My first night out for this year’s SXSW started out rather appropriately with a wild collection of sounds and faces, some coming from as far as Pakistan, for the All the Friends Ball at Spider House. Each of the five stages offered a ton of variety and a different avenue for me to dive in and grab intimate photos of the bands. I had the chance to catch everything from emo puppet band Fragile Rock to the indie pop goodness of Ruby Jane and the Reckless, finishing my night with the soaring ensemble rock of Mother Falcon. All in all, not a bad way to kick off the week.

Photos and words by Rich Hoang.

Ruby Jane and the Reckless

Hikes

Mother Falcon

Fragile Rock