LIVE: Brooklyn Bodega and The Couch Sessions Present THE CIRCUS SXSW Showcase

Photos by Sean O'Grady of Metrospective Media and Gravity508/Sneakshot. Please support.

My official introduction to the craziness that is SXSW began at The Circus, a two-day showcase which was co-presented by The Couch Sessions and Brooklyn Bodega.  I got into town kinda late, so I ended up missing the majority of the acts that had already performed, which included Miguel, Alice Russell, Electric Wire Hustle, and many many more.  What I did end up seeing on the first day was the last five minutes of a super-charismatic band called Bad Rabbits, who have easily become one of the most buzzed-about bands of the entire SXSW festival.  What I witnessed in that five short minutes has left such an impression on me that it is now my mission to seek them out, wherever they may be, and get the full show.  Check out their single "You Can't Back Down."   While listening to it, imagine it being performed live.

I also got to see an amazing band called BOSCO, fronted by the free-spirited Brittany Bosco who hails from Atlanta.  Her vibe was like that of a pre-Nas, pre-Milkshake Kelis, only a bit more goth.  You may have called her music weird a few years ago, but now, it all makes sense.  Bosco can't be pigeonholed (even though I just tried to), and that makes them highly enjoyable to listen to.  As I watched her live show, I imagined that in her mind, she was holding genre

Highlights from the showcase's second day included soul singer and trumpeteer Miles Bonny performing over DJ/producer B. Lewis' tracks, the highly energetic Wu-Tang-esque Clear Soul Forces out of Detroit, the much-buzzed-about hip-hop trio Kooley High, and the behooded duo Dopplegangerz.  The show ended with Pharoahe Monch who, as per usual, gave the crowd 110%, and was later joined by the force of nature that is Jean Grae.