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AUSTIN, TX- The dust and dirt stuck to my sweat as I made my way to the outdoor stage at Radio East. The sun was high, and the coffee shop area was packed with patrons seeking air conditioning. The yard was lined with local artists selling their wares at scattered tables. If you’ve never been to Radio East, it’s slightly off the beaten path from your typical downtown Austin venues and doesn’t really function as one either. There’s an indoor coffee bar, multiple outdoor seating areas, and a festival-style stage.
I arrived in time for the tail end of a really compelling Brooklyn punk band, TVOD. The singer was throwing his body into the dusty area in front of the stage and yelling in a style that reminded me of The Descendents’ frontman, Milo Aukerman.
I inspected the art tables and followed patches of merciful shade as I waited for Annabelle Chairlegs to go on. I went into their set with very little knowledge of the band’s reputation or what to expect from their show. I was told beforehand that they were an in-demand local act and an Austin must-see, but that’s pretty much it. I’m glad I had no context because I got to experience their set the way it should be experienced.
Annabelle Chairlegs’ strength lies in their ability to make referential rock ‘n’ roll feel refreshing and new. They sound exactly like a band you’d expect to see on 6th Street in a saloon — but also, they don’t. Just when you think you know what their song will become, they change course. Their set was peppered with little surprises and subversions of expectations.
Up front, they reminded me of Best Coast mixed with Rilo Kiley. But as I kept listening, it became clear there was a heavy influence of psychedelic rock. Because of that, I wasn’t surprised when I found out they had been working on an album produced by Ty Segall. I could hear the inspiration drawn from the intersection between surf rock and psychedelia. As the set continued, however, I also heard moments of classic country — spaghetti western country, to be specific. The guitar tone conjured images of John Wayne and tumbleweeds. Even if the band doesn’t publicly identify with the country musical landscape that surrounds them, I think they absorb it regardless — especially in lead singer and band founder Lindsey Mackin’s layered voice. She’s gritty and growly at all the right times, but also smooth with a heavy dose of twang, like Patsy Cline. Her voice cuts through the festival noise even when she’s singing softly or delivering a phrase plainly. I ended up seeing them again at Hotel Vegas the next day and was really impressed by how much her voice carried through a seriously rowdy crowd.
Despite the intense heat lapping over all of us in the audience at Radio East, spirits were high. Annabelle Chairlegs deftly performed through the sweat on their guitars and the glare on their sunglasses. It makes perfect sense that they’re such a popular local opener. When I went back and listened to their recordings, the songs didn’t hold a candle to their live show. Their live presence constantly shifts through homages to the artists they admire while reimagining those references as their own. The records don’t have that same element of surprise, but I’m looking forward to hearing what Annabelle Chairlegs does next.
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