SXSW Report: Friday [Dave Maher]

A-Trak [Beauty Bar; 12:10 a.m.]

After a sun-soaked day at the Pitchfork party, it took a while to recuperate for Friday evening festivities. Fortunately, the quality of the after-midnight acts at Beauty Bar suited my late start just fine, though I missed the Yo Majesty set where the three female MCs apparently ripped off their shirts onstage.

"I'm frightened but impressed," A-Trak said when he took the stage. His own set was nudity-free, but it did include a furious and frequently undanceable cut-up of "My Love". A-Trak treats his turntables like instruments, and he plays them like a master jazz musician. Even when his routine goes a little too "free," it's still impressive.

Kirby Dominant [Beauty Bar Patio; 12 a.m.]

The Patio's schedule listed Kirby Dominant's start time as earlier than A-Trak's, but I’m pretty sure it was later. That's when I saw him, anyway. I wandered out to make sure I didn't miss the Pack and caught the end of Kirby's set as an unexpected bonus.

I had never heard of Kirby Dominant before, but he baffled me immediately. His style fit somewhere on the spectrum between Biz Markie and one of the weirder "American Idol" auditions, and it was the kind of show that left me with tons of questions: Was that an iPod his backing tracks were coming from? Was that Cadence Weapons's DJ Weasel scratching? (Yes.) Were the overwrought singers necessary? What inspired the velour tuxedo? Where did he pick up his taste for ridiculous, dinky Casio melodies? Kirby, why are you so awesome?

The Pack [Beauty Bar Patio; 12:40 a.m.]

After Kirby's quandaries, the Pack took the stage, getting the unfortunately small crowd moving. A couple of them are still in high school, and their performance was appropriately exuberant, even innocent in a way, which is hard considering lyrics like "it's her pussy, she can do what she want." "Candy", the song that line comes from, actually fared better with the crowd than "Vans", and listening to both of them live, it might actually be the better song based on its pure energy.

Maybe the best thing about the Pack is that they put on an equal opportunity party, rapping along with each other's verses, getting the crowd to chant "I look good" in unison, and at one point asking, "How many of you want the Pack to buy you a drink?" They didn't follow through on the drinks, but since they aren't yet of legal drinking age, they have an excuse.

The Federation [Beauty Bar Patio; 1:15 a.m.]

A textual representation of what it's like to see the Federation live:

GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!
GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!

"Hold up, let me take a picture of y'all real quick."

GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!
GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!
GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!
GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!
GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!GODUMB!!

Kid Sister [Beauty Bar; 1:10 a.m.]

There's another glitch in the space-time continuum here, as I popped back inside to see Kid Sister before leaving the venue for the night. With A-Trak on the turntables behind her and her brother, Flosstradamus' J2K, on the mic next to her, Kid Sis was as genial and warm in her performance as usual. Her South Side Chicago accent is augmented with some Southern flavor, and she seemed totally comfortable when members of the audience began dancing onstage, before her set evolved into a straight-up A-Trak DJ-ed dance party.