Surfer Blood was, without a doubt, one of the more buzzed about bands of this SXSW. They are hitting their sunny stride at exactly the right time - maturing as a band while continuing to make the surf-style beach music that seems to be so en vogue at present. I had heard their album, I had heard the hype, and I had heard mixed reviews of their live show. I was excited to see them live to separate the signal from the noise.
I was not disappointed. Although these kids - and they are kids - don't seem completely comfortable with their live show, there's a true sense of bringing the music to the people here, with little fooling around or self-congratulation. They easily swam through songs from their excellent new LP Astro Coast, becoming more animated and relaxed as the show went on. As frontman JP Pitts sang his sweet melodies, second guitarist Thomas Fekete stole the buzz, futzing with a drumstick on his fretboard and playing a solo with his teeth a la Jimi Hendrix. No guitars were smashed or set on fire, but it was nice to see this young band loosening up a bit and having some fun to match the pep of their tunes.
