It’s the last day of South by Southwest 2025 + music festival… and it’s the last weekend of its kind. With surprise guests like ZHU and John Summit, SXSW 2025 ended with a bang.
South by San Jose
If you’re looking for a bold and vibrant set that really just brings pure joy in live performances, let us introduce you to the artist DAP The Contract.
Born and raised from Laigos, Nigeria, but now based in New York – this was his first time performing in Texas and this event was packed with an audience of proud supporters. DAP has a range of music from Hip-Hop, Rap and Afrobeat; there was a song for almost every vibe at South by San Jose for SXSW to vibe or even party to especially when he performed “Lavender” which seemed to be a crowd favorite for dancing. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to his music, people from all ages at this event truly had an everlasting experience with his performance live to let you know how great his stage presence is! – Evelyn Herrera
Billboard @ SXSW presents John Summit
Fans lined up and made their way into the Moody Amphitheater to experience John Summit live, who was headlining for Billboard SXSW with support from DJ Nala.
The venue was filled with fans who were ready to have a great time and memorable night at a stage that would showcase John Summit for the night and love from his listeners all over the world. Summit performed “palm of my hands – Odd Mob Remix ” and “Hypnotized – John Summit Remix” from his set, but each song flowed perfectly to the next creating an everlasting experience to fans with his music and mesmerizing visuals to end the last night of SXSW with Billboard. – Evelyn Herrera
Zhu at Stubb’s Amphitheatre
Grammy-nominated artist ZHU came in with the heat for his set for the night at Stubbs in Austin, Texas.
It was a pack filled show for fans who were excited to get a peak at his performance. ZHU’s showcase had a great backdrop of his friends who were all coordinated in black that danced the whole night. ZHU wanted everybody to wear their black fit of the night to match the tone of the night alongside red visuals on a screen that created a sinister feel to his performance, especially when he performed “Afraid To Live” in his set. His breathtaking sounds are something you wouldn’t want to miss out on. – Evelyn Herrera
Kevin Morby at Lost Weekend (Presented by BrooklynVegan)
Photo Gallery by Keylee Paz
Rhinestone Rodeo Presented by Rambler Austin
Photo Gallery by Cynthia Zelaya
Very Necessary ATL 2 ATX (KEY!)
From Atlanta to Austin Texas, artists in the Rap/Hip-Hop community took to the stage to showcase their music, but we got the chance to get a glimpse from KEY! to perform at the Mohawk during SXSW.
KEY! recently dropped an album last February called Eye Feel Free where he performed a few snippets like “Birthday” but also took us back to his 2020 album I Love You Say It Back with “Spend One Night” which was an ultimate crowd favorite and “Boys Don’t Cry”. The night was filled with headbanging beats and a diverse range of music for anyone to vibe when it came to singing or dancing along. He’s an artist that you will want to keep an eye out on because he’s only getting started this year!
Shallowater at Chess Club
Photo Gallery by Cynthia Zelaya
Action for Artists @ FIJI House: Twin Shadow
Photo Gallery by Keylee Paz
Frankie and the Witch Fingers at Smartpunk Records Showcase
Photo Gallery by Keylee Paz
I'm a Graphic Designer & Photographer based in Chicago. I graduated from Full Sail University with a Bachelors in Graphic Design & have always loved being a part of the music industry. Besides Music & Art being a huge part of my life I do enjoy traveling, thrifting, content creating for Social Media & attending community events when I can!
I'm a full-time music journalist/photographer from Houston, number one Paramore fan and Husky dog owner. I have a B.S in Radio-Television-Film from UT Austin and a M.A in Mass Communications from the University of Houston, which makes me smart! On top of being an avid concert-goer and movie fanatic, I love bonding with others over the power of local music and media.
I am a multimedia journalist with a passion for guitar-based music – be that rock-n-roll, bachata, or anything in between. When not in a mosh pit, I can be found knitting, collecting CDs, thrifting, journaling, or attempting to incite chaos among feuding global powers. I hold a bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston, making me twice the Coog you'll ever be 😉
