By Gali Firstenberg
This year was my first trip to SXSW and my first time in Austin, TX. Eliminate the vibrance of Austin proper and SXSW would still stand on its own. That’s a big statement. Between the rotating acts at every bar, restaurant, hotel, and sidewalk corner; the street vendors offering food, art, and services from face pain to massages; and the thousands upon thousands of people milling about the streets, dancing in basement bars, eating authentic BBQ, and rocking out on rooftops, and SXSW is its own city.
As I prepared for the trip, I had three very specific goals: DJs, dubstep and dancing. After a long flight with a connection in Dallas, I dove head-first into SXSW by dancing the night away at an underground bar, Barcelona. What followed was an exhausting weekend jam-packed with early mornings at panels (I did go for the convention, after all), delicious food, new friends, very little sleep, and most importantly: DJs. Below are the top 10 artists I saw over the weekend.
10. Designer Drugs
Designer Drugs played a solid set at Phoenix on Thursday night. Considering how much I enjoy their tracks, their live show was a bit of a letdown, but still good enough to make my top 10.
9. MSTRKRFT
Playing to capacity on Mohawk’s patio, MSTRKRFT kept the energy buzzing at this showcase, which they headlined. The two-floor patio allowed casual concert-goers to swig beer by the bar above while those looking to party danced near the stage below. My new friends (see: 12th Planet) and I danced downstairs in the back, with just a bit more room than we might have had up front where the crowd was packed in tightly. The breeze that rolled through the audience’s blazing energy around 1:30 AM topped it off nicely, lending to the Austin heat a tropical feel.
8. Kingdom
I arrived at XLR8R’s party Thursday night just in time to see Kingdom. It was 9 PM – early by SXSW standards – and the bar was half-full, causing the general vibe to be somewhat subdued, but Kingdom had me and several others tearing up the dance floor regardless.
7. 12th Planet
I almost missed 12th Planet’s set opening for Skrillex and MSTRKRFT due to maximum capacity and those pesky fire codes, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to see at least a few minutes of it. Luckily, some friends I met in line were bold enough to sneak in the back door with me. Green lasers galore set the mood and 12th Planet’s multiple stage dives brought it up even higher.
6. High Rankin
I kicked off my first night in Austin with High Rankin at Barcelona. He started the weekend off right, spinning such staples as “Don’t Carry On Like A Rude Boy When Daddy’s Got A Yacht” and “Meow Meow”. High Rankin brought the smiling crowd together and the glow sticks out as he toyed with extremely low frequencies throughout his set.
5. Wolfgang Gartner
Wolfgang Gartner knows how to build just enough anticipation to a drop and deliver it before the audience gets too antsy. A perfect analogy for his set as a whole, which immediately preceded Benny Benassi’s. Gartner set the stage for Benassi, and together the two had Phoenix feeling like South Beach.
4. Adrian Lux
Playing between sets at Ultra Music’s showcase, Adrian Lux turned out to be my favorite performer of the night, topping Benny Benassi, Designer Drugs, and Wolfgang Gartner. Wearing a black t-shirt that read in a simple white font “Adrian Lux,” he didn’t move much (not even dancing in the VIP hangout) and called very little attention to himself. Despite his minimalist demeanor, Lux interacted well with the audience, smiling and making eye contact with attendees throughout his performances. Midway through one set, Lux raised his arms high above his head, creating a heart shape with his hands that exploded just as he dropped a massive bass line.
3. Gobble Gobble
I had extremely high hopes after trekking to the other side of the highway for Gobble Gobble’s 11 AM performance, and they exceeded my expectations. Wearing tutus and high-tops, three members of Gobble Gobble played some music but mostly ran around giving high-fives, allowing audience members to play their tambourines, and spreading childlike joy. Meanwhile Gobble Gobble’s fourth member played the keyboard and sang from the safety of the stage. Their computer-generated blips and bleeps mixed with acoustic percussion (drums, tambourine, clapping, etc) set the scene for a good time. Of course fun is bound to be had when an audience of 100 is blanketed with a huge, multi-colored parachute – remember playing that game when you were 5?
2. Le Castle Vania
Both Wednesday night at Barcelona and Saturday night following Moby’s DJ set, Le Castle Vania had me in awe at how good one can be at creating a live experience. Between dramatic drops and house beats, he mixed in Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’s “Heads Will Roll”. Dance till you’re dead, indeed.
1. Skrillex
Skrillex was absolutely everywhere at SXSW. He played more than four sets in four days; made surprise appearances at multiple parties and showcases; and showed up on the sidelines at several DJs’ shows. Dropping the grimiest beats I’ve heard live and maintaining the audience’s energy at a ten throughout the entirety of his set, it’s no wonder the dubstep master is in such high demand at the moment. By far the best set of the weekend.
