The music portion of SXSW 2015 has officially begun! Prepare yourself for massive hangovers, unhealthy sleeping schedules and enough free junk to fill up numerous free drawstring backpacks!
Waiting patiently in a long, tourist-filled line outside of Mellow Johnny's bike shop in downtown Austin, half-sober festival goers were eager to gain entrance to Rolling Stone and Splash That's anticipated evening event to enjoy interesting treats including Patron-based cocktails, liquor-spiked chocolate ice cream and delicious tacos and burgers provided by The Peached Tortilla.
While free food and booze certainly brought a portion of the crowd, it was the music of the night that had more people amped up and ready to go. Along with performances by 60s icons The Zombies and up-and-comer Fetty Wap, the night certainly belonged to Swedish pop artist Tove Lo, who is coming off the success of hit single "Habits (Stay High)" and current single "Talking Body".
Taking the stage at 11:30pm, Lo entertained the crowd with tracks off her debut album Queen of the Clouds, which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 back in 2014. Opening with the sexy, reggae-leaning "My Gun", the energy in the room immediately picked up as people started moving their hips to the sultry beat. The start of a killer show.
Original second single "Not On Drugs" was next on the set list, and Lo proved why it would be a successful contender for radio domination as everyone in the venue was singing along to its lovesick message. The adorable "Got Love" is the perfect pop explosion for a SXSW crowd with a well-crafted, sing-along worthy chorus that sounds as amazing live as it would on the radio.
"The Way I Am" is one of the few times on her album where Lo doesn't sound tough or in complete control of her feelings. Her live vocal performance of the song was spot on, bringing every ounce of emotion into play. Though this writer was unsure if it would happen, he desperately prayed to hear the opening notes of "Moments". He eventually did. The execution of her delivery was nothing short of perfection, living up to the magic that the actual track contains. Beautiful.
Lo took a break from her own original material to perform "Heroes (we could be)", her critically-acclaimed collaboration with Alesso which is basically a remake of David Bowie's iconic track. The venue instantly turned into one awesome EDM party. That vibe continued as Lo performed current single "Talking Body", asked people in the front to throw their shirts on stage, and included an addition dance break towards the end.
To close, and to no surprise to anyone, the artist performed her smash hit "Habits (Stay High)". It may have been the only song a majority of the crowd knew, but they all knew it well. The crowds' word-per-word rendition synced up with that of Lo and the smile on her face showed she was having a hell of a time in Austin. As she was about to walk offstage, this writer a little disappointed, fans chanted for one more song, and she returned to perform the brilliant "Timebomb", and everything was right in the world. The intentionally offbeat pop number was the perfect closer and a great end to a great event.
Tove Lo took a medical leave from the stage to strengthen her vocals. The rest helped because the artist was at her best on Tuesday night. Her nine-song set went off without any problems and received a positive reception from the attending crowd. With more planned shows at SXSW, including a VH1 showcase and a spot in Perez Hilton's One Night in Austin, more people will thankfully get to enjoy the sharp and fierce vocals of Tove Lo.
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