Team Fabrication Five Fashion Show
The Mohawk on Red River
Austin, TX
Novermber 17

DJ Rubix
Car Stereo (Wars)

Til We’re Blue or Destroy
Crash Gallery
The Laughing
Prom Nite

 I love Mohawk on Red River. I just thought I’d throw that out there at the start. They have four areas: an inside and three different outside pavilions. On the bottom patio is a stage with second and third layered balconies overlooking it. I can slip in early unnoticed, mosey on upstairs and set up camp with a perfect view of the stage and patio below, as well as the flurry of activity on the third upper deck.
On this third balcony is a room, along with the patio, that doubles as whatever the venue needs that day. In this case it is filled with tall beautiful women who have too much makeup on. The couches and floors are littered with jewelry, clothes makeup and shoes. A photographer is flashing away at lipsticked smiles and short skirts.

Although, that is not why I am here. Antiquated, overly trendy outfits are, unfortunately, not something I feel comfortable discussing. What I am here for is the music. The event poster enticed me with the opportunity to dance while DJ Rubix mixes classic eighties pop with badass contemporary beats like Ghostland Observatory.
The way he mixes music is beyond booty shakin! It’s body movin. Soul searing.
So, if I see DJ Rubix on the list, I’m there. Even if it is a fashion show. Now to me on the second balcony. Since Mohawk has lured me here with beats I know are good, it’s time to hear the bands I’ve read about but never experienced. Namely ‘The Laughing’ and ‘Til We’re Blue or Destroy.'
I check out the inside stage boasting Prom Nite once DJ Rubix is done making sweet sweet sound to me.

But, Aaron is screaming so loud into his mic that I can’t stand to be inside the same building with him. I am in no position to judge his sound at this point because I can’t even handle the decibel load long enough to make an educated opinion.
Sidenote: After checking them out online the sound proved much more promising. It rocks. So, if you are into that sort of thing definitely check them out. I liked listening to them this way much better than hearing them live.
Anyway, now I’m outside again on my favorite little balcony waiting for the three guys from The Laughing to sound off. Up top I have the perfect view of people crowding outside to listen to this Austin band. They’ve been on the bill at numerous venues and seem to have a good following. The saxophone at the front of the stage has got me pretty enthusiastic. Winds added to anything can make an anything a real something.
My heart drops because you can’t really hear the sax.
What’s it take to get a good sound guy around here? Come on.
The baseline is cool. Props to Grant back there rocking the drum kit. Makes me wanna move my body. And, finally the sax gets it’s debut and is incorporated better into the surrounding sounds. Abram’s sax sings a lonely jazz room tune on top of strong rockin baselines and catchy synth melodies.
Afamiliar sound.
Although the instrumentals keep me involved, I get lost trying to listen in on the vocals. At times Logan’s voice seems to overpower the amazing music that is being made here. He stretches his voice; going from moderate to that high squeaky thing you are hearing every where now a days. Very Modest Mouse-esque. I love it when he stops and does a little percussion, you can see that he and his comrades are talented musicians.

The entertainment factor is lacking though. Not that a musician has to jump around or tell jokes to make me wanna keep watching, but Logan is obviously busy with vocals and producing that catchy melody. From here it looks like they are missing a front man. I keep thinking something is missing, and it isn’t in the sound, but the presentation.
It was an all right show. Will I go see them again? I don't know.
Now that they were done, it was time for me to start experiencing and stop watching.
Seeing a band I’ve never seen before is a good thing, but I like to go out and have fun and meet people in Austin. I like to meet people who love music as much as I do. After all, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. So, I’m always on a mission to know some more people. I thought I would just be escaping the following fashion show, but I got more than escape. I got lucky.
I leave Mohawk to catch up with a friend at one of my favorite beer joints, The Gingerman. He has some friends in from San Francisco. Coincidently enough, one of these friends is Brandon Tomas, the guitarist from a band called Low Sea Roar. I didn’t realize how cool this was until I got home and listened to them. Very cool. I suggest checking them out. Their sound is mellow but jams out all in the same instance. I’m sure I will be delving deeper into them in the very near future.

Upon my return to Mohawk, I step into a big group of music induced swaying Austinites. Much to my surprise the scene on the stage is quite contrary to what it was when I left. There is a whole mess of crazy musicians jamming out up there! Not only jamming out, but entertaining. The tiny little front man is so energetic it looks like his beat keeping feet might swing right off his body. Everyone up there looks like they are having fun, but I need to get to my perch up above to get a better view.

Kyle Hunt of the Black Angels (another really great experimental Austin band, for the record) helped to start Til We’re Blue or Destroy. Although, he isn’t still in the band, you can definitely hear that experimental edge coming out in their sound. I am certainly pleased and my eyes scurry from one musician to the next. Everyone has a part they play. Are there too many? Tough question. When I think of another band that has oodles of members Clap!Clap! comes quickly to mind. When you see that menagerie of people on stage every single one of them is jumping, clapping, singing, rocking, moving, and generally just keeping me interested.
This is unfortunately not the case with this group. Many of them do get down, but I see a couple of them standing there flaccidly. What a letdown. Pick up the pace guys. Look at your friends around you. They are jamming out! So should you be too.

My favorite part of the show was when the front man started getting his guitar off.
That’s right. You heard me.
Getting his guitar off. And you know what? I wanted it to be me. I did. I admit it. It was intense. He got down on his knees like a classic rock star, licked his fingertips and touched the strings in just the right spot. Oh yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. The scream that came from the strings during this orgasm of sound was just as beautiful as the scene creating it.
Go see them.
That is all.