South By Southwest 2025: March 14 Recap

It’s the penultimate day to the South by Southwest 2025 music portion. From surprise guests like St. Vincent to classic 2025 acts like Freak Slug, Friday had a little bit of something for everyone.

St. Vincent at Rivian Electric Roadhouse: Send Off Party

St. Vincent’s acoustic set at Rivian’s Electric Roadhouse was an intimate presentation of her craft and a great way for the Texas native to stay true to her roots. She began with “Flea,” followed by “Candy Darling” and “Fear the Future.” Each song was stripped down, but still held everyone spellbound. St. Vincent, also known as Annie Clark, most recently released her seventh studio album All Born Screaming, which garnered the singer three grammy wins in 2025.

The standout track of the night was the fun arrangement for one of Clark’s best known tracks “New York,” where she blended in Meatloaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” She joked: “What does he mean?” as she walked around the stage grabbing fan phones and apparel. She ended the night with a beautifully reimagined rendition of “Melting in the Sun.” While her set was acoustic, it gave a peak to her upcoming tour, which is set to take place in Texas early April. – Keylee Paz

Rolling Stone’s Future of Music: R&B Showcase

In downtown Austin, Rolling Stone highlights the future of music presented by JBL with main headliner artist Rema –  with support from Anycia, Samara Cyn and AJ McQueen. 

This showcase allowed Rolling Stone to provide the spotlight of artists in the R&B, Hip-Hop, Afro-Beats and Rap that deserved their flowers and recognition for their music industry. This was a packed show with a range of fans excited for this great lineup of the night. 

AJ McQueen took the stage first of the night slowly setting the vibes and energy clear for the mind as we see a great night ahead. McQueen is a soulful lyrical artist that highlights his life experiences in his music and spoke his word in the sounds of Hip Hop. He performed “4:44 in houston”, “Sit Yuh Self Down”, “same.” and “Spark” that were crowd favorites as each song flowed to the next. McQueen is the artist you would want to keep an eye on as his voice really spoke to new and old listeners for the night. 

Not too long after, Murfreesboro, Tennessee artist Samara Cyn, now based in Los Angeles made her way to the stage with amazing graphic visuals that highlighted who she is in a fun way. Her voice is a sharp and distinctive sound that kept fans and new listeners mesmerized with her performances for the night. Cyn is a Hip Hop and Pop artist that performed songs like “Rolling Stone” and “Sinner” . She will be supporting Smino on tour this Spring so she is an artist you will want to keep an eye on in your nearest city this year.

Following after, Anycia came into the scene hitting it off with music from her newest album PRINCESS POP THAT that had dropped this past April. Her music genre goes from Hip Hop to Rap in her music and performed songs from “ATM”, “BACK OUTSIDE”, and  “WHAT DID I DO?”. Anycia had a calm vibe from the stage, letting her music showcase her vocal range and also interacted with fans in the audience throughout her set – creating wholesome memories for big fans of her music that got a chance to speak to her and engage. 

As the general floor of Austin City Limits filled up completely for Rema came out – Rolling Stone highlighted him on the big screen first before his grand entrance of Rema speaking up that “This is just the beginning” when he welcomes fans to the future of music. The crowd went wild as the prince of Afro-Beats was introduced onto the stage to perform and began with an introduction of “MARCH AM”, “YAYO” and “Favourite Girl”. Fans from the front to the back of the venue were singing along, dancing, and energetic for the rest of the night as he really brought the energy to conclude for the night as the headliner.

Rema’s stage presence was electrifying, bold, and loving to the fans that made his set feel like a party for the night. This Grammy nominated artist didn’t forget to perform one of his biggest hits “Calm Down” for the crowd that really drew fans in to dance and vibe to the show in between. Rema will be back in Texas in April if you are looking to make that move to party with him at an upcoming show. – Evelyn Herrera

Howdy Gals’ Friday Night Neon Lights Showcase

Austin-based indie band Duncan Fellows made a one-night only SXSW appearance at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Serving as their third show in four years, the band showcased their evolving sound with new tracks from their latest album Two Stamps, along with classic tracks. The energy was at an all-time high as they played tracks like “Aliens” and “Cul De Sac.”

Unfortunately given the short 30 minute set time, they didn’t play anything from their sophomore album The Sadlands, but it’s okay! Duncan Fellows ended their only South by Southwest appearance with a dynamic rendition of “Sleeper,” a heartfelt moment to an amazing showcase. Throughout the set, Duncan Fellows balanced introspective lyrics with dynamic instrumentals, demonstrating their growth and maturity as a local favorite. – Keylee Paz

101x Day Party at Inn Cahoots

The 101x Day Party was a vibe you didn’t want to miss, but we got you covered on a few artists that performed at the Inn Cahoot on Friday. 

