British Sea Power & No Age @ The Mohawk - 13 March 2008 (SXSW Day 2, Pics)

British Sea Power devastated the Rhapsody Rocks Austin Party at the Mohawk yesterday afternoon, thrashing through a 30 minute set exclusively culled from their new album Do You Like Rock Music? and re-solidifying their position (in my mind at least) as one of the most entertaining and eventful live shows out there. Undaunted by potential showers (dig the Technicolor rain gear in the pics) or the early set time (12:30pm on the dot), the boys showed more spark, ferocity and good humor than their previous headlining gig at Bowery during CMJ.

Since then, they've added a violinist as well as another multi-instrumentalist (shown after the jump playing a guitar with a...trumpet?) to fill the sizable void left by the departure of Eamon Hamilton as well as to flesh out the big arrangements that pervade the new album. So, the question remains: Do I Like Rock Music? Hells yes.

After BSP, current hot-shit (or future hot-shit depending on your vantage point) No Age performed. You may remember them here on EF previously in the Liars show recap; since then, I've been eager to check them out for myself, and at first I was slightly disappointed. It must have been the looming afterglow from BSP or something, because as their set progressed my disappointment gradually shifted to mild interest, then slight head-nodding, and finally fist-pumping as guitarist Randy Randall climbed a towering speaker and precariously resumed shredding as the foundation wobbled back and forth. So all in all, I suppose it broke down like this: songs posing as two-minute bursts of noise + high-risk stage theatrics = a winning formula.
See more pics from this show after the jump...

British Sea Power

Listen: "Waving Flags"

See more pictures of British Sea Power (from this show) HERE.

Visit British Sea Power on MySpace.

No Age

Listen: "Loosen This Job"

See more pictures of No Age (from this show) HERE.

Visit No Age on MySpace.