As an orange tint slowly covered the Paper Tiger, people began to crowd in, drinking, talking and dancing, all in preparation to see the one and only The Buttertones. An alternative and rowdy crowd began to cheer as the lights dimmed and the fog machine began to sputter. Two openers were set before The Buttertones and first up was Jackson Marshall, an artist hailing from San Antonio.
As Marshall climbed on stage in patriotic attire, a blue and white button-up sporting red stripes and white stars, the crowd began to move with excitement and anticipation. His bubbly energy infected the crowd and smiles could be seen throughout the entire venue. His songs had a cheery vibe with obvious pop influences, sure to get anyone dancing and bobbing along. At one point, he requested the audience to all pull out their phones and flash their lights along with him. The flashlights lit up the dark venue and almost seemed to dance along with his melody. His set was short but sweet, and he had a great stage presence despite this only being his fourth show.
Next up was a band of three blonde brothers who may have been the gem of the night: Cole, Max and Cade Becker, also known as SWMRS. More than anything, they knew how to get the crowd riled up, even joking that they would not be paid unless the crowd was properly warmed up. They came on strong, jumping and spinning around the stage with energy the attendees could feel; it was infectious. They interacted with the crowd playfully on multiple occasions, having the audience jump on certain cues and even start mosh pits. Their songs were catchy and memorable with punk rock and indie tones and are definitely worth giving a listen. They even sang a new song titled “Emo Kids,” which they recently released a music video for. By the end of their performance, the band had won over the crowd. People who did not know of them before began singing along and jumping to their songs, a truly electric performance.
After finishing their set, SWMRS invited the audience to greet them and take photos at their merch table, which many rushed to do. Others patiently waited near the stage in hopes of catching a glimpse of The Buttertones. Anticipation filled the air.
Finally, after a long wait and two wonderful openers, it was time for the Buttertones. The lights dimmed and became a dark red as the main event walked on stage. Cheers and screams became increasingly loud as the attendees buzzed with excitement. The crowd suddenly grew silent as the first note echoed from Modesto Cobian’s guitar. Donning a polo shirt and sunglasses, lead singer Richard Araiza approached the mic. His powerful voice belted out across the venue filling the room with a new sound.
The smooth noise from Carlos Sanchez’s saxophone coupled with Araiza’s booming voice and soft feminine background vocals from Karly Low mixed together creating a syrupy, groovy almost ‘80s sound. Directly in front of the stage, a mosh pit formed, pulling in willing and unwilling members of the audience. In a moment of silence from Araiza, Sanchez emerged, shocking the crowd with an epic saxophone solo. Fans of Interpol or The Strokes would definitely enjoy this band and all their music has to offer.
As they continued to play, the energy only rose, turning the room into a sauna. The crowd was covered in sweat and smiles. Nearing the end of their set the mosh pits dissipated and the crowd began to quiet down slowly bobbing along to the music. Towards the end of the show Araiza thanked everyone for coming out and said he would have to come back sooner next year. The crowd began to clap, cheer and chant, “ONE MORE SONG, ONE MORE SONG!”
The Buttertones exited the stage not turning back or responding to the audience’s pleas, until bassist, Karly Low, suddenly ran back on stage. The lights once again became a dark red, and the crowd became the loudest and rowdiest they had been all night. This time when the encore had truly ended, it was finally time for The Buttertones to leave. They rushed off stage and were not seen again. Meanwhile, SWMRS and Marshall could still be seen near the merch table chatting and meeting attendees.
It was a great evening of live music, the energy remained high throughout the night and the excitement never decreased. While The Buttertones put on a good show, SWMRS may have stolen their limelight performing with much more personality and stage presence. The sets worked together wonderfully in building anticipation and excitement and surely many will add these artists to their playlists after witnessing them live.
