SCENE REPORT: AUSTIN

RECAP OF THE AUSTIN STOP ON THE EIY SPRING (INTO ACTION) TOUR

I don’t need to tell anyone that Austin has a music scene. Thousands of bands descend on Austin every month, if not every week, and this is one of THE cities to be in for music — alongside cities like Nashville, Chicago, and Seattle. But even in booming music towns, there are still “local” bands, made up of kids who were born and raised in the area, who are still trying to break into the scene and work their way into the clubs and onto the sought-after shows. And that’s who we sought out for the EIY Tour’s Austin date.


We were fortunate enough to have the Austin meet-up and showcase as the legendary Emo’s, which is a club I used to dream about playing when I was first getting into the punk/DIY scene. It was apparently the first time a few of the bands in the EIY showcase had gotten to play Emo’s, so it was awesome that EIY got to be part of that milemarker in those bands’ careers.

The meet-up was pretty big, and almost all the bands were in attendance. We had a couple of music-supporters from a small town a couple hours away who came with their dad, which is awesome. One girl drove SIX HOURS just to be part of the meet-up! It was a really great start to what turned out to be a really fun night.

Here’s my recap from Austin:

Band: Ghosts Of The Poveglia from Georgetown, TX
Great young hardcore band with a brand new singer. Working hard on a new release and regional touring, and have their hearts in the right place. I’d like to see them go back to the roots of the style of music they’re playing, and learn about the bands who originated that style, so they can be inspired to create their own unique version of it.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Protest The Protest from Magnolia, TX
These guys live out in the middle of nowhere and throw house shows on a regular basis, which is awesome! They’ve got a really positive attitude too, and were funny on stage even though they were rocking some serious metal. They also had a blast watching the other bands and got into the pit a few times to support, and we love to see that.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Villette from Austin
These adorable girls win the award for “Bravest Band of the Night.” Right smack in the middle of a hardcore show, they got up on stage and played a quiet folk music set — and everyone loved it! This is exactly the kind of show I encourage everyone to throw: bands of all different types and genres sharing the stage, and finding a way to appreciate each other’s music. Villette is a pretty new band, and still working their way into the scene, but I could see them becoming local folk/indie favorites in the years to come!
Check them out HERE.

Band: Square And Compass from Houston
This is a newer band made up of OG punk/hardcore kids from Texas. They put on a super energetic and interactive live show, thanks to their insane singer who didn’t stop walking around on the floor in the crowd and getting into people’s faces for the entire show — except at one point where he lay down on the stage for a minute. Really fun to watch, and a great homage to the punk/DIY scene from ten years ago. They’re just getting started and already doing a bunch of rad stuff.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Ready The Messenger from Austin
I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of the new generation of metal/hardcore music, but I recognize that it’s a powerful style of music that a ton of people relate to, and I have seen and heard enough of it that I can appreciate when a band pulls it off really well. Ready The Messenger is one of those bands. Fun to watch, good musicians, professional stage presence!
Check them out HERE.

After careful consideration, we decided that Square And Compass should represent Houston and EIY at the Houston Warped Tour date this summer, and Ready The Messenger should represent Austin and EIY at the San Antonio date, in the “EIY Spot” on the Kevin Says Stage!

Thank you to everyone at Emo’s for making it such a fun night for everyone, and thanks to all the music lovers and bands who got there early and stayed to the end. It was a rad night with great people!

Love,
Sarah & EIY

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