Nick Waterhouse, Papa - SXSW - 3/16/12
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Molly Bergen Nick Waterhouse
*50 Cent, Eminem, and the Best of SXSW Yesterday
*Nick Waterhouse meets a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model
Better than...worrying if your shoes match your purse.
Nylon magazine and Guess Jeans teamed up for a SXSW day party in the chic W hotel in Austin, on a balcony where stylish couches with artistic drink tables draped in black crepe lined the walls. Oh, and all of the drinks were poured into wine glasses instead of plastic cups, and there were black and white photos of blonde bombshells pouting suggestively.
The stage was a tiny little makeshift thing that was dwarfed by enormous eardrum-shattering speakers. Perhaps the volume was cranked so loud for the sake of the people demo-ing noise canceling earbuds.
Of the bands scheduled to play, only half showed up. The set times on the wall were complete and utter fiction. Each band played incredibly short sets. Twenty minutes, three and five songs, that was it. We've taken longer to eat a burrito. And even though it was listed as a pool party, there was no pool. Those things aside, three performances really shone through.
Molly Bergen Howler's Jordan Gatesmith
Howler, the exceptionally young garage rock band from Minnesota, played a high octane set. It was the kind of frenzied energy that requires small pauses to catch your breath. Each song was like a pop rock that fizzled in your teeth, but was by no means dangerous. These were young rockers you could introduce to your mother with very little fear of disapproval.
Immediately following was L.A.'s own Papa, who put on a percussion heavy, hooting good time. Drummer/lead singer Darren Weiss was put squarely in the middle of the stage as if he was a general directing his troops. Weiss' rich, tortured voice complemented the sweet, organ heavy rock songs in a way that was both unsettling and intriguing. 
Molly Bergen Daniel Presant of PAPA
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