The inevitable precipice-of-fall shoegaze music festival took place in LA’s own Teragram Ballroom in the form of Sway Festival. Being a two-day festival, it took place on the weekend of Sept. 5-6, boasting a tempting lineup of bands both old and on-the-come-up.
The Teragram Ballroom is a smaller venue in Downtown LA, bordering Westlake neighborhood. Both days, doors opened at 6:30-7 p.m., with concert-goers streaming in to meander around the stage or peruse the merch stands.
On day one, alternative rock band Misfire SD started off the night. Given that they are a relatively newer band with a smaller discography, their set was brief. However, they set a precedent of excitement and intensity during their time on stage, playing songs like “don’t you feel strange?” and “rotting,” with the sweeping and crashing post-punk inspired guitar being incredible to experience live.
The Canadian-founded, Brooklyn-based band smush came on next to play their first show in LA, as a newer band, founded in 2022. The first song they played was “goodnight moon,” enveloping the audience in an oceanic sound bath of melody as an array of geometric and swirling patterns projected onto their forms. Their sound was gritty, taking on a more somber and dark tone than Misfire SD.
Next entered LA-based alternative rock band Launder, whose unique, textural 90s-era sound brought a more interactive, energetic vibe to the venue. They had great stage presence, grooving to the sound and swaying in alternation. One of their most striking performances was for the song “Beggar.” The high energy of the instrumentals were perfectly complemented by frontman John Cudlip’s drawl.
The end of the song devolved into pure instrumentals, where Cudlip swayed in unison with bandmate Cameron Holland. There was a funny bit where Cudlip made the audience guess where the band is from, and encouraged them to buy merch.
Finally, the headliner, Austin, Texas-based band Ringo Deathstarr, came on the stage and performed about 15 songs. They were the oldest act of the night — active since 2005, around the shoegaze revival movement, dubbed Nu-Gaze.
They kicked off their set with “Swirly” and around the middle of their set, played “Gazin’,” a tender song with a hint of sadness. All throughout their time on stage, their technical skill and confidence was evident. Founder Elliott Frazier gave an energetic performance on the guitar, especially at the end of “Heavy Metal Suicide,” which featured an aggressive, guitar-heavy outro. They ended their set with one of their most popular songs, “I Don’t Want to Lose This.”
The venue’s quality sound system made the bass enjoyable and immersive, especially for those near the stage. The festival was more quiet and intimate compared to the shows of world famous rock bands and pop stars. The main draw was not that every song was known by each audience member, but that it has a wide variety of shoegaze, spanning across time and region. Each band successfully accomplished this, bringing a distinct taste that constantly kept things engaging.
Although day two had one less band playing, the hype for headliner Airiel made up for it.
The psych rock Tucson, Ariz.-based dream pop band Mute Swan opened the night of day two, and it was lovely to witness how engrossed they were with the sound. The passion they had for their music was palpable, and made their set enjoyable. “Phantasms of the Living” sounded amazing live. Compared to the studio versions of their songs, it was easier to resonate with the already great song when feeling the emotions of the performers, and observing how they work together synergistically as a band.
LA-based shoegaze band Deserta came after Mute Swan, and instantly, the audience was enveloped in a sweeping soundscape that demonstrated their wonderful grasp of their instruments, curating a strikingly cinematic, nostalgic experience. Before the beat drop of “Far From Over,” they turned to face each other, playing in-the-round, and the crowd was thrust into a symphony of dreamy, intense and loud instrumentals. They are definitely a band where vocals take a backseat in the composition, placing focus on the sonic experience itself.
Chicago-based post-shoegaze band Airiel, formed in 1997 and the oldest act in the festival’s lineup, was the only band who had its name projected on the screen.
When they came on, a particular air of excitement filled the room — evidently, their reputation preceded them. They opened their set with “This is Permanent,” and took the audience on a crawl through some of their discography, from their popular “Winks and Kisses” album to their older self-titled EP.
Their performance of “Hide & Seek” completely blew the studio version out of the water — to see them sway, slice their guitars through the air, and strum at lightning speed was fantastic, and created an intangible magical energy in the venue.
Overall, Sway Festival featured a terrific curation of shoegaze bands, and delivered two successful nights of back-to-back guitar distortion. It was a great way for audience members to be introduced to some newer alternative rock acts and experience their favorite iconic post second-wave shoegaze bands.
Tessa Kang is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at tokang@uci.edu.
Edited by Travis Foley and Tracy Sandoval.
