Seattle's Visqueen at SxSW

by Ryan Spaulding
photos by
5342 Studios

Stubbs Austin, TX - 3/17/10


Visqueen's Rachel Flotard
all photos by 5342 Studios

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES - Without a doubt one of the most special moments from our first full day of the festival was to hear Seattle's Visqueen belt out one song to the next at Stubbs. The band's songcraft really lifted up and off the stage and breathed vitality into the beginning of a jet-lagged night. The energy was palpable and no one knew what to expect. NPR and Stubbs should be commended for their selection of Visqueen - this was one of the winners of the first night. We were not alone in our review. It was clear based on crowd reaction that most had arrived to see one of the headliners, but none had come to the conclusion that Visqueen was a throwaway opening act.



HUMAN EMOTION - More memorable for me than even the music experience was how open and earnest Visqueen seemed behind singer Rachel Flotard. She thanked the audience profusely - and took a few minutes near the end of the set to pour her heart out, thanking everyone who had helped her and the band survive their early struggles. It was an undeniable moment - we were seeing a band reach a plateau of success they had not thought possible.



RSL Streaming Photo Album
Visqueen - SxSW performance 3-17-10

Unadulterated joy -and a moment of clarify characterized the end of the show, as Flotard addressed the mass of fledgling fans; "maybe just two years ago, I was close to sleeping in a sleeping bag on the side of the road." She thanked her friends and supporters - anyone who helped the band and believed in her. This was a hugely satisfying performance - and another music moment locked in time. Seattle should be proud to have another star.


Visqueen
Web / Myspace

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