Last month, KRTU co-hosted our first-ever Spring Showcase with Paper Tiger. On March 7, nine local and regional artists came together to give y’all a great time, and now, we’re reminiscing. Here’s a look back on how the night went.
We started off the night with Nick Long as Nothing Chief. With the lighting and smoke machine Long looked prophetic, and with his croning voice and rhythmic guitar, Long fit the image.
While Nothing Chief was rocking the main stage, Sisyfuss started up on the small stage. Josh Quijada, mind behind the solo project, stood in the middle of the stage with his guitar in hand and started playing tunes off of his new album.
While Quijada entranced crowd members, so did Emily Whitehurst while she played as her solo project, Survival Guide. Whitehurst came armed and ready, with a telephone mic, bubble gun and more. Her electronic pop beats go the crowd moving, bringing the crowd to an upbeat pace.
Up next on the small stage was 16 the Olympus, a jazz fusion quintet whose set highlighted their improv prowess. The band got the venue grooving, and soon enough, we were nearly halfway through the night.
To maintain this momentum was no challenge for The Rich Hands, who got on stage ready to rumble. Their rock sounds had people on their feet and hopping back and forth between the stages to catch all the great acts.
Deciding which act to see was the toughest decision of the night, so many attendees bounced between the stages. From the rock of The Rich Hands to the groovy beats of The Foreign Arm, everyone got their steps in at this music-filled night.
Overlapping with The Foreign Arm was last-minute addition to the setlist Crocodile Tears, a rock band based out of Austin that didn’t disappoint. The crowd was moving, and Crocodile Tears came to jam.
Another crowd-mover? Minus Gravity, the San Antonio-bred, LA-based rap group that came to party, entourage and all. The trio got the crowd bumping and made for a nice mix of genres presented at the venue that night.
One final mood shift, from Minus Gravity to Austin-based headliner Blushing. The dream pop, shoegaze band was ethereal, and visuals from artist Joshua Garza were the icing on the cake. The night ended with a sweaty, tired crowd that could’ve kept on dancing if we let them.
And now what? Now we wait for next yer. But in the meantime, keep up with our coverage from the event, with sessions and interviews to come in the upcoming months. Thanks again, listeners. Without you, none of this would be possible.
