CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE ACTS WE COVERED AT SXSW 2023
AUSTIN, TX- Bartees Strange is a musician, singer, and songwriter based in Washington, D.C. His music is a blend of indie rock, punk, and electronic, with introspective and personal lyrics. He has been praised for his innovative and genre-bending sound, as well as his powerful live performances.
Strange’s debut album, “Live Forever,” was released in 2020 to critical acclaim. The album delves into issues of identity, race, and mental health, and incorporates elements of rock, punk, hip-hop, and electronic music. Strange’s unique perspective and powerful live performances have earned him critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase.
To say that I was moved by Bartees Strange’s performance at The Belmont would be an understatement. This man emanated a kind of sincerity through his music and voice that was as true as can be. I believed every word. I hung on every word. I was moved by every word.
When he explained to the crowd about the inspiration for his song “Hold The Line” (a track from Bartees Strange’s 2020 album “Live Forever”), I had this incredible sense of empathy when I listened to him sing about the struggle to persevere through adversity, and I felt that struggle. When he performed “Heavy Heart,” a song about dealing with the loss of a loved one (and this was my interpretation of the lyrics when I heard them for the first time at this show), I nearly choked up when he sang, “We should go to Toronto more often”… a dream unfulfilled because the person it was intended for is no longer around.
Powerful stuff. Powerfully beautiful stuff. This is the way music should be.
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CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE ACTS WE COVERED AT SXSW 2023
LIVE CLIPS
