South by Southwest 2023: Day Three Music Recap

Women of Rock

Cheer up Charlie’s presented Women that Rock showcase, which featured many female artists like Hein, Ava Maybee, Katie Toupin, Charlotte Rose Benjamin, Molly Martin and more.

Hein is a Brooklyn based singer/producer/sound designer. The singer is influenced from electronica to soul and even traditional eastern styles. She performed songs from two of her albums, Sakura and Bloom. Following Hein, Ava Maybee, a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, came out, where she stated that SXSW was her first size-able performance in her career. Even though she is fairly new to the scene, Ava was very comfortable on stage and give off a friendly vibe when interacting with the crowd. Katie Toupin took the stage soon after, and she is known for being one of the members of indie folk band Houndmouth. Charlotte Rose Benjamin performed as well, showcasing songs from her debut album, Dreamtina, including “Slot,” “Machine,” and “Deep Cut.” The afternoon was not over, as indie rock singer Molly Martin, who recently released her debut album Mary earlier this year, performed a wholehearted set.

Hair of the Dog

Right next door, Mohawk presented Hair of the Dog showcase, which featured several rock bands from all over, including The Black Angels and Be Your Own Pet. The audience could watch from two different sections as bands performed.

Be Your Own Pet, a Nashville rock band, had the crowd on their feet and head banging along to every song. The band has performed at several other festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, and Reading & Leeds. Lead singer, Jemina Pearl‘s hair flips were magical as the band performed several classics from their album Get Awkward and their self-titled album. The Black Angels, a psychedelic rock band from Austin, kept the high-energy going during their performance. The band has released several albums and will go on tour later this year. The band performed songs from their albums Wilderness, Death Song and their latest single, “My Tornado.”

Rolling Stone Presents: Future of Music

Rolling Stone presented the future of music showcase which featured Spilltab, Baby Rose, Midwxst, Saba, and JID. From R&B to pop to rap, this showcase had it all. DJ Hella Yella had the audience dancing and vibing in between performances, remixing both old and new hits.

Spilltab was phenomenal – the singer interacted with the crowd a lot and her voice was very raw and pure. The singer is heavily influenced by her multicultural background, which kept kept the crowd on their feet as she performed several singles including “Crème Brûlée!“, and her latest single “Cotton Candy,” as well as an acoustic cover of “Yeah” by Usher. 

Baby Rose, an American singer, slowed the vibe down with her R&B soul vibes. The singer performed several singles, including “I won’t tell” and “Go,” as well as songs from her album To Myself. During her performance, Baby Rose opened up about her struggle with mental health and discussed how she has been advocating for herself and dedicated her performance of her single “Stop the Bleeding” to other people going through a similar situations. 

When Midwxst entered the stage, the energy level was at an all-time high. This was the rapper’s first performance at SXSW, and they frequently encouraged the crowd to scream and jump along with him. During his performance, he jumped into the crowd to finish out his song, causing a mosh pit to form. Returning artist Saba captivated the audience during his set. The rapper mention during his performance that he is SXSW veteran, having attended SXSW for several years, both official and unofficial, and even as a street artist. The rapper perform several singles from all three of his albums, including photosynthesis and his latest single “WYD.”

Five hours after the doors opened for the future of music showcase, the audience was full of anticipation. The hype for JID was almost too much for the audience – the rapper frequently stopped between songs to interact with the audience and make them feel welcome. The rapper never missed a beat as he performed several songs from his discography, including “151 rum” and an excerpt of “Enemy.”