Day Two, Pt. 1

SXSW 2011, Saturday, Part 1: NPR @ The Parish
by Nick Chaivarlis

The Parish hosted the NPR event with a bill that had no particular theme other than it involving distinct and talented artists.

Being that NPR is a formative tool for emerging artists of all genres, tUnE-yArDs was quick to plug the popular organization in the middle of her set, informing everyone of how important it is to support public radio. Her time onstage wasn’t just a public endorsement– gracing us with with her tenor ukulele, tom-tom drums and tambourine, tUnE-yArDs filled the stage with her unique and unpredictable sound.

Khaira Arby, an eccentric performer from Mali with an endless amount of passion took the stage next and showed Austin how to not be square. Stationary standing would not fly during her set, so if you thought you could get away with not dancing, you were terribly mistaken. Not understanding a single word of this performance did not take away from its strength. Arby’s vocals were sharp tuned and lively throughout. This performance was a distinct and refreshing one, to say the least.

WILD FLAG felt comfortable on stage at an NPR event and one reason that was made apparent was Carrie Brownstein’s involvement in the group, as, in addition to her involvement with Sleater-Kinney, she was a notable blogger for NPR over the last few years. WILD FLAG, also comprised of Janet Weiss, Mary Timony and Rebecca Cole, made it clear that they were women with a cause. That cause? To rock hard.

Even though The Joy Formidable‘s set was noticeably cut short due to time limitations, it didn’t stop the band from being one of the most amped performances of the event, pumping all of their electrifying rock into one consolidated space. In fact, it’s like they fueled more energy into fewer songs in order to not fall short. Front woman Ritzy Bryan’s stamina was that of an Olympic athlete and her facial expressions were nothing short of cartoon animation, making The Joy Formidable’s set the bi-polar cousin of what we were about to experience with The Antlers.

All that could be overheard in the crowd during The Antlers’s stage setup was the chatter from fans about how they were nervous and anxious to hear the band play their upcoming album, Burst Apart. Peter Silberman and his crew held their own and made the unveiling of Burst Apart a memorable one for this NPR event. Although still an emotional sounding setlist, The Antlers have added some upbeat sound to their latest work, apparent in songs like “French Exit,” that make the band easier to digest for a more diverse audience without compromising their natural state. With their style already being hard to replicate on stage, hope for Burst Apart seems promising since their stage performance of the album sounded extremely polished and solid.