SXSW Day One Recap: Population II, Hot Garbage, Slick Rick, and more

*Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Population II @ Swan Dive*

REVERIE has finally landed in Austin and after 16+ hours of flight delays, nothing was going to stop us from hitting the ground running at SXSW. Despite the amount of bands dropping out of the official lineup in protest - there’s still music to be heard, on-stage activism to support, and unofficial showcases to keep us occupied. While the energy is undoubtedly off with the news of the US Military being a head partner of SXSW, it has ignited powerful conversations on and off the stage - adding to the bustling vibrancy from the bands, artists, and listener’s who occupy the space. Setting the tone on day one we had a face-melting experience at the Mothland x M for Montreal showcase and ended the night at Mohawk Outdoor with Peppermint Patti, Bootsy Collins, and the ruler himself Slick Rick. Read on to hear more.

The Dumes

The Dumes are a new, up-and-coming LA based band. The electrifying rock-charged group left people wanting more (I’m not joking, we heard cheers at the end for an encore. While this is our first time at SXSW, showcases are known to not have encores, so if a crowd wants one, you KNOW it’s good time). A highlight of the show was Elodie Tomlinson bringing the utmost rock and roll energy on the stage with headbanging and hair tosses, turning the volume up for the crowd to a fuzzy maximum. The show reached its peak during a cover of The Vines “Get Free”, harking back to an era where this genre of music reigned supreme, with The Dumes bringing the era back in full force.

Hot Garbage

Over at the Canada House for the Mothland x M for Montreal showcase, we hustled to catch Hot Garbage’s set. The band have kept busy over the last few months with touring and showcasing in support of their recent album Precious Dream, which included a successful stop in Calgary earlier this year for Big Winter Classic. We were excited to see them in a different territory and they didn’t disappoint. Swan Dive was packed to the brim for the band with eager listener’s nodding their head in approval. With stunning projections by Anthony Piazza, it tracked each distorted guitar squeal and brooding vocal delivery. Hot Garbage’s influence clearly resonates across North America as they fill room after room with people who are craving their amplified sound.

Bootsy Collins, Peppermint Patti, and Henry Invisible

Henry Invisible brought the funk, as a one man funk band to be exact, at the Give a Note Foundation + Artist for Artist showcase. An Austin, Texas legend, Henry engaged with the crowd like he was performing at a stadium - asking for callback vocals from the room and turning out impressive guitar licks one after another. Our favourite funkadelic couple, Bootsy Collins and Peppermint Patti were hosting this showcase and brought a fun, lighthearted energy to the festival. Their joy emanated for the mission at hand: to bring awareness to eliminate gun violence which is an epidemic in America. Overall, we were left feeling inspired and empowered that we can work together to educate and enact change.

*Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Bootsy Collins*

Population II

If you haven’t experienced the world of Population II yet, you need to make it happen. The trio were dripping with garage rock and psychedelic prowess, while combining elements of jazz and funk, with an intricacy that left us in a fever dream. Guitar player Tristan Lacombe’s stage presence was alluring, yet anxiety-inducing in the best way possible. His frenzied movements, inching his guitar closer and closer to the crowd, exemplified the interplay between an artist’s stage presence and the music that takes on a life of its own. It’s hard to pin down this bands genre, but that’s what is exhilarating about Population II. They don’t fit into a box and they embrace the unexpected.

Slick Rick

The hip-hop legend was in the house at Mohawk and the crowd showed up to rap every word alongside him. Slick Rick was there in support of Artist for Artist, a NYC based Talent and Marketing Agency founded by Music Industry Veterans Matthew Reich and Neal Saini with a focus on social impact events run BY Artists FOR Artists, with members including Billie Eilish, Sheryl Crow, Nile Rodgers, Peter Gabriel and more. His set was not just for the true Slick Rick fans, but for MUSIC fans. Interspersing old hip hop sounds with the new, such as dropping “I’m All The Way Up” by Remy Ma and Fat Joe, Slick Rick was paying homage to the power that music brings to the people and why we need to come together for collective change.