Live music review: Free Week twentieth anniversary recap

From January 5 to January 7, venues up and down the Red River Cultural District participated in the Free Week twentieth anniversary of the event that was created to provide entertainment during quiet months in order to support the service industry. This year, Red River Cultural District pulled all the stops to collaborate with notable booking agencies, like Resound Present, Howdy Gals, and For Spite Productions as well as area restaurants.

The spirit of Free Week stems from its homegrown roots: no large corporate sponsor explaining crypto and NFTs (they’re all a scam) or Red Hot Chili Peppers singing about how amazing California is to a crowd getting outpriced in Austin. Artists could be easily spotted and identified milling through the crowds, awaiting their set times. Live music enthusiasts randomly encountered friends while show hopping. Here are our favorite sets:

Sailor Poon

The all-girl punks from Austin led by Billie Buck have been a local favorite for years. From Spaceflight Records: The band’s demo caught the attention of King Khan, who called them “the best thing to happen to Texas music since the meeting of Tommy Hall and Roky Erickson” of the 13th Floor Elevators and invited them to join him on several southwestern tour dates.

The group had a line waiting down 7th Street from the Corner of Red River at Chess Club Saturday evening as one of the more anticipated bills of the night, in one of the smallest capacity rooms being used.

Pelvis Wrestley

 

Adorned in light blue eyeshadow and a cowboy hat, Pelvis Wrestley glitzed up the stage at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Pelvis Wrestley took the masculinity associated with americana music, sounds like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and added blush and synths. Daphne Tunes displayed immense vocal control, hitting high vibrato notes during “Keep On Running” (Listen). Pelvis Wrestley has an upcoming residency at Hole in the Wall, performing every Tuesday in February.

Como Las Movies

Cumbia meets psychedelia in Como Las Movies who packed their Cheer Ups Free Week 2023 performance. What a year these guys have had: signing to Dissent Records as well as performing at Austin City Limits and Format Festival. The quartet formed in 2013 and has been on again and off-again, but this time with Nelson Valente Aguilar at the forefront. Como Las Movies layers synths and biting guitar over traditional percussion, grounding their sound. Aguilar’s voice glides smooth singing “Bailando!” under the neon lights of Cheer Up Charlies. Como Las Movies will be performing on January 21 at Meanwhile Brewing in case you missed them during Free Week.

 

Gus Baldwin and the Sketch

The fuzzy dissonance of “Send It” could be heard as I came in from next door at Free Week twentieth anniversary. Garage punks Gus Baldwin and the Sketch ripped the Mohawk apart on a Friday night. In 2022, Gus Baldwin released his EP THRILLER II (Link). As a frequent artist around The 13th Floor and Hotel Vegas, Gus Baldwin and the Sketch needed to incorporate something extra for their set, bringing out Ben Buck for sonorous raps over a sharp, deliberate guitar. Catch them Friday the 13th at The 13th Floor, particularly if you listen to Bass Drum of Death or The Orwells.

The Bright Light Social Hour

“None of us have smoked weed before, so we decided to try it.” Bright Light Social Hour intro-ed their new song “Smoked Out” (Link) under the fluorescent projections, fusing southern rock and psychedelia at Free Week twentieth anniversary at Empire Garage. With a penchant for social awareness, the single was dedicated to The Last Prisoner Project, a cannabis reform project. The crowd shuffled around, resonating with the lyrics of blues influenced “The Sheriff”, with the impending theme of police brutality looming through verses.

 

Tear Dungeon

The stage is no place for Tear Dungeon. Let me rephrase that, the stage cannot contain Andrew Cashen. Nor can the pit. Nor can the second floor. Tear Dungeon makes up the heavier rock project in Andrew Cashen’s collection of bands. Each member rocked all white and black latex masks, later covered in fake blood. Andrew Cashen climbed speakers, sang into the mic while hanging from the scaffolding, rode piggyback through the mosh; all the while cymbals crashed behind him. Eat glass.

All photos by Michael Maly except where noted