San Antonio has a large, active DIY music scene. When scrolling through Instagram, it is hard to miss the flyers for new shows being hosted and set up weekly. Some may look appealing while others do not, but that can all change fast. When you see the band Scrambled Eggs post about an upcoming show, it is something you will not want to miss.
On Jan. 27, Scrambled Eggs hosted their DIY show, the “Backyard Bash,” with six artists on the bill. From start to finish, the DIY concert lineup included Jermdontcare, Victim Blamed, Beware of Dog, Scrambled Eggs, Menorah and Rival, all of which are fantastic local acts.
Alongside the stacked roster, there was also a food truck catering the event. Sonrisa Sweets, a Mexican dessert-focused food truck, was serving from doors at 7 p.m. to the final song of the night, at midnight. Sonrisa Sweets was offering concertgoers foods such as mangonadas, churros, flautas and even burgers.
With all the artists in order and the food truck by the curb, soon the time came for the “gates” to open. One by one, attendees came up and paid their cover, a single quarter dropped into a piggy bank and had their picture taken with a large Scrambled Eggs-themed quarter. Finally, concertgoers would cross the threshold into the backyard, where local bands and small vendors would be selling their merchandise while waiting for the upcoming show.
While the cover fee may seem strange to some, it was a conscious choice. The show was hosted at a house on Quirt Dr. on the Westside. Since “Quirt” is similar to “quart,” the bands decided that charging only a quarter would be fun. With such a low cover, the bands were sure that nobody would miss their show. This proved to be true, as it quickly became the most popular show that Scrambled Eggs has ever hosted.
After everyone had paid, entered and had time to relax, the show would finally start. Jermdontcare was first, and while only being the first act, he came out with high energy and a great stage presence. While he may not have been who many people were there to see, he put on a hype set to get everyone ready for what was to follow.
Victim Blamed came second and immediately riled the crowd up. Every song had their long hair flowing and their instruments screaming. Victim Blamed’s set was filled with passion and heavy metal influence to the tee. Their set is what started to elevate the night, and there were still another four acts on the bill.
The third artist to play was Beware of Dog, a fairly new local band. After getting on stage, two of the four members were fitted in cowboy-esque attire. The bassist/rhythm guitarist was equipped with a white 10-gallon hat and a Budweiser shirt, alongside the drummer who was wearing a cow-print cowboy hat.
Getting into their set, Beware of Dog set the bar high for all acts that followed with their high energy, sometimes shoegaze sound. Eventually, their set came to an end, but not without a surprise.
As Beware of Dog closed their performance, a secret set by Surface Breach was announced. Quickly, half the members of the band shifted offstage, all to be replaced by two new musicians. This set quickly amped up both the crowd and the show. The audience seemed to love the surprise and quickly began to move more and mosh.
After the surprise was over, Scrambled Eggs took the stage. The math rock duo exploded with passion and precision during each song, entrancing the audience along the way. Scrambled Eggs’ stage presence was phenomenal; the guitarist was shifting sides, interacting with the crowd and generally moving to the flow of the music throughout the entire set. Scrambled Eggs was the highlight of the night for many attendees.
Once Scrambled Eggs wrapped up their performance, the night would take a sonic shift. The last two bands, Menorah and Rival, are two hardcore staples in San Antonio’s local music scene. Both bands played loud and proud, and the crowd loved it. Looking through the backyard, there was a wave of people headbanging, moshing or at least nodding their heads to the intensity flowing from the stage. While these bands differed from what concertgoers heard earlier, everyone seemed ready and accepting of the genre change.
Sadly, once Rival closed their final song, the event was officially over. Concertgoers were urged to pick up after themselves and have a safe trip home as sound equipment was brought indoors.
Throughout the night, every band that played killed it. From start to finish, there was never a dull moment on stage. The high-energy performances during each band’s set kept the crowd in it, and it seemed like most everyone stayed until the very last song, despite how late it was getting. Scrambled Eggs put together a great show, leaving everyone in the local scene waiting impatiently for the next “Backyard Bash.”
