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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

SXSW Day 3 Music: Be Your Own Pet, A Place to Bury Strangers, Atlas Sound

After the comedy tent, we headed over to see Be Your Own Pet. They kicked off in a rampage. Singer Jemina Pearl, dressed in war paint, shook all over the stage, bumping into her bandmates. They played so loud and hard in the first two songs–only seven or so minutes into it–they blew their mics. After twenty minutes, the power was fixed, and unfazed, the band came back on stage in a rampage. It’s something of a battered point, by now, to speak of their age, but really, it’s still stands out as their most refreshing point. Their still kids, and that’s the greatest part of their shows. They’re incredibly energetic and fun, and seeing them live, well it’s like adventurous. (Click ‘more’ for more music and video after the jump!)

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Brendan and I split off, and I headed to Tapes ‘n Tapes. Since the venue was a large and far from most of the festival, I expected to get in without a problem. Wrong. The tent was absolutely packed, and there were about thirty people in line hoping to get in, with more watching from the road. Denied, I went over to a rooftop show featuring shoegazers A Place to Bury Strangers. There was a surprisingly small crowd, but they played like giants. Underneath the stars with pummeling music to drown my ears… it was pretty much heaven.

Having been put in the mood for raucous rock by Be Your Own Pet and A Place to Bury Strangers, I abandoned my plans to see Destroyer and headed to see Atlas Sound instead, who were playing in the basement of a club a few blocks away. Watching them set up, it was amazing to see how much frontman Bradford Cox really cares about his sound being perfect. If it wasn’t already apparent with Deerhunter or Atlas Sound’s debut, it was evident here. Cox himself checked to see that each instrument sounded perfect, and got especially frustrated when the bass drum’s reverb was “insufferable.” In the end, it all paid off. Atlas Sound’s sound was gorgeous. The band gave Cox the entire spotlight, which was great. My only complaint: plaid shirt and jeans? Where was the sundress??

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