RedGorilla Music Fest During SXSW Week

Austin is a city known for its awesome music scene and the strength of its community support of independent artists. The RedGorilla Music Fest (formerly known as DreamScapers Artist Showcase) is one example of that support, presenting four days of indie musician showcases which are free to the public. Yup, that’s right, there are more than 100 bands playing at Austin’s 6th Street clubs, starting this Wednesday (March 14th) and continuing through Saturday (March 17th) and you don’t have to pay a thing to see any of them.

Musicians come from all over the world to play at RedGorilla, so if you’re already planning to head to the area for SxSW, you’ve got the chance to see some of the names which might make it big in the near future. There are multiple shows every hour for more than twelve hours per day, so I’m not going to give you the full line-up here, but you’ll find my daily top picks after the jump.

Wednesday:
• Blake and Fallon – An indie folk rock duo out of Austin that got my attention the first time I came across their website.
• A.M. Elevator – A three-piece alternative rock band representing Cincinnati.
• Monica Giraldo – It might not be your normal kind of music, but this Latin (Spanish-language) singer from Columbia has a voice that drips with beauty.

Thursday
See the three ladies in a row playing at Touche starting at 3:
• Wendy Newcomer brings alternative country straight from Nashville.
• Audrey Ryan from MA peps it up with her experimental brand of indie rock.
• Randi Russo keeps it going with New York brand alternative music.
At night, head over to Darwin’s Pub for…
• The Loft playing classic rock with a Nashville flavor.
• Seis Pistos changes the tune with Latin punk from Chihuahua, Mexico.
• The Last Vegas from Chicago closes down the bar.

Friday
• Angie Stevens has a down-to-earth Idaho attitude with a folk rockers added punch.
• Bang Bang Bang is back with, um, a bang. One of the most fun rock bands which has played the event in the past.
• Iglu & Hartly bring a unique blend of new wave and hip hop from their home in Hollywood.

Saturday
• Lovers Electric are in Austin all the way from Australia playing indie pop at Touche.
• Emily Hagihara brings industrial rock to Cheers from her home in Kentucky.
• Dixie Dirt comes from Knoxville with their progressive indie rock sound.
• The Modern Skirts follow them from Georgia to bring pop flavor to the stage.

A number of the SxSW performers are playing free shows as part of the RedGorilla Music Fest so be sure to check the lineups and see all that you can see in Austin this coming week.