Day 1 of the Holiday Hootenanny brought a diverse range of artists throughout the festival grounds, but Day 2 brought in a larger crowd for the remaining acts yet to come.
As the second day of the hootenanny and holiday shenanigans began to ensue, a larger crowd began to pour in for the largely local indie pop/hard rock heavy line up. While the weather was worse and skating on the half pipe came to a close, it didn’t stop Austinites from showing out, anticipating their favorite acts of the day to take the stage.
Magic Rockers of Texas
Starting off the morning on the pavilion stage was Austin based hard rock group the Magic Rockers of Texas. With their guitar player having played the night before with the infamous Tear Dungeon, you knew you were in for a good time when these boys hit the stage. With shredding guitar licks, an incredibly personable vocalist, and a bass player full of incredible stage presence bouncing all over the place making a wild bass face throughout the set, these rockers kicked off the set with incredibly high energy that was felt throughout the crowd. One fan in particular almost stole the show with his undying support, insane headbanging and free spirited, dance like no one’s watching, moves, inspiring everyone around to go hard for their favorite act.
TC Superstar
One of the most unique acts of the weekend was undoubtedly the local indie pop group TC Superstar, who went on first at the mainstage. TC Superstar blended sounds of the contemporary 80s pop scene with incredible choreography and interpretive dancers that went entirely in sync with the songs throughout their set. While frontman Connor McCampbell sang baritone harmonies about love relationships and the human experience as a whole, his team of dancers delivered impeccably precise movements to each note with a relaxing scythe and bass groove to accompany the routine.
Native Sun
Kicking things back into overdrive at the pavilion stage was none other than the New York hard rock group Native Sun. This band carried all the traditional hallmarks of an old school kickass hard rock band, walking out in style decked out with sunglasses, the lead singer rocking a cool leather jacket, and an attitude that screamed IDGAF, the east coasters showed Austin how they do it in the big apple with their old school riffs, heavy bass a rambunctious energy. The vocalist definitely brought the energy as he ran through the crowd after jumping off the pavilion shed roof. The brought a lively spirit back into the air and kept the pattern going from calm to crazy that ran through the course of the day.
Cut Worms
Although this project is based in Brooklyn, they could fit right here in Texas with their southern charm and twang both in vocals and instrumentation, incorporating a pedal guitar, carefully delivered, soothing vocals, and a strong emphasis on acoustics. In both style and sound dressing like a modern day Cash, frontman Max Clarke delivered a somber performance making you feel like you were taking a walk on a cool summer afternoon or living life in a simpler manor away from the city and out on the open road.
Font
The groovy Austin five piece rock band Font is anything but traditional from the fact that they utilize two percussionists, to the way they promote themselves, to the fact that they’ve quite a large following without releasing a large amount of music but somehow they make it work. With the dueling drummers, double synth players, passionate vocalist and fast paced, energetic and rhythmic backing tracks, it’s no wonder Font has been able to make a name for themselves so quickly, having only been officially formed since 2022. Their amazing set was definitely a highlight of the night with their intense and electric performance, even giving some of the headliners a run for their money.
Voxtrot
Legendary Austin indie pop group Voxtrot headed to the mainstage to perform their set of emotionally charged music and a stripped down stage set up putting all the focus on the band and the music itself rather than the visuals accompanying the artists. This was a special set for the band as it had been a few years since the group had played in their hometown, and the band really took the time to connect with their audience and dive into their journey of going from a ten year hiatus to performing shows again back in 2022, to now being one of the last performers to play at the heavily Austin focused music festival. The audience were just as excited to see the band as well shouting out their favorite song requests and singing along to every word, it created a nostalgic fondness in the air and a special set for the group and fans alike.
Being Dead
Closing out the night was the Austin based duo Being Dead consisting of members Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy, along with their lovely sit in bass player. The fun whimsical indie rock band brought a carefree amusing energy to the stage with their natural charisma and authentic chemistry that lit up the stage, along with the psychedelic lighting utilized in their set. Although the band is Texas born, they brought a California coastal sound to the stage reminiscent of bands like Wavves and Best Coast, which only added to their whimsy and fun feeling. Falcon and Shmoofy also traded places half way through their set changing from guitar to drums and vice versa, showcasing their musicianship and versatility.
of Montreal
The visually stunning and vibrantly colorful indie art house project of Montreal closed the weekend out on the big stage to everyone’s amazement and excitement. Going strong for over two decades, the artistic musical endeavor lead by Kevin Barnes, named in ode to a former lover, is still keeping things fresh, unique, and exciting with their creative display of onstage antics, whimsical, fun, indie pop, and barrier crushing moxie that caused fans to gush over the group to begin with over two decades ago.
Lead singer Kevin Barnes hit the stage in a fun bubble gum pink feminine attire with a flamboyant wig and sparkly skirt, welcoming everyone to the dance party and commencing the fun that would take place. The stage set was beautifully lit with a colorful array of lights showcasing the band’s artistry as well as lively performances from cartoonish on stage characters ranging from boxing aliens to love robots, engulfing the audience in the parade that is of Montreal. The festival ended in fantastic fashion with an amazing blow out of high energy fun.
Overall Experience
As the Festival came to a close, spirits remained high looking forward to the end of the year celebrations to come and joyful at the fact that Austin was graced with yet another music, food, and cultural celebration. We’ll all be looking forward to next year as the anticipation rises for the release of the lineup coming for 2025!
I’m a photographer currently based in Austin after recently relocating from Denver, CO. I graduated from the University of Colorado, Denver in 2019 with a degree in Business Management. I love music of all genres and have been going to live shows since I was 5 years old. Some of my favorite artist currently include Freddie Gibbs, Lola Young, Ivy Lab and Knocked Loose, but that is always subject to change.
