I’m pretty sure Birdcloud thought I was stalking them this SXSW, and I’m OK with that. I ended up seeing them three times over the week — once at Swan Dive, once at an Ovrld event (video soon to come, stay tuned) and once at Radio Coffee & Beer with a band called the Hang Rounders. If you’ve yet to see them live, or look up one of their many YouTube performances, I suggest you do that now. Good ones to start with are “Saving Myself for Jesus” and “Black Guys,” but if you’re looking for something a little more NSFW “Do What I Want” is somewhat of a personal anthem.
There are too many good things about a Birdcloud performance to list here, but the way they always end their set really sticks out. It usually starts with them putting on headsets, then Makenzie will unbutton her shorts to reveal a harmonica that has been hidden in her underwear the whole show. Jasmin then plays that harmonica while it sits atop Makenzie’s crotch. God damn it’s awesome. Real fucking rambunctiously female.
Photos and words by Ashley Bradley.
Hang Rounders
Birdcloud
