The Austinist Guide To Chaos In Tejas [This Week, Multiple Venues, Very Loud]

Trash Talk with Daniel Johnson. Photog unknown

This year’s Chaos In Tejas lineup looks remarkably diverse in comparison to lineups of years past. While last year’s fest was a wall-to-wall testosterone-fueled hardcore—which admittedly serves the modus operandi of a fest calling itself Chaos In Tejas—this year’s programmer has thrown in more than a few left-field picks. From the piss-stained basement sludge of Eyehategod to the smattering of lo-fi indie acts dotting the landscape, Chaos In Tejas 2009 promises a little something for bearded button-down types, glue-sniffing nihilist types, and culturally-literate folks of all stripes. Without further ado, here’s our handy Austinist guide to which shows merit your attention (sorry, the iPod app fell through). Note: this is a list of our picks. Full lineup can be seen here.

Wednesday May 20th
Ponytail, Harlem (Kickoff Party at Red 7)

Well this is interesting. For a kickoff party, neither of these bands promise much in the way of chaos: Baltimorean pedal pushers Ponytail sound more like what goes on inside a sixth-graders head after three Red Bulls, while Harlem are currently the local standard-bearers for the “shambolic white college age blues” genre (which we just totally made up). Both bands are worth seeing, but stay tuned for tomorrow’s lineup of true face-ripping thrash.

Ponytail MySpace
Harlem MySpace

Thursday May 21st
Trash Talk, Propagandhi (Mohawk
Cro-Mags, Annihilation Time (Emo's)

And we’re off to the races—after a largely anger-free kick-off party featuring a couple indie-rock bands du jour, CIT opens up to pure debsed rage at the Mohawk in the form of Trash Talk, a tour-hardened quartet from Sacramento who specialize in minute-long ragers of such reality-bending aggression we recommend wearing facemasks and goggles for their set. That’s on the inside stage—outside, Canadian “veganarchists” Propagandhi who made an impressive about-face a couple years back by abruptly switching from Fat Wreck Chords-styled skate-punk to chunky metalcore-influenced skate-punk. The lyrics still require post-grad degrees to fully comprehend—Propagandhi are kind of like the Decemberists for the neck-tattoo crowd—but damn if the riffs aren’t totally right on.

Meanwhile, at the Emo’s patio, we anticipate hardcore-metal godfathers Cro-Mags to sound pretty much exactly like every other metalcore band out there...except they did it first. Thy get a recommend for historical importance, but for pure entertainment value we recommend Annihilation Time, whose party-ready thrash impressed a few months back when they toured with Fucked Up. That is, of course, assuming the singer is still a dead ringer for Sid Vicious.

Propagandhi MySpace

Trash Talk at Sound & Fury Fest 2008

Cro-Mags explain stage diving, hare krishna in MTV interview

Friday May 22nd
Drunkdriver (Beerland)
Cock Sparrer (Emo's)
Lamar Bridge After Party - Career Suicide

The word has gotten around that Beerland is shaping up to be the sort of venue that Emo’s was back in the nineties. This is an easy opinion to agree with, seeing as every band that plays the place winds up sounding like ass. Still, it’s the best place to see a band like Drunkdriver, a New York trio trafficking in a things-falling-apart brand of hardcore marked by unhinged screaming, sub-basement production values, and an absolute rejection of all things healthy and positive. Highly recommended.

Streetpunk godfathers Cock Sparrer who more or less invented Oi!, bring UK pride to the Emo's outside stage. Unfortunately, the genre became co-opted by nationalist thugs before too long, but the threat of a skinhead riot in Austin sounds pretty ludicrous—does anyone even own a pair of suspenders in this town, let alone pair them with Docs? If nothing else, think about heading out to the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge for the official after-party with pick-slide aficionados Career Suicide and appreciate the surreal spectacle of a hardcore band and a couple hundred college-age punks being carefully monitored by two bike cops.

Drunkdriver Myspace
Cock Sparrer MySpace

Saturday May 23rd
Outlaw Order (Emo's outside)
Times New Viking, Nodzzz, Strange Boys (Emo's inside)

Day three of the fest sees the first appearance of members of Eyehategod, albeit in a more blastbeat-savvy of the band called Outlaw Order. Metal fans, here is some real shit—Eyehategod pioneered modern sludge-metal as we know it, and the Louisiana band’s potent mix of Dixie pride with crack-den nihilism is something to behold. In comparison, the acts on Emo’s inside stage are practically twee—Modern Lovers lovers Nodzzz do the college-button-down indie thing quite well, assuming they aren’t devoured by Outlaw Order in a cannibalistic ritual pre-set. Austinites Strange Boys promise some good old-fashioned R&B, while Times New Viking set their EQ settings to “assault and battery” and hope for the best.

