Hey Champ at SXSW!
Vice, Austin, TX
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
It was around midnight last night when Hey Champ took the stage at dance club/rock venue Vice, which, while hardly late by SXSW standards, was still almost an hour-and-a-half after than the band’s initially set start time. Yet the room didn’t seem to mind too much, as the assembled crowd of attendees from widely ranging regions were clearly engaged by the Chicago synth-rock act. Hey Champ performed a number of selections unknown to anyone save most likely the band’s management, but with rumors of the trio’s long-awaited debut Star hitting in the near future, unfamiliarity shouldn’t be a problem for too much longer. What was familiar was Chicago club staple “Gold Dust Girl,” with the song both uniting and igniting the room, proving the track has legs outside its hometown. Live, Hey Champ come off markedly more organic than their available recorded output suggests, thanks in no small part to the upfront presence of Jon Marks’ drumming. But the outfit’s familiar synth sound remains well in play on cuts like the infectious “Neverest,” a track that, once Star hits, could very well be another room uniter.
–Jaime de’Medici
Jaime de’Medici will be reporting in live from this year’s SXSW music festival. Watch for more micro-updates on Chicago artists playing showcases this year.
Category: Live Reviews, Weekly
