Chaos In Tejas Music Festival 2013 – Day 3 – Austin, TX

Day three of Chaos. A walk through downtown Austin to the Drugstore to find a foot wrap. We ducked into tourist shops for the air conditioning and to find collectable spoons for my friends mother. A man with a clip board asks us to donate money to the children. "What children?" we ask. "Money to provide basic needs to children such as food and shelter." After the third go around we decided this man was too vague.. 

We stopped to enjoy our beverages in some shady bushes by a canal. Staying away from the eyes of the public we meet new friends from distant states and decide to head to the Los Crudos and Framtid show at 11E5. 

 

After looking through the merch tables I catch Vaaska, raw d-beat from Texas and Infernoh, Hardcore from Sweden. I had seen Vaaska prior to this show and have always been impressed with their noise shattering rock. Infernoh harkened back to bands like Mob 47 and Avskum with their brutal scandinavian Hardcore. Next was Sudor, who have been destroying Spain for years now with their bare bones Punk.

Next up was Kromosom once again. I had not been able to catch enough of them at the bridge show. Kromosom has only been around a few years and is destined to leave a mark in Punk one way or another. Whatever "it" is. They have "it". Kromosom played while day turned to night and their set was an energetic ritual of raw throat echoes as the crowd once again lost their minds to the songs they chanted along with.

My travel companion and I then left as No Tolerance and Criminal Damage went on. We toured 6th st to find the other Chaos shows that night at the many other venues. Just then we saw a huge parade of people wearing neon and carrying signs and flashing lights marching the street. Chanting and singing. We took shortcuts around them under the freeway back to 11E5. Where the people had joined others in a Warehouse next to our venue. It was a QueerBomb. An impromptu pride parade that ended in dancing to electronic witch house music. We could hear their party across the tracks. Once again, a normal sight in Austin, Tx. The poetry of every day life.

Los Crudos was set to go on next. The crowd had almost doubled in the time we were gone. As we stood in line t became obvious they were not letting anymore people in. Our crowd grew restless as one of our idealized bands started to play. A band all Punks would be honored to see. Beginning in 1991 Los Crudos was an all latino band in an otherwise white music scene. Singing about chicano rights, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and economic issues in the western world, thus paving the way for future politicized bands and earning their way into hardcore/crust punk infamy. Los Crudos is a band you respect, because they live what they sing about. And are passionate about world issues. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Hardcore Hell

We began to protest the maximum capacity rules at the door. Punks pushing from behind calling out to the doorman "We're getting in no matter what! You can't stop us!". He was letting in ticket holders but not wristband holders. I protested to him the fairness of this act. He then had a snotty attitude about our impatience as we heard Los Crudos go into another song. At this point we had had enough. And it was obvious something had to happen, or the situation would break. He then let some of us in and we rushed to the crowd inside. People were leaping from the stage and the rafters. Pogoing in unison and destroying each other in the pit. Because my ankle was still hurt, I watched from the speaker stack as my tribe engaged in the spiritual ritual of shoving and kicking and throwing themselves at each other, working into a frenzy. This sight to see and be a part of, is why we're Punks. This is our Church. This is our gladiator game. Straight, Queer, Black, White, Male, Female. Nothing matters in the pit, because we are all one. Members of Los Crudos are also in Limp Wrist. A Queer-Punk hardcore band with as much energy and excitement around them. Martin Crudo stopped to talk in between songs in true 90s anarcho-Punk fashion, and commented on the QueerBomb across the street. The beauty of unity and not living in shame. Everyone cheered and screamed as they played their last song. It was a moment you had to be there to feel and see. And I am one of those lucky Punks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Hardcore Hell

Then came Framtid. A true raw d-beat band from Osaka, Japan. Who, ever since America caught wind of, have been in everyones record collection. But what we had not yet experienced was Framtid live. And we were in for it. Framtid's distorted black sound rose up and punched us all in the face. A moment we had all waited for, for years now. In almost hypnotic fashion we watched as Framtid raged. The pit almost seemed in slow motion even as loud as it was. Perfection in it's imperfect state. Static and electricity in the air. At that moment all our collective consciousness knew we experienced one of the greatest shows we had ever seen.

            More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Natalie Leeann.-
Big Wheel Contributor

 

 

 

 

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