Chris Laufman, the brains behind Wise Blood, milled about the stage area prior to Thursday's nighttime Windish showcase with a defeated expression on his face and the words "Slut Banger" graffitied on his neck. It seems that perhaps Wednesday night (or early morning, as the case may have been) wasn't so kind to the young man. As music fans trickled in, he seemed unexcited to perform.
Rather than let his performance echo that sentiment, Laufman channeled the emotion and put it to work, shout-rapping lyrics that were both confrontational and confessional over a collection of punky electro grooves. If that sounds like a negative combination, let me assure you that it was not; the dynamism and energy brought by Laufman -- even if it was somewhat channeled toward the very audience members enjoying the tunes -- made the set lively and infectious. Laufman walked amongst the crowd in the pit, sat on the edge of the stage, and bared his emotions, letting the vitriol stemming from an embarrassing permanent marker tattoo and an opening slot in a SXSW showcase transform into a fire that so many young performers lack. Apparently it's possible to be entirely cocky and entirely self-effacing at the same time.
By the end of the brief half hour, Wise Blood was feeling the crowd's positive vibes, too. Self-deprecating and humble, he thanked the crowd for putting up with him and apologized for his attitude. "Sorry, I was being an asshole at the start of the set. We have three songs left and I'm going to try to be better," he told the crowd. I dunno, Chris, I found it kind of endearing.
