I chose to spend my Thursday afternoon at one of the many shows Desert Noises—check out my interview with the band here—have been doing at SXSW, and it proved to be an excellent decision, as their performance at Easy Tiger was a doozy.---

Easy Tiger is a combination bake shop and beer garden on 6th Street that has a really cool cavernous outdoor stage in the back. While most of the crowd had been content to nearly ignore the music of Austin singer-songwriter Jesse Woods (who was excellent, by the way) as they chatted with their friends and drank beer, a wall of people formed in front of Desert Noises almost as soon as the band launched into their set.

Had you arrived at the performance in a bad mood, it would’ve been impossible to leave with the same frown. The strong vibe I got from Desert Noises is that they sincerely love playing music, plain and simple, and the joy they take in their craft is infectious. Trading huge grins, the Provo indie-rock quartet whaled on their instruments as they danced around or knelt down to shred on a killer guitar solo. That energy quickly transferred to the audience, and a throng of happy people took to dancing in front of the stage, and people nearer the back were yelling "Yeah, Utah!"

The bluesy guitar stylings by Pat Boyer and Kyle Henderson melded together really well, and in turn, Henderson’s lead vocals harmonized handsomely with the ones belted by bassist Tyler Osmond. Drummer Brennan Allen was really fascinating to watch, as he confidently laid down drum lines full of power and energy.

The dancing hit a peak during the rolling song “Oak Tree,” as laughing strangers grabbed partners and swung one another around to the music. SXSW can be really hectic, full of crowds and long lines, but at the Desert Noises show, I forgot all that.

Twitter: @vonstonehocker