Austin Sound

We’re still basking in the glow of the fun from the Pachanga! Fest a couple of weeks ago (or maybe that’s just the sunburn?). If you missed it, though, here’s a little taste of the Saturday event courtesy of the fine folks over at SPIN Earth. They have a couple of special interviews and acoustic performances from some of the artists performing at this year’s Pachanga! We’ve posted up a nice acoustic version of David Garza and L.A.’s Gaby Moreno harmonizing on the stunning bolero “La Media Vuelta.” When they performed earlier on stage together, it was one the definitive highlights of the Fest, and they may be even better intimately captured here on a park bench. You can also check out Spin’s video of locals Dignan performing an uncharacteristic acoustic tune under the trees, as well as tons of over great videos from all over the world on their site.

The second annual Pachanga! Fest probably couldn’t have been a much better event. Packed into one day, the Fest cut a broad swath across the Latin Music scene, from radio stars to indie standouts to the most traditional sounds, and was the perfect sampling of the musical landscape whether as long-time followers or uninitiated newcomers. Contributing to the Fest’s success was the beautiful late May Saturday weather and the event’s move from last year’s location at Waterloo Park to the Eastside’s more intimate and accommodating Fiesta Gardens. With two smaller stages alternating on the Park’s east end and the large Pavilion Stage a short, shady foot bridge walk away to the west, the music was constant and more than could be fully absorbed. The Pavilion handled a combination of most of the bigger acts and more traditional sounds (Michael Salgado, the Chris Perez Band, and the sprawling female Mariachi troupe), but the smaller two stages offered up the more intriguing performances of the day (Mexican Institute of Sound, Brownout!, David Garza, Charanga Cakewalk). Altogether, Pachanga! offered 20 bands and one of the best single days of music that Austin has seen in a while.