Atlanta punks stage SXSW coup at Beerland
March 17th, 2008 by Ben Westhoff in Music news
(all photos by Ben Westhoff, see more below jump.)
Though South By Southwest wisdom says that if you can get into a show, it’s not worth going to, Saturday’s Rob’s House Records/Die Slaughterhaus/Douchemaster Records showcase featured both elbow room and raucous local punk.
Perhaps that’s because it wasn’t an official event show; a sign near the front door read, “No wristband? No problem! This is Beerland, not SXSW.â€
The Red River St. bar featured exactly what you’d expect from its name — cheap PBR and nudie pics in the men’s bathroom. Though it also featured acclaimed garage punkster Jay Reatard and Wax Museum, the concert focused on Atlanta acts, led off by Beat Beat Beat and followed by buzzworthy girl groups the Coathangers and Baby Shakes.
Blasting high energy synth punk, the Coathangers’ most striking member was perhaps keyboardist Candice Jones, whose flailing dyed blonde hair nearly obscured her white Eyes Wide Shut-style mask. At the end of the set, she led the charge in dousing the crowd with silly string.
“What are those bitches gonna do next?†yelled out a group member shortly before they trotted out their loved-and-hated ode to cleavage, “Nestle In My Boobies.â€
Though they did tequila shots throughout, Baby Shakes’ set was tighter and less rambunctious. Each member sported high heels, slinky dresses, leggings, bangs and dark eyeliner — with the exception of drummer Dave Rahn, who wore flats — and their Misfits-style pop punk went over huge. “Thank you Texas, for making us too fucked up to stand in heels,†said bassist Claudia.
Gentleman Jesse & His Men may have not been as much fun to look at, and may have told a fib or two (“We’re from Atlanta. We’re called Ludacris,†said a double-duty pulling Rahn at the set’s front), but they absolutely killed it, particularly their anthemic “Don’t Wanna Know.â€
An island of sanity amid the networking nonsense of SXSW, the show thrilled a crowd too impressed to even check their Blackberries.
THE COATHANGERS
BABY SHAKES
GENTLEMEN JESSE & HIS MEN 
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