Outlaw Order MySpace
Nodzzz acoustic video

Strange Boys “Woe Is You And Me” video

Times New Viking “We Got Rocket” video

Sunday May 24th
Eyehategod, Harvey Milk, Iron Age, Mind Eraser (Red 7)

The last day of the festival provides one of it’s strongest line-ups, with southern sludge titans Eyehategod, Georgian pile-drivers Harvey Milk, and East-coast time bombs Mind Eraser at Red 7. The dichotomy at work here is almost sublime: Mind Eraser cram as many killer riffs as possibly into songs lasting on average a minute or less, whereas Eyehategod are apt to hammer a single detuned riff into the ground for minutes on end. Harvey Milk, whose Life…The Best Game In Town was one of the best long-players of 2008, deal in a progressive style of Dixie-sludge that soothes over the more bludgeoning aspects with real-life hooks. Add the classic thrash of Austin's HxC pride and joy Iron Age, and our money's on this one as the show to beat at this year’s fest.

Harvey Milk Myspace

Eyehategod Southern Discomfort video

Iron Age “We’re Dust” video

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By matthew dewitt in Arts & Entertainment on May 20, 2009 11:15 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

nickc

Harlem rules.

Davidx3

THANK GOD not EVERY place is like the Austin Musuck Hall! One bad sounding Berlin Bunker is enough in this town!!

Wes

Just so that we're clear "snarky" has jumped the shark. Thanks in advance.

matthew dewitt

Oh boy...maybe I'm naive, but somehow I didn't anticipate that my snarky comment about small-club acoustics (written at 2am the night before deadline) would generate this much debate. I absolutely didn't intend it as a dis against Beerland or Emo's, and especially not against sound engineers like David Williams, who are practically folk heroes for everything they have to deal with to do their job. You'll notice that later in the paragraph I actually give the Drunkdriver show a hearty recommendation. The comment was directed more at the space itself-- Beerland is long and narrow with brick walls that reflect sound all over the place. But, so what? Not every space is going to be Austin Music Hall. Beerland and Emo's both put on great shows, I've spent hundreds of hours at both places over the years, and the last thing I want is for my name to be on anybody's shit list!

davidamnesia

Dave, thanks for the plug. I really enjoy doing sound at Beerland (actually, I just really enjoy making bands sound as good as I possibly can anywhere, but have a special love for Beerland--because Austin NEEDS BEERLAND, everybody knows that), and I think all the guys who work there do their best with ever-changing types of bands, gear, etc. It's worth keeping in mind that many of the bands you're going to hear there are just learning (hopefully) "stagecraft," how to work the mic, how to play, how to sing, etc, and your soundbro is doing his best to help them sound good.

Half the fun of doing sound for me is the challenge of different rooms and bands, even when I'm not into the band I think they deserve the best possible mix, and it's definitely possible to get good mixes at Beerland. If you've got good ears, you can work with almost any situation to make it work.

The next time I'm behind the board there, I'd welcome suggestions from Mr. Dewitt, and I mean that in all sincerity. If there's any way I can better serve my "customers," I'm all ears. (Excuse the pun).

Here's to great-sounding shows up and down Red River. I only ask a couple of things: don't ask me turn someone up just because they are your son or boyfriend, and guitar players, PLEASE don't start shredding while I'm mic'ing up your amp.

David Williams

Davidx3

You know, I am going to eat some of my words! Emo's sound and soundmen have drastically improved over the years! And Beerland's sound and soundmen are some of the most dedicated and patient soundmen in town! But I must say that sometimes, it doesn't matter WHO is running the board or what the sound system is like at ANY CLUB...there will ALWAYS be one person who doesn't like the mix! It is NOT fair comparing clubs sound system to another. This mainly has to do with FINANCES!! Sometimes you have to use what you got or what you can AFFORD! Some clubs have deeper pockets than others! (And yes, sometimes the soundman IS incompetent! I have found it is usually the band's personal soundman who is unfamiliar with the board/sound system!) But the best way to help these clubs is by attending the shows. Most if not ALL the money coming into these clubs goes RIGHT BACK into improving or repairing the business! It is a shitty business but these guys do it EVERY night! And sometimes magic happens at the mixing board...and sometimes...it just sounds like shit! But, if you think you can do better...go take lessons and apply for the job! But remember...EVERYBODY IS A CRITIC!!! (And sometimes you can't make shit sound like gold!)

Ain't Got Nuthin' But Love For Ya!

David L. Thomson III

Former Emo's Co-Creator / Manager

Former SXSW Music Coordinator

Davidx3

Wow, how ironic! I can't tell you how many times I have compared Beerland to the early '90s Emo's! Great bands! Cheap beer! Cool staff! And it just has that early Emo's feel! (Of course, with: fewer drugs, fights, assholes, AND KIDS!!!!) However, I must disagree with your opinion on the sound and the soundmen (David Williams, especially!) The sound and soundmen have been consistently better than Emo's has ever been! Geez, Emo's have some of the SAME equipment since I OPENED the place!)) Again, I STARTED EMO'S and am friends with Randall Stockton and the Beerland gang so,...maybe you should start coming to more Beerland shows (apparently you are only showing up for the Monday Karaoke nights!) Then let's talk sound! See you at Beerland this weekend!...unless you are just too thrilled with the way things sound at Emo's!

Loves,

David L. Thomson III

Former Emo's Co-Creator/ Manager

wattage

"The word has gotten around that Beerland is shaping up to be the sort of venue that Emo’s was back in the nineties. This is an easy opinion to agree with, seeing as every band that plays the place winds up sounding like ass."

That's funny.