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AUSTIN, TX- For most of our SXSW artist coverage, we’ll keep it relatively short and sweet. We have over 80 artists to cover, so cut us some slack! 😉 We’ll basically be formatting each post into two parts: (1) Why our contributor wanted to see this act and (2) what our contributor thought of the performance”. Easy peasy. If you want to learn more about the act, make sure you click through to their social media links to get in the know. You won’t be disappointed!
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Why I Wanted To See Cuco: The night session of the Stubhub showcase at Bangers on day four of SXSW featured a variety of artists and music genres that would have something for everyone in attendance. One such artist was an 18 year-old Mexican-American kid from Chicago who goes by the name Cuco. I’ve heard some rumblings about him coming into the Festival but hadn’t had a chance to listen to any of his tracks. It’s impressive in itself that the kid is only 18 and is doing nighttime showcases at SXSW in fairly large venues (compared to others at the festival), but just seeing an up and coming artist in their beginning stages was a cool opportunity. It’s really the essence of the festival.
What I Thought Of Cuco’s Performance: When Cuco and his band took the stage, he received one of the louder ovations of the night. It was a peculiar sight to see an 18 year-old in a Supreme cap and zip-up sweater casually stroll up on stage to perform in front of hundreds of people. For someone who’s been doing this for only a few years however, he didn’t appear nervous in the least. Making jokes throughout the set and getting the crowd into it, Cuco actually displayed a really laid back attitude. He and his crew mildly reminded me of Odd Future back in the day with a spirit of reckless abandonment and the mentality of just a bunch of kids who want to have fun. They messed around with some of the security people and then moshed to WAVVES who came on after their set.
Cuco’s music I thought very much matched his persona in that it was a fun, very laid-back bedroom electro-pop but with a Spanish twist. His voice is soft but is appropriate for the chillness of his sound. The audience grooved to the synths and the rhythmic melodies, singing along to singles like Lo Que Siento and Summertime Hightime.
I thought the most impressive part of the performance was his seamless transitions between Spanish and English. A bar can start in Spanish and end with English and you wouldn’t even notice sometimes because of how well he transitioned between the languages.
Cuco brought a fun energy to SXSW that night and I was happy to be introduced to his music. He recently released “Chiquito” a six-song EP that’s available online. If you want some chill music and a soothing voice, go check out Cuco when he’s performing in a town near you.
Follow Cuco on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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