Wednesday, March 12   4:30 p.m.
SESAC Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center   (500 E Cesar Chavez St) Friday, March 14   12:00 a.m.
Emo's Jr   (603 Red River St)

  Akron/Family - Phenomena
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Akron/Family

Where does one begin when they've been happily shattered? What do you tell others after encountering something that splits you open and lets joy rummage around in your entrails before sewing you up with a grin? Evisceration isn't always devastation. Sometimes the things that shake us from our comfort zone wake the dancer within and leave our hands sore from clapping ecclesiastically. When the bang of genuine creation blasts off the old skin and leaves us pink and disoriented there's the drive to proselytize, and if ever there were a group worthy of shouted amens it's Akron/Family.

Please lord give me strength
To be nobody
Cause I am not my thoughts

This Family is built around the core trio of Seth Olinsky (vocals, guitars, percussion), Miles Seaton (vocals, bass, guitar, percussion) and Dana Janssen (drums, vocals, misc.). Original fourth member Ryan Vanderhoof left the band to pursue a life off the road earlier this year, allowing the remaining guys to expand the lineup into a seven-headed freak machine that includes all of North Carolina's Megafaun - Joe Westerlund (drums, vocals), Brad Cook (bass, guitar, vocals) and Phil Cook (keys, banjo, percussion, vocals) – and Greg Davis (guitar, electronics, vocals). Collectively, I'm pretty sure there's no type of music they couldn't play credibly, such is their determination, innate skill and empathetic group mojo.

Akron/Family is writing a 21st century non-denominational hymnal, free of any New Age stink or hippie laziness. What they did in San Francisco was tap into the great currents of the universe and share that energy and unfiltered beauty with us. Their constant desire to obliterate the line between audience/consumer and performer/musician shares something with the Dead, Phish and others who've introduced participatory elements into the mix. However, those bands rarely gave so freely or vigorously to those who stood before them. Akron/Family are a very special band and you cheat yourself with every minute you wait to wade into their waters.