The Morning Benders

After a full day and night of shows, I can’t think of a better finish to the evening than the relaxed surf rock of the Morning Benders. Braving a crackling connection that threw sparks on the stage twice, and overcoming amp troubles and broken strings, the Morning Benders delivered the perfect conclusion to day one of SXSW 2010. They rocked through most of their latest album, Big Echo, with the crowd singing along, packing the inside room at Emo’s. By the time their set finished, it was well past 2am--the fact that the room stayed crowded for the duration is a testament to the music these boys make.