Dios, The Henry Clay People, Signals: Concert Review and Photos

Dios headlined The Troubadour with Signals and The Henry Clay People opening and it was a great way to get back into the groove after a long weekend of relaxation. With a venue well known for putting on big shows, the lineup did not disappoint as the crowd began to grow thicker throughout the night.

Signals, whose members are mostly formerly of The Mae Shi, served as a great opening act since they had a lot of new material for fans to hear. Although not as electronic as The Mae Shi, the new group provided sounds which were just as great. Sure, they played a few shows beforehand as Signals, but the packed crowd still maintained a majority of people who had not seen Signals live. The ADD borderline schizophrenic energy was still there even with a broken arm and the unpredictable but strong structures still took place making it a successful first time Signals experience for a hand full of new fans.

The Henry Clay People followed as the second opening act. It’s hard not to fall head over heels with this band as their sounds echo Pavement and The Replacements. With two mop head singers and a strong roster of musicians, their set was as playful as ever among the steady rock riffs and conversational tones. As a band that has been around for a while in Los Angeles, The Henry Clay People’s fan base is completely well-deserved. This is one band that will come out of SXSW as a favorite for many this year.

Dios finally took the stage and set the folk rock tone complete with two sisters who provided background vocals. Their set was original as their man on the side projecting swirling oils onto the stage (via overhead projector) to give the performance a slight psychedelic feel. There is a strong calmness in Joel Morales’ vocals. With an impressive range, the man can sing a note so strong and beautifully, a fan can suddenly feel out of breath. The down-tempo songs even offered such power with their spiritual-like melodies. Although one can definitely hear the soothing arrangements found in many Mexican-American bands, their sound transcends simple musicality as it genre bends.

Check out some of our photos from the show below!

Photography by Carl Pocket