This day party highlighted artists in Rock, guitars lined up in the building walls, we were able to get an idea of how great the sets were going to be for the day. We were able to capture a Nashville based rock band to set the stage named The Criticals. The mighty band immediately captivated the audience with their fierce music style and powerful sounds in the drums and electric guitars in the band. From guitar solos, to swinging around the stage, they are a band you absolutely don’t want to miss this Spring while they are on tour this Spring!

Not too long after, we were introduced to an iconic New York based trio in music named Sunflower Bean. They set the tone for the end of the day party with live performances of songs like “Champagne Taste” and “Teach Me To Be Bad”. Their set contained so much energy and different waves of Rock that highlighted their style very well. You can also catch them on tour this Spring if you missed out on this amazing day party. – Evelyn Herrera

FLOODfest at Mohawk

In celebration of FLOOD Magazine’s 10th anniversary, the publication is back in Austin in collaboration with Mohawk to host FLOODfest. Off Record Media dropped in as temperatures started to hit 96 degrees. However, fans were relentless, posting up under the blazing Texas sun to watch their favorite performers. 

Wishy was just as stubborn as the concertgoers, muscling through a performance while read-faced and glistening. It’s certainly warmer here than in Minneapolis, where the band originates, but they put on a solid show nevertheless. 

An act that seemed profoundly unaffected by the heat was the dynamic Australian duo, Confidence Man. Specializing in electro-pop, the pair appeared in futuristic white costumes complete with light-up Madonna-style cone bras and reflective sunglasses. Their choreography was impeccable, not to be remotely deterred by the size of the stage when moving in synch, flipping in the air or going through a costume change halfway through. – Cynthia Zelaya 

Third Man Records x CREEM MAG: Day Two

13th Floor is one of the best things Austin has to offer in terms of rock. Small but mighty, the bar has been playing host to a bunch of showcases for South By Southwest (SXSW). On Friday, Off Record Media dropped by to see one set up in partnership with Third Man Records and Creem Magazine. 

The city has truly been sending its best. Can’t go a foot without running into a gem from the city of brotherly love, and Her New Knife is no exception. Shoegaze hit the stage with her new knife, giving listeners a smoother intro into the later part of the afternoon without being too overwhelming. The guitarist abused the loop pedal in between transitions but never failed to bring the energy during breaks. 

The drummer broke the genre’s cool by being energetic, excellent and powerful in his playing. Powerful. However, it was the rhythm guitarist that picked out some of the most interesting notes, holding his instrument high up to his chest a lot of the time. Shame he seemed to hide close to the wall for most of the set, as the fretboard was something I was really interested to see. 

Her New Knife featured spaced-out lyrics and dreamy guitars, crashing down the deeper into a song a lister goes. All in all, it’s a pretty solid shoegaze act. Punk rock took the stage next in the form of TVOD, a delightfully united band from Brooklyn, New York, because of course they are. 

TVOD has the spirit of the modern American, and the faces of Brooklyn’s demographics are beautifully reflected in the band members. The growls of both vocals and guitars are reminiscent of Billy Idol, but no where near close to plagiarism. “Car Wreck” is a good place to start if you’re trying to get a feel for the band. The feel I’m referencing is akin to speeding down a freeway in a car that has no business going over 50 mph, but slamming down on that pedal anyway. Trust me, you’ll get it when you hear it. 

“Goldfish” is another great introductory song. However, the band is quite early in their run. New listeners may fare well tuning into their music video for song “Buy. Sell. Die” to get the best feel. 

All the while, staff from Creem Mag were manning a table in the back, there in partnership with Third Man Records to make the showcase a success. Creem is proudly the U.S.’s only rock ‘n’ roll magazine, back as of 2022 following an extended hiatus. They handed out stickers, t-shirts and their iconic print magazine to people passing though. If you missed the show, consider subscribing to Creem as to stop missing out on things before they hit the wonder scene. – Cynthia Zelaya

Hair of the Three-Legged Dog Day Party

The ultimate SXSW recovery party came along this Friday. Austin’s 3-Legged Dog Day party honoring the passing of Hank – the Chronicles office pup and mascot.

They highlighted his memory at the event with temporary tattoos of Hank in a portrait or lovely ribbon heart. While other tables had prayer candles displaying his face on the face of the candle. All purchases made towards Hank’s merchandise went towards Austin Pets Alive, a Nonprofit that saves pet lives in the community. Hotel Vegas was a venue you wouldn’t want to miss out on not only great music outside on the Patio, but also freebies from other sponsors! Don’t miss out on visiting them soon. – Evelyn Herrera