Day 5 of the musical immersion in Austin began with a chat about the more than 50 years of Heavy Metal, led by SiriusXM radio Eddie Trunk . We were able to see and hear Geezer Butler , Sebastian Bach , and Wendy Dio reflect on the power of Metal through the years and recall moments from their musical careers.
The conversation complemented the film about Ronnie James Dio that we watched the day before, but also and especially about what makes this musical style persevere and be, so to speak, passed down from father to son, even today, more than 50 years after the release of what is considered the landmark album by Black Sabbath , which bears the same name as the band. I think this chat deserves a text of its own, so I'll limit myself to saying for now that it was exciting and very fun. There wasn't time to take a picture with Geezer Butler and Wendy Dio, who didn't stay on stage long after the end of the conversation, but Sebastian Bach, who in addition to having his own long career in Rock, is known as one of the biggest fans of the genre, was a sweetheart and we managed to get our picture with him.
We left the conversation about Heavy Metal and went straight to the conference room next door, where none other than the star Beck New Yorker journalist Amanda Petrusich , and music. In his introduction to the stage, he humorously recalled that when Beck played at SXSW in 1994, the show preceding him, at a small bar called Emo's, was none other than that of the legend Johnny Cash . So, theoretically, still at the beginning of his career, Beck had Johnny Cash opening for him. Beck is a unique figure, an elegant and humble guy with a great sense of humor, especially when it comes to making jokes about himself, but who takes creativity and music very seriously and who, after so many years, continues to strive to do and be better.
In terms of live performances, we got a glimpse of a legendary Zambian rock band from the 70s, WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc), which, with two of its original members, Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda and Patrick Mwondela , and complemented by a cast of European musicians, has returned to activity and is beginning its first international tour. The fusion of Rock, Funk and African rhythms that WITCH's so-called Zamrock represents truly deserves to be discovered by a new audience.
Later we went to see our friends from Akeem Music performing at the charming Speakeasy bar on Congress Avenue, central Austin. The half-hour show and the limitations imposed by the trio format, in a show that could be longer, didn't faze frontman Akeem Delanhesi, accompanied by partners Mateus Zuanazzi and Felipe Saul , who, in addition to their roles as bassist and guitarist, participate with conviction in rather unorthodox dance choreography, distribute material to the audience, and if you're not careful, might even leave for a job as taxi drivers. The audience at the Speakeasy was relatively small, but the light music, Akeem's smooth voice, and irreverence won over those present, and some very enthusiastic people were dancing in front of the stage.
We decided to stay right there at Seakeasy because later we wanted to check out the performance of fellow Brazilian Gabriel Gonti , so we ended up relaxing to the sound of the Chilean project Wired Sessions , mixing percussion, Latin rhythms and electronic beats packaged in a high-energy atmosphere and a very Big Lebowski-esque .
Gabriel Gonti is another beloved Brazilian artist, from Patos de Minas to be more precise. He took the stage at Speakeasy at 11 am, accompanied by his band, and the bar was already quite full. Gabriel doesn't use humor in his show like Akeem, but he's very friendly, and like the gaucho, he communicates well in English, so the connection with the audience was also strong, and there were quite a few people dancing to his elegant pop-folk, which he sang mostly in Portuguese. We rushed off to our last show of the night, which was about two kilometers away at a place called Continental Club, and when we returned, we passed by Speakeasy and found Gabriel devouring a street hot dog, tired but very happy. With the result of the show, of course, but I think even more so with that hot dog.
The last stop I mentioned, already well into the early hours of the morning, was a show by Volk , a Nashville duo formed by the towering Chris Lowe on vocals and guitar, and the petite Eleot Reich , completing the vocals and playing drums. The cowpunk they play was something I'd wanted to see in 2020, when we were supposed to come to the festival but were interrupted by the pandemic, and that's why I was so eager to check it out. I wasn't disappointed. With personalized costumes, where the hats with small LED lights on the brim are the special touch, the duo is charismatic, energetic, and theatrical from beginning to end. And this theatricality became even more evident to me when we talked to them after the show, in the contrast between Lowe's powerful persona and "tough guy" look, climbing on top of the monitors or throwing himself into the crowd, and his friendliness and youthful energy in conversation with us and anyone else who wanted to chat. I already liked them, but now I'm a fan. Oh, and points also for the Continental Club. It's located on the other side of the Colorado River that cuts through downtown Austin, a little further away from all the chaos and tourism involved in the festival, but it's a very Rock n Roll, unpretentious and authentic place. And about the crowd, I don't know if it was because of the night's lineup, but those who were there were there to see those bands and to enjoy themselves and dance. No people floating around, so to speak. Great night!
Leaving soon for the last day of great musical activities! More stories tomorrow.
