Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol Brought Austin’s Finest to Rip It Up At the Big Dumb Fest 2

Rickshaw Billie and the boys tore up the Mohawk with an amazing lineup of artist from Austin’s kick-ass hard rock/metal scene.

Austin’s own, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, brought their second annual Big Dumb Fest to the legendary Mohawk venue in Austin, TX with some stellar support from other local legends in the Hardcore and Hardrock scene. Rickshaw is a one of a kind act with their sound self-described as “Doom Wop”, an eccentric style of hard rock that features “big, dumb riffs” and piercing vocals, reminicent of the love child of Primus and Elcetric Wizard. The Big Dumb Fest featured a slew of heavy hitters including DIE SPITZ, Mugger, Buzz Electro, BOSH, Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad, and Banged Out, which kept fans’ heads banging all night, both inside the venue and out. 

The night began on the outdoor stage with Buzz Electro, a three piece hard rock band with a classic style and sound that prepped concert goers into the mood for the rest of the night. Their smooth sound got the crowd going and was a nice transition for what was yet to come. 

Then came out Banged Out on the indoor stage, a three piece hardcore band with a heavy hitting, guttural sound that punched you in the face as soon as you walked into the indoor stage. If you heard them without seeing them, you would even be able to tell they were just a three piece due to the heavy guitar licks that echoed the room, the thumping bass that rattled your brain, and the heavy death metal vocals from their female lead singer/guitarist. Banged Out had the pit going crazy and rightfully so. At this point you could tell how the two stages were split up, groovy hard rock on the outside and heavy hardcore on the inside, with fans piling in both stages throughout the evening. 

Up next was Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad, a five piece fast paced hard rock band, with sound that brought you back to a time when the jeans were as tight as the guitar licks and stage presence was as important as the music. Billy King and the boys definitely lived up to their all white flashy attire, with their sick riffs, incredible crowd interaction, and bluesy vocal style, it was everything you could want from a classic hard rock set. 

Next on the bill was BOSH. If you thought Banged Out was a gut punch to the stomach, BOSH came right around the corner like a roundhouse to the face, in the best of ways. The hardcore band brought the pain with heavy, intense breakdowns, shredding guitar licks, and a singer who was as much of a part of the crowd as he was his band. As soon as the show began the frontman leaped into the crowd and began moshing with the audience, which is where he stayed throughout the entire show all without missing a beat on the vocals. BOSH brought a different air into the show, and were as heavy as they come with their fast paced energy and sound, they really put the hard in hardcore. 

The second last band to hit the outdoor stage, the darling’s of Austin, undoubtedly one of the most anticipated acts of the night, was the all female quartet known as DIE SPITZ. The girls came out to an adoring audience going absolutely crazy, waving cowboy hats in the air, and screaming their name, you could really feel the love the city has for this band. Although they weren’t the heaviest band on the bill, you couldn’t tell by the crowds’ reaction. The mosh pit was in full effect immediately, stage dives went throughout the set, and the audience sang along to all the words. The DIE SPITZ ladies never fail to put on a great show going all out with their performance and playing fan favorites such as “I Hate When Girls Die,” “Hair of Dog,” and “My Hot Piss” among others. Their fast paced hard hitting style of good ol’ Texas rock n’ roll brought the house down and showed everyone why they’re one of the hottest bands in the city.

Finally the indoor stage came to a close with the hardcore punk rock band, Mugger. Bringing as much attitude as talent, Mugger kept the energy going inside the Hawk, with a classic punk rock sound and anti authoritarian lyrics. They kept it true to the genre of what it means to be a punk rocker playing songs such as “Dear SCOTUS,” “I’m Not The One,” and “I Wish Somebody Wanted Me As Much As The Cops Do.” Their hard hitting F— You lyrics were complemented by some creatively bedazzled ski masks which made you wonder whether they were there to party, rob you, or both. It’s no wonder the band felt like veterans of the game, they are, with an all star lineup from local Texan bands such as Radioactivity and The Well which included Austin’s TV’s Daniel on the guitar, Mugger showed exactly why they closed the night on the inside stage.

Last but definitely not least, headliners and hosts of the show, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol hit the stage in amazing fashion opening up with their heavy sludgy single “Body Bag,” an eccentric heavy jam coming in hot with the 8 string guitar, heavy bass, and blasting drum kicks. If you had never heard them before, they were going to let you know exactly who they were and what their sound was all about. The band’s heavy doom metal sound, complemented by the frontman’s high pitched vocals, really made the band stand out amongst their peers in a uniquely fun and exciting way. Warmed up and rowdy, songs as silly and ridiculous as their name such as “1800 Eat Shit,” and contrasting musical sounds made for an awesome evening and blew the crowd out of the water. The Austin locals made their city proud that night with an unapologetically southern sound and authentic style they proved why they were worthy of their own rock fest, and only built the anticipation for Big Dumb Fest 3.