You may notice a little more Lawrence presence at this year’s SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX. That’s because I Heart Local Music and Whatever Forever have teamed up for a showcase at Midcoast Takeover.
The weeklong event takes place at the beautiful Shangri-La, and will feature both outdoor and indoor stages. You’ll find our showcase on Friday, March 14th, at noon. We’ll be bringing along some of your favorite Lawrence acts. For these bands, this will be their first tussle with the massive festival that draws in thousands of revelers from across the U.S.
This year’s lineup includes:
The Sluts
We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring The Sluts to Austin. The gnarly garage duo recently released an album, and have been exceptionally growing their fan base rather quickly over the last few months. Recently, we’ve seen them draw large crowds that attach quickly to their music and enjoy heckling the band onstage. Their Austin performance is sure to bring outrageous fun.
CS Luxem / Oils
It may seem a bit unusual to squeeze two acts into one time slot, but not if you’re familiar with CS Luxem and Oils. Each band consists of the same musicians, and those individuals have been paving new roads for song structure in Lawrence and beyond. Their extensive performance history is impressive, chances are you’ve seen one of these acts in some sort of nook or cranny across the U.S. (they’re quite familiar with the DIY scene), and their Austin performance may be their biggest stage yet.
Josh Berwanger Band
Josh Berwanger’s recently released album, Strange Stains, has gained plenty of notoriety from some big names in the media over the past few months. He’ll be bringing along his expert group of musicians to play official showcases at SXSW, and you can expect to see him representing Lawrence and Replay lovers at Midcoast Takeover.
Muddy Udders
Muddy Udders are a rowdy, lawless, loudmouthed band with a particular flair for mischief. This trio of knuckleheads comes to us from Green Bay, and until recently have only appeared in the strangest of venues in Lawrence (including a performance at the anarchist bookstore of yesteryear). But this past year’s performance at the Replay set such a high standard, it left organizers impressed and scheming up methods to get them back in the venue as soon as possible. This is quite possibly the best form of legal fun you can have with such a disorderly bunch.
Black On Black
2014 may truly be Black On Black’s time to shine. The band has become a favorite among media outlets (making regular appearances on Afropunk), and can’t seem to stop putting out albums and EPs. If there isn’t a musical rage brewing within you, Black On Black may be the one to light the fire. Come for the exquisite songwriting, stay for the aggression.
One of the wonderful aspects of this event is it raises money for Midwest Music Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting musicians. This is the same organization that benefits from sales of the I Heart Local Music Swimsuit Calendar.
Editor’s Note: You’ll also want to keep your calendar clear in February. I Heart Local Music and Whatever Forever will be throwing a benefit to help bands and journalists get to SXSW and Back. The “mini-festival” of sorts takes place February 21-22, and will feature several bands, contests, and door prizes. Details on that soon.
See you in Austin!