Night One of the three pack of shows celebrating the release of Casual Victim Pile could not have gone off much better for curator Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records, and – most importantly – the five bands representing the Beerland-centric compilation. Sure, it might have been more reassuring to see their home turf packed with only familiar faces, but no one was complaining that many in the full house were hearing (and enjoying) the tunes for the first time. Blasting out five tight, blistering sets on a chilly evening, The Persimmons, The Distant Seconds, Kingdom of Suicide Lovers, Dikes of Holland and Follow That Bird generally did their fans, friends, and the Austin underground proud.
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Being chosen as the openers for the opening night of a series of shows like this is kind of an honor in its own right. It’s like being the starting pitcher on opening day or that first impression on a first date- don’t fuck it up. The Persimmons certainly did not fuck it up. The trio yelped and hustled through tunes that crossed The Ramones-on-speed with a herd of angry rhinos. And, to top it off, The Persimmons closed their set by rotating instruments over the course of the final three songs. The wave of the future: multi-instrumentalist punks.
The Distant Seconds, hot off the release of a split vinyl with Beautiful Supermachines, probably sounded a bit more comforting for the Beerland neophytes in the crowd who were expecting less-garage-and-more-indie territory to be covered. The mix of new songs and cuts from their phenomenal debut Spectral Evidence showcased Matt Baab’s cutting guitar work and ability to write taught indie rock hooks. Unlike the overt energy of The Persimmons, The Distant Seconds brought the crowd to a boil with twisting basslines and swirling keyboards.
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Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Suicide Lovers stumbled out of the block and took some of the energy out of the room. Sounding like a cross between Sonic Youth and Repeater-era Fugazi, the band struggled slightly to match their predecessors’ highs. At times – particularly as their set’s end drew closer — the band locked in and hit a pulsing groove around Kelsey Wickliffe and Paul Streckfus’ buzzing guitars.
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There’s got to be a great way to describe Dikes of Holland and given the difficultly in doing so, there’s a good chance the band is on to something interesting. Much talked about – if overheard conversations are to be believed — there were definitely some major expectations in the room and, ultimately, very few disappointed folks. Sometimes the Dikes of Holland sounded like the bastard child of Jay Reatard and The Buzzcocks; other times they sounded like carnival music in a nightmare.. as played by Jay Reatard’s backing band. Partially frightening, definitely exhilarating, to say the least.
Finally, as the night drew to a close, Follow That Bird — probably the most diminutive band playing – brought the biggest sound to the small room. Lauren Green’s primal roar continues to evolve and grow with each passing show, blossoming into a beautiful guttural release with each syllable. Equally at home between riotgrrls and bluesy bar rock, Follow That Bird should, could, and will soon be a fixture for some label (Matador or otherwise). After a night of eclectic sounds, the trio sounded just right for the early morning exit.
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All in all, Night One was – as one person said – just like a lot of nights at Beerland. Just this time, there were a lot more people there. Just one third of the way into the party it’s obvious: with or without a compilation release, this kind of celebration of the unsung and unheralded bands of Red River should happen more often.
