Northern bands Wintersleep and Matt Pond PA brave Texas heat for a hot pairing of indie rock in Austin

June 21, 2010, at the Mohawk

By Amanda Stovall
Published: June 27th, 2010 | 8:00pm

The crowd that filed into the Mohawk outdoor patio and stage all had two things in common with the bands about to go on: an abundance of facial hair (at least on the men), and sticky skin. The intense Austin summer heat has never succeeded at keeping crowds from showing up en masse to see their favorite bands play at outdoor venues, and the added irk of a Monday night with a full work week on the horizon was no deterrent either.

Wintersleep, the Novia Scotian band who reminded the crowd of their northern heritage as the heat of the night and the stage lights grew more caustic, took the stage first as the population of spectators in front thickened with each new song and the deepening twilight. When “Mirror Matter” came up on the set list, though, and the lyrics “happiness is all around you” began to echo through both the Mohawk patio and into the Red River street district, all faces drew to the stage like summer June bugs to light as they listened to Paul Murphy sing “will you be ready when the lights go off?”

Murphy’s country gone indie rock voice combined with the symphonic effects of two guitars, a Korg synthesizer, bass, and drums. There were no knees left still as the band worked through old and new tracks, including their most recent single “Black Camera.”

When Matt Pond PA took the stage, lead singer (and namesake) Pond immediately renounced his decision to “dress up” in a black collared button up shirt and rolled up his sleeves to the elbow before diving into the first song. Despite the softer rock reputation behind the band’s albums, all the songs in their set were amplified to full indie rock status as crowds hung over balconies and hugged the stage to get closer to the music of the five-piece ensemble.

If Matt Pond PA has never had a reputation for writing songs for lovers, they earned it that night as couples throughout the venue swung, dipped, swayed, and spun to the set list. Pond spoke intimately with the audience, at once asking for a cigarette then scolding himself aloud for the making the request. This did not stop an audience member in the front row, however, from handing him a lit cigarette, which Pond smoked during a song that didn’t require his guitar plucking before he politely handed it back down to the crowd. By the end of the long set the shouted out a variety of catcalls, from “Encore!” to “Move to Austin!” (to which he replied he’s thinking about it)—but the band too quickly exited the stage to hug people at the bar.

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Wintersleep official site

Wintersleep MySpace page

Matt Pond PA official site

Matt Pond PA MySpace page