SXSW24 X HALF STEP BAR
MIDWEST HOUSE MUSIC
Bringing the Sounds of the Midwest to Austin
Three Nights of Midwest Music at SXSW
You won’t want to miss the show taking over the yard at Half Step Bar at 75-1/2 Rainey St, in Austin. Beginning Friday, March 8 and running until Sunday, we’re bringing the best in Midwest musicians to the global stage starting every night at 7.
These shows have been known to test the limits of capacity on Rainey Street and Half Step Bar, so be sure to RSVP and get to the gate for showtime!
Live Music Every Night at 7
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Live Music Every Night at 7 〰️
3/8 Friday Night Programming, Featuring
7PM: The Darling Suns (@thedarlingsuns), Chicago
8PM: Ilajide (@ilajide), Detroit
9PM: VALEBOL (@valebol_duo), Chicago
3/9 Saturday Night Music, Featuring
7PM: Jennifer Hall (@jenniferhallmusic), Chicago
8PM: Mother Nature (@mothernaturebarz), Chicago
9PM: HiTECH (@hitechdetroit), Detroit
3/10 Sunday Night Music, Featuring
7PM: Diet Lite (@dietlitemusic), Milwaukee
8PM: Friko (@friko4u), Chicago
9PM: Wishy (@wishy_music_777), Indianapolis
Friday Night Music Featuring
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Friday Night Music Featuring 〰️
Friday Night at 9PM
Valebol is Chicago’s new superduo featuring drummer Daniel Villarreal (Dos Santos) and multi-instrumentalist Vivian McConnell (V.V. Lightbody) on vocals, synthesizer, and flute.Pronounced VAH-LAY-BOL, this project is a true expression of musical joy, deep Chicago talent, and collaboration. Furnishing their translingual express-pop, Valebol invites everyone to dive down and discover a feeling. Maybe it’s finding an oyster on your maiden scuba dive and discovering it contains a kaleidoscopic disco pearl vibrating to polyrhythms from a forgotten cassette tape. Maybe it was buried in 1983, maybe the club is still open. Either way, opening your new Polly Pocket sized seashell contains an iconic duo.Villarreal’s Panamá collides withV.V.’s midwest in this surprising collaboration. Tiny heroes that traded monochrome structures for a kaleidoscopic panoply of patterns, tropical tonality blossoming throughout each song—yet compact enough to put in your pocket as you buzz across arbitrary borders.
Friday Night at 8PM
With hard kicks and deep bass lines, the Detroit natives tells stories sonically through his percussian as well as his lyrics. With his signature staccato style of rapping, Ilajide comes hard but never fails to smoothe it out at the end.
Friday Night at 7PM
The Darling Suns combine modern indie with folk and alternative roots. Taking influence from late 1990’s and early 2000's indie rock, the band forms a familiar sound but strikes a path in their own direction.
Saturday Night Music Featuring
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Saturday Night Music Featuring 〰️
Saturday Night at 9PM
Coming to Austin from Detroit, HiTech infuses dance with rap music and is notorious for bringing a good time. Described by Rolling Stone as “politely promiscuous tracks” harkening back to ghettotech from the Nineties, HiTech is all about bringing some levity to a crowd and encouraging them to come together and forget the rest.
Saturday Night at 8PM
Mother Nature is the irrestible force of Klevah and Truth - emcees devoted to building a legacy founded on defiance and self-discovery.
The Chicago and Houston-based duo is the answer for listeners seeking both substance and simplicity. As educators, they have mastered the ability to deliver weighty content through uplifting barz that pierce the conscience.
Mother Nature has independently toured globally with the mission of rebuilding true hip-hop culture, and impacts youth through their non-profit workshop series: The Miseducation of Hip Hop. With peace and love as their weapon and community as their foundation, these thinkaz are on their way to provoking a pivotal shift in the next generation.
Saturday Night at 7PM
Artist Jennifer Hall draws you into her musical landscape with no reservation, where emotions run high and vulnerability reigns. Commonly identified as a vocal powerhouse, Jennifer masterfully brings to life the most raw and exposed of emotions. Hall has recently supported Ezra Furman, Dope Lemon, CMAT, and played UMS Festival Denver. Hall reveals that an upcoming album is being recorded, slated for 2024 release.
Sunday Night Music Featuring
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Sunday Night Music Featuring 〰️
Sunday Night at 9PM
Introducing Wishy, a brand new band from celebrated Indiana songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites. Wishy came to life as a musical partnership between the two Indianapolis musicians when Pitchkites moved back home from Philadelphia in 2021. The two bonded over their love for 90s alternative bands like The Sundays and My Bloody Valentine and soon began crafting their own brand of swirling pop-rock with an introspective, grungy flair.
Sunday Night at 8PM
Hailing from Chicago, @friko4u music is complex and dynamic, flickering between explosive rock, chamber pop, and serene sonics. It becomes even more pronounced in their live performances, where a crowd frenzied by wailing guitars finds itself minutes later collectively holding its breath, enamored by hypnotic strings and Kapetan’s emotive vocals. As the band plays out sweeping melodies, held up by thrashing guitar and punchy beats, it feels as if Kapetan sings to you. Crooning about stories you know, memories you had but have somehow forgotten.
Sunday Night at 7PM
Showcasing an eclectic garage rock style combining elements of everything from post-punk to alt-country, Milwaukee’s Diet Lite specialize in blending catchy riffs, creative songwriting, and a brand of energy that could be canned and sold. It’s gritty, feel-good rock ‘n’ roll at its finest. The group takes pride in melodically forward verses, active bass lines, and familiar yet fresh material.