night one featured Et Ceteras and Semihelix at 13th Floor while Die Spitz played to a capacity crowd inside Stubb’s down the street.
New act, Et Ceteras included two members of Kay Odyssey (Virgina Valejo on drums and Kelsey Wickliffe on vocals and guitar). Wickliffe’s husband Paul Strekfus and Dan Ramone Vivian Chavez on lead guitar round out the foursome. Fans may recognize Chavez from Pleasure Venom. Their version of experimental post punk set a perfect tone for the evening. Wickliffe, who played bass for Kay Odyssey appeared to be having a good time singing lead and playing guitar after what turned out to be an extended hiatus from live shows and even longer between stints singing lead vocals.
Strekfus and Wickliffe are best known for an act called Kingdom of Suicide Lovers and prior to that Strekfus played in Austin 90’s band, Glorium. Both are highly regarded musicians. For many old-school Austin musician’s, seeing the pair performing in their new incarnation born out of the pandemic was just the catharsis they were seeking last night.
The evening culminated in a riveting headlining set by dream-popsters Semihelix led by Geannie Friedman (vocals, guitar) along with Valdemar Barrera (drums, vocals) and Mike Cosmic (bass). It felt like all of local Austin music was crammed into the space. Even Spoon’s Britt Daniel showed up to support.
Before Semihelix hit the 13th Floor stage at 11 p.m., hardcore punks, Die Spitz lit up Stubb’s inside stage in front of a capacity crowd that arrived early resulting in a long standby line that snaked north down Red River toward’s Cheer-Up Charlie’s and Mohawk.
It was pandemonium inside as the multi-instrumentalists slayed the crammed room of approximately 300 lucky fans to make it into the show. Ellie Livingston, Kate Halter, Ava Schrobilgen and Chloe Andrews are young performers with an average age of 19 who have rapidly attracted a rabid fanbase with a slate of residency performances at Hotel Vegas last July followed by an appearance at LEVITATION Festival with legendary 90s grrrrr rockers, L7 and Austin Pleasure Venom. It’s clear this “boy band with tits” is going places.
Fans can catch Die Spitz at Hotel Vegas tonight for the second Free Week performance in as many days.
Back at 13th Floor, Semihelix turned in a stellar set that featured songs from their lauded 2020 record Recoil in addition to a few new tracks we’re told will appear on an album set to record and release later this year with Recoil producer, Matt Gerhard back at the helm again.
Semihelix next perform at Far Out Lounge Jan 20 with Shared Walls, Buzzard Company and Sp_aces. Then Valhalla Feb 10 with Dream Soda and Psychic Shark.
Check tomorrow’s schedule on our Free Week 2023 page to make plans for Saturday’s shows.
All photos by Brandon Sandler. Featured photo by Greg Ackerman
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