We were given all access to the 2018 ¡Otra Fest! (special thanks to Casey Lain and the people at the House of Rock for accommodating us) and what a fantastic festival! The festival was jammed pack with three days worth of acts from Texas and it was just a blast. We are going to start our review of ¡Otra Fest! by checking out the lineup that played on Sunday, September 23 and giving out feedback.
Independent Thieves
Were extremely tight musically. We were big fans of the slide guitar used during the set, it reminded us of traditional blues style music. We also loved the use of harmonica in their set. Their version of roots rock was right up our alley.
Rating: 3/5
Ty Dietz
Up next was Ty Dietz, a man who really knows how to get a crowd going. His style of alt-country, (almost outlaw alt-country) is absolutely fantastic. He and his band had homemade harmonies for days, which you know we always love. Mr. Dietz is also a master on the harmonica.
Rating: 4/5
Jeff Plankenhorn
Another alt-country artist who had the crow with him. He displayed solid vocals that were some of the most crisp of the festival. He provided the audience with the sage advice of tipping the sound person.
Rating: 3/5
Whiskey Shivers
The Austin, Texas five-piece (and group featured in Pitch Perfect 3), Whiskey Shivers are downright fun. They featured a banjo, fiddle, guitar, washboard/percussion, and standing bass. All members were downright solid at their respective instruments and managed to work together seamlessly. They are downright pros. They also are able to get the crowd into their set through their wit and through their sound. They were able to play some fun covers and convert them into alt/bluegrass including The Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" and "Earl Had to Die". They changed vocalists multiple times, and every time they were solid. We also loved their dig at 45, which the crowd gleefully joined in on. Finally, they had epic five part harmonies! It was an incredible set!
Rating: 5/5
Terri Hendrix with Lloyd Maines
Alt-country duo that had some solid guitar work and amazing harmonica playing. We really liked how appreciative Terri Hendrix was of the crowd and of ¡Otra Fest!.
Rating: 4/5
Shinyribs
¡Otra Fest! closed with the incomparable Shinyribs who puts on one hell of a show. His band and him absolutely tore the house down with their energy and their passion for their music. The stage show they featured was classic and reminded us of a James Brown's stage shows a bit. Also, Shinyribs has energy for days and the dude can dance his tail off! The music was stellar and it was only further sold by the energy that the stage show brought.
Rating: 5/5
Closing Thoughts
In addition to a great musical lineup, Sunday featured chicken and waffles and a build it yourself Bloody Mary bar that was fantastic. It was a great way to close an epic weekend for ¡Otra Fest!. For a first time festival, ¡Otra Fest! brought big names, big personalities, and packed a punch. If you missed this event this year, you better line up to go next year as it's something you won't want to miss!
Festival Rating: 5/5