MXBW: Mister Heavenly, Trampled By Turtles @ The Bat Bar, 3/15
6th Street in Austin is akin to Bourbon Street during SXSW music week. It’s one big block party, and the excitement makes it hard for a South By newbie to decide where to spend their night. Luckily, my friend Caitlin and I struck musical gold when we zoned in on The Bat Bar.
First of all, I had no idea that Michael Cera was in an indie band - let alone with familiar faces from Modest Mouse and Man Man. I’d dragged Caitlin to the bar solely for Trampled By Turtles, but Mister Heavenly’s set was the definition of a pleasant surprise. They delivered upbeat tunes with wonky lyrics punctuated by cheeky banter. While this was all-around enjoyable, you couldn’t put together a more random conglomeration of band members if you tried. For all of the flamboyancy of Nick Diamonds (who was sporting baby blue), Michael Cera faded into the background, while the others fell somewhere in between.
From the welcome that they received, it was clear that most of the crowd came for Trampled By Turtles (Well, except for those who came to gawk at Michael Cera). A five-man bluegrass project out of Duluth, MN, these guys brought an electric energy that transferred straight to the crowd. People were jumping, clapping, and hollering just how you’d expect at a bluegrass show. And in addition to the band’s raw passion, they have some serious technical chops! Check ‘em out: Trampled By Turtles.
I’m still taken aback by all the music there is to consume here. I know I’ll never get to everything I want to see, so I’m trying to organize and prioritize as best I can! If there’s something you think I should check out, let me know. On my radar: The Rural Alberta Advantage, Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter, Flogging Molly.
