Seraphina Lotkhamnga on March 15th, 2014

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[When the weekend arrives at SXSW, it  always means you have to avoid 6th Street if you’d like to get anywhere in a timely manner. Locals who were finally released from their day jobs joined the masses in downtown Austin to roam around as well, but that didn’t stop me from toting my laptop straight from the Austin Convention Center to both the Mohawk and St. David Historical Sanctuary. Here’s what I saw on Friday…]

@Seraphina_L on Friday at SXSW:

Spreadsheets may be handy when figuring out SXSW schedules but sometimes the best shows are the ones you blindly go to based on the mere suggestion of a friend of a friend. Hozier, aka Andrew Hozier-Byrne, may have not been a secret – his video for “Take Me to Church” went viral – but his live performance was stunning nonetheless. A tall man with a charismatic smile and brown curly hair pulled back into a ponytail, the Irish singer-songwriter was down-to-earth while his songs were so heavenly the angels above must surely have been listening. He was playing in a church after all, however that didn’t mean that his spiritual songs were restrained or the least conservative. The walls of St. David Historic Sanctuary rang with a deep Delta blues tone, and  messages in songs like “Take Me to Church” point a finger at organized religions on their close-minded about social issues. Toting a cellist, two back-up vocalists, synths, keys and a drummer, Hozier’s set was uplifting, even with serious subject matters. The young man also made sure to keep it light with a few jokes here and there that even he chuckled at himself. “I was very lucky to be sung to by my parents when I was younger, and this is one of the lullabies they sang to me,” said Hozier. “It’s called Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene.” After no response, he made sure to clarify, “That was a joke by the way. What would you have thought of my parents?” Laughter filled the sanctuary; that definitely made the entire congregation of fans worship Hozier even more.

Reports from a church

Another highlight of Communion Records’ showcase at St. David Historic Sanctuary (how perfect is that pairing?) was England’s Sam Smith. The R&B pop singer has had a whirlwind of a year since he provided the vocals on Disclosure’s single “Latch,” but his stripped down set (which also included a cello) proved star-power on his own. With a quick polite exchange with the crowd in which he discussed how he spent most of his youth in a church choir, Smith jumped right into spellbinding tunes from his both his “Nirvana” EP and songs off his forthcoming album slated for release on May 26 via Capitol. Both teenage fan girls and industry folk glued to their seat with awe as Smith showcased his compelling songs including an acoustic version of “Latch.”

Tennis and Nick Mulvey also played the church as part of Communion’s showcase: Mercury Prize-nominated Mulvey preceded Hozier with a one-man show of intricate guitar work; husband-wife duo Tennis slayed the pop lovers at the church with newer songs like “Mean Streets” off the new “Small Sound” EP and older songs such as “Marathon” off their debut.

Also notable . . .

Earlier at the Mohawk, the Windish Agency’s showcase was in full effect. Lines were went around the block and all levels of the venue were packed. Both the indoor and outdoor stage were going off with great acts, but the most anticipated set of the day was Jungle, the most buzzed-about band at SXSW 2014. Many who turned up because they were curious to see what the band looked like (answer is four guys and one girl) offered a warm reception to the band whose retro ’70s soul sound with modern electric grooves immediately moved the crowd. (There was also some DIY elements with empty soda bottles tied together for chimes at the drum kit.) Energetic but not excessively wild, Jungle played an excellent set considering this was their first year running around at SXSW, and the fact that they haven’t been a band too long either.

The London quintet’s set was sandwiched in between Brooklyn acts San Fermin and Lee Fields & the Expressions; both included horn sections. San Fermin’s big band exuberance was contagious and Lee Field was a pro in his white suit and shoes. Bad Suns also played on the indoor stage at the Mohawk that caught the attention of fans walking in from Field’s set. It was a nice chance to see some SoCal faces in the mix.

Phantogram, who seemed to be everywhere this SXSW, closed out the day party with some swagger via old tunes such as “Don’t Move” and newer hits like “Black Out Days.”

Late in the night, I hopped over to Swan Dive to catch Connan Mockasin playing the Mexican Summer party. The line was long and the modest-sized venue was packed to the gills for the New Zealand psych-pop artist. However, setup was taking a bit long as Mockasin was inebriated. “Thanks for being so patient everyone,” Connan gushed. “I really apologize. I’ve never been this drunk before a show.” A little sloppy, yes, but the energy and the chords were there for the set making Connan’s childish vocals endearing and difficult not to chuckle at.

Postscript. . .

Sometimes it’s funny who you can end up meeting just by asking a stranger a random question. While snapping shots at St. David Historic Sanctuary, I made friends with one of the house photographers because what is the world without some camaraderie? During one of our short conversations I found out he was “the other Stephen Walker” of the band responsible for this hit.

Also, this panda goes to church. She’s now known as the SXSW Panda and she carries all her stuff in a take out bag that says “Thank you.” I saw her last year too.