SIR WOMAN

BLOCK 1 WEST STAGE HEADLINER

Sir Woman, Austin Music Award’s Best New Act of 2020, was primed to hit the road promoting its much-anticipated debut album Party City when the world changed. With fewer reasons to celebrate, soul-singer Kelsey Wilson (Wild Child, Glorietta) ditched the party vibe she planned for her maiden, solo debut in favor of a more aptly titled record for troubled times. Bitch, a genre-bending, Motown-influenced five-song EP, is set for an October 16 release under Wilson’s acid-trip-inspired stage name on Austin’s Nine Mile Records. Wilson’s backing band — drummer Amber Baker (Jon Batiste) and backup singers Spice and Roy Jr. — were joined on the album by guitarist Nik Lee and multi-instrumentalist Dan Creamer (Shakey Graves, The Texas Gentlemen), and critically acclaimed country-pop artist Robert Ellis.

But make no mistake, the Wild Co-founder has stepped into the spotlight alone with this collection of love songs she wrote for herself as the perpetual party of touring life started to spin out of control.

“This EP is me finding what makes me feel good and falling in love with myself. A mix of everything that makes my body move — pop, soul, gospel, funk, folk, and R&B. It feels so right to make a record that has my actual heart in it,” Wilson said.“These songs are the part of me that wants to help people fall in love with themselves through music. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. "World Café declared “warmth, empathy, and humor are the shining stars” of the EP’s first track, “Highroad,” which earned a slot on NPR’s “Heavy Rotation: 9 Songs Public Radio Can’t Stop Playing.”

Consider that evidence Wilson is “moving effortlessly into a brave new R&B-infused, gospel-flecked world where her golden pipes ease you back into a fluffy pillow of serenity and bliss,” NPR critic Gini Moscorro proclaimed. In some ways, the EP’s title track, “Bitch,” set for an October 1 release, took on new meaning after the world shut down.

When Wilson belts, “You’ve been a bitch, baby,” it’s as if a year at the crossroads of the coronavirus crisis and national civil unrest is the unintended target of the soul-singer’s angsty honesty.

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BEN KWELLER

BLOCK 21 EAST STAGE HEADLINER

Indie icon, Ben Kweller, has captured the hearts of fans and critics for the past two decades. He has a gift for creating music that is all at once familiar and also uniquely “BK”. Skipping between electric guitar, acoustic, and piano, he combines on-the-nose and often sentimental storytelling with an ever-present punk rock underbelly. Together it’s an off-kilter take on the American rock tradition that has given him a career that rolls on regardless of fads and trends.

In late 1999, the then frazzled 18-year-old arrived in NYC and was taken under the wings of rock n roll royalty. Evan Dando (Lemonheads), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Juliana Hatfield, and Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) were among the old guard who saw something special in Kweller’s exuberance and knack for melody. The newly formed ATO Records identified with the artist and signed him to the label’s first exclusive worldwide deal. As the “BK buzz” grew around the city, a national spotlight shone down on the local scene as a whole. Kweller hit the road with his mates The Strokes, Moldy Peaches, and other fellow up-starts of the day. In the fall of 2002, MTV first aired the slacker anthem “Wasted & Ready” and Kweller went from Anti-folk darling to Alt-rock hero overnight.

Kweller’s genre-jumping catalog spans six albums, four EPs, and multiple singles - all of which represent different facets of the artist. His debut album, Sha Sha, is still regarded as one of the great Alt-rock debuts of the early 2000s. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Kweller’s label, The Noise Company, has released a triple-vinyl Deluxe edition that features 22 B-sides, live recordings, and other rarities.

In the months leading up to the pandemic, Kweller opened for Ed Sheeran in stadiums across Europe and was summoned to the UK to perform at the pop star’s wedding. Sheeran requested the happy-teared “Thirteen” (one of Kweller’s finest) to be played during his first dance with his new wife Cherry Seaborn. In the fall of 2020, Kweller was featured on the cover ofPerformer magazine and celebrated for his ingenuity during the pandemic. His album, Circuit Boredom, was released on January 1st, 2021, and has become one of Kweller’s most successful to date, with hits such as “Heart Attack Kid”, Just For Kids”, and “American Cigarettes”. The opening track, “Starz’' is a lighters-in-the-air anthem that enjoyed significant airplay across the US and reigned as the #1 song on Austin’s KGSR for 6 weeks straight.

In February 2023, Kweller tragically lost one of his two sons in a freak car accident. Dorian Kweller was a budding artist who recorded and released music under his middle name, ZEV. He was only 16 when he passed. ZEV was scheduled to open for his father in the summer of ’23, which would’ve been the artist’s first tour. In a true test of will and perseverance, Ben Kweller has decided to continue with his touring plans.

“Lizzy (Kweller’s wife) and I are going through unimaginable darkness right now. There was so much on the horizon for our sweet Dorian. He lived and breathed music and I have to continue to make and create in his honor. Dorian touched so many people in his short life and I’m going to do what I can to keep his light shining bright.” Kweller was joined by the Near Southside’s own “Texas piano man” Robert Ellis as well as Chris Mintz-Plasse (bass), and Ryan Dean (drums) where a ZEV video tribute kicked off each show.

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HOLY MOLY

BLOCK 6 SONGWRITER STAGE HEADLINER

Holy Moly is a five-piece American cowpunk band from Fort Worth, Texas. The band is the brainchild of frontman Joe Rose and guitarist Danny Weaver. The two started Holy Moly in 2005. Shortly after forming they released their self-titled first LP, “Holy Moly.” The record garnered attention in DFW and beyond affording them the opportunity to play a multitude of shows across Texas while building a grassroots fan base every step of the way.

That fan base included a number of talented musicians, two of whom joined the band in time to record the second album, “Drinkin’ Druggin’ and Lovin’“. The addition of Jeremy Hull on upright bass and Joe Carpenter on drums kicked the songs into high gear, and “Drinkin’ Druggin’ and Lovin’” was voted Album of the Year in the Fort Worth Music Awards. In 2011, Holy Moly took home the award for Best Live Band and Best Bassist (Jeremy Hull).

In 2009 Holy Moly took their special brand of mayhem on the road, touring through Texas and Louisiana. In the summer of 2009, Holy Moly hopped the pond and spent three weeks playing Belgium and Holland with Surfing Airlines productions. Time on the road led to more new songs, and upon their return to the States, Holy Moly recorded and released their third album, “Clickity Clack”, a raucous collection of high-energy tunes that features even tighter arrangements and more of Joe Rose’s signature storytelling lyrics. The enthusiastic reception led to bigger shows playing in front of bigger crowds, with Holy Moly opening for bands like Bowling For Soup and Flickerstick.

It’s these audiences that help define Holy Moly’s identity. Shows are bombastic, goofy, and fun for everyone. Holy Moly’s lyrics weave a mysterious montage of zombies, one-legged adulterers, and all the alcohol and drugs a healthy young person can handle. It’s rock and roll in its most honest form with a honky tonk needle helping it slide right into your heart and soul. What’s this needle, you might ask? This needle is the vehicle in which Holy Moly inserts its message, wraps it up, and then lets it roll out all over the listener’s car stereo or beer-drenched bar stool.

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