After falling in love with Mikal Cronin’s newest album MCII a couple months ago, I had been looking forward to his show at the Mohawk since its announcement. When openers Shannon and the Clams and A Giant Dog were announced, my excitement doubled. And despite high expectations and a high degree of personal hype, the show still surpassed anything for which one could hope.
Somehow the show didn’t quite sell out, or if it did it was after Cronin’s set began, which was astonishing considering how much social media was abuzz with excitement all day for the evening to come. Usually a live review starts with the opener and works backwards, but each set was so profoundly amazing that it’s hard to know where to start.
Centered on the outrageous stage presence of Sabrina Ellis, who stomped, danced, and snarled through the set, A Giant Dog destroyed the crowd and inspired ear to ear smiles and emphatic cheering with each song. OBN III’s Orville Neeley kept the drumming hard hitting and explosive as the band powered through infectious power pop. However, nothing could top the set’s final moment during which Sabrina Ellis hopped down from the stage, body checked Gerard Cosloy, and jumped into a guy’s arms like she was shimmying up a tree.
Shannon and the Clams brought their distorted, sugary pop to the stage next, crafting a mixture of punk rock and 60s pop. It’s the perfect balance between glamour and grit, and everyone loved it. Shannon and her Clams also deserve awards for their attire. They dress as sharply and stylishly as they create tunes, and that’s saying a lot on both counts.
Mikal Cronin’s headlining performance solidified one of the greatest bills Austin as seen in recent memory. Cronin moves between straightforward strumming and almost confessional lyricism to explosive bouts of guitar shredding, solos, and distorted riffs. His set incorporated many old favorites as well as a good amount of the material from his recent, and excellent, MCII. It took a few songs for the crowd to reach its fully realized, raucous state, but once they did, the moshing, dancing, and headbanging didn’t let up.
Every blog in town tried to tell you to go, and we gave away tickets to one lucky winner, and you still could’ve bought them at the door. So, if you missed this excellent and affordable show, you only have yourself to blame. Cross your fingers for a return soon.
All photos © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
