Seraphina Lotkhamnga on March 17th, 2013

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[Last day of South by Southwest’s music festival was a doozy. The industry was frantically running around to catch a set by a band they’ve been meaning to see all week (like this writer), but venues at capacity, long lines and late starts didn’t help. Although the foot traffic seemed to die down just a tad on Saturday, those who finished their last work assignment or were merely celebrating Saturday night let loose making Austin bars happy. From garage rock to pop to electro to hip-hop:]

@Seraphina_L on Saturday at SXSW: 

All week long at SXSW, the Orwells got in Austin’s faces – and those faces were smiling. With youth on their side, these Chicago-based teens played every single show as if they were in a hurry to get to the next one. They’ve played with the big kids at SXSW before, but even for their big finale at Latitude 30 on Saturday night, the garage-punk quintet screamed those catchy choruses and executed those call-and-responses like they were the only ones that mattered at this year’s festival. Many who caught any one of their six shows this week – including this panda – and anyone else simply susceptible to a good time would agree. Finishing their U.S. tour with Saturday’s 1 a.m. set, the Orwells left behind scorched earth and skid marks.

Also notable. . .

Another band who didn’t seem bothered by anyone else’s opinion, no matter the size of the crowd or length of line, was the extremely buzzed-about Parquet Courts. Kicking off Viceland’s last evening showcase, the garage-punk quartet played a viciously raw set … but for whom? A bunch of Kendrick Lamar fans (the rapper was headlining and the line was wrapped around the corner for him), but no matter. This group of energetic stoners, who share Fergus & Geronimo members Austin Brown and Andrew Savage, even got the biggest hip-hop heads to bop along. That’s when you know the power of underground rock ’n’ roll is working. No one could escape their moxie, and once you were in it you didn’t want to leave.

Everyone can argue whether Brooklyn’s Small Black is more chillwave or new wave, but I can’t deny that their set at Stubb’s on Saturday was enjoyable. With a keyboard that lit up so bright people in the back of the amphitheater could probably be blinded, Josh Kolenik and company swirled their synth pop and rich hooks that were pleasantly in accordance to their lights. Anthemic melodies and samples were a nice amalgamation for an outdoor venue as the weather cooled down.

Small Black’s set was followed by none other than L.A.’s very own sister trio Haim. Danielle, Este and Alana (and drummer Dash) came out in full force with harmonies, percussion and some major bass face, from Este, of course. The sisters, who made their debut at SXSW last year, were living a dream come true as they previously thought “Someday” about playing Stubb’s. Now that their last name is a household name in the indie world and playing before Vampire Weekend (with whom they are currently on tour), Stubb’s doesn’t seem like much of a stretch anymore.

After walking into the Mohawk only to see a dude with long blond braids (all the way down to his knees), I didn’t just think it but I audibly asked, “Who the hell is this?” It didn’t take me long for me to find out since someone had shouted out “Le1f!” with such crazed enthusiasm. (Yes, that’s a number 1 and not an “i” or an “l.”) Possibly one of the most flamboyant hip-hop artists I have encountered, the New York-based rapper’s set was bouncing and his rhymes were ridiculous idiosyncratic. “Wut it is / Wut is up / Wut is wut” will be stuck in your head, and if not for the lyrics, then his booty dancing and hair whipping will be sure to be remembered after catching a live set. Wearing a Janet Jackson T-shirt and doing pelvic thrusts in people’s faces (who seriously couldn’t be closer), Le1f made me glad he was the one and only hip-hop act I saw.

There was a big chance I wouldn’t see anything as bombastic as Le1f later on in the night,  but Chicago’s duo Supreme Cuts and their mellow electronic set went rather well with a double whiskey. For a DJ set, there was still definitely room to be impressed as Mike Perry and Austin Keultjes were obviously connoisseurs of every genre they implemented into their music. Their collaborations have been getting the two some hype, but their own velvety electronic compositions are just as intricate. Supreme Cuts were a nice breather and responsible for this writer to let loose at the end of a festival.

Delivery dilemma. . . 

This poor guy turned up at 2nd and Trinity and yelled out “Vanessa!” only to frantically look around and sigh before he frustratedly called the girl. Who orders delivery to an intersection during SXSW? Jimmy John’s is tasty, but who needs it that badly?

Dear Austin, Love L.A. . .

There were plenty of L.A. bands who left their mark in Austin this week. Los Angeles was in you Austin! Here are a few sightings of some street team efforts for Deap Valley, Capital Cities and PAPA. Plenty of bands such as the Lonely Wild also made sure to tote along merch with their gear.