Recap: Afterglow Session #1
To celebrate the beautiful fall weather, months of hard work, and our love of live music, Afterglow hosted an intimate gathering for our community.
Written by Selome Hailu
Photos by Jonathan Castro
Jack Keyes plays a set in the cozy downstairs setup at Love Goat.
On October 20, we hosted our first Afterglow Session at Love Goat, a small bar on Guadalupe Street. The writers, artists, editors, and readers of our publication gathered together for two sets of live music played by singer-songwriter Jack Keyes and Latin R&B hip-hop group Mírame.
Keyes, a local Austin musician and senior at the University of Texas at Austin, started the night off with thirty minutes of warm vocals and a single guitar. He played seven songs, including five originals plus covers of “Jesus, Etc.” by Wilco and “Emerald River Dance” by Judee Sill. Tapping his foot lightly and smiling as he sings over melancholic chords, Keyes knows how to endear himself to his audience. “I’m sorry I don’t make music you can dance to,” he laughed between lyrics.
Dancing or not, Keyes drew us in closely for his last few songs. The Louisville native finished his set with “Kentucky,” a “love song to where [he’s] from” that wove together all of the questions of love, shame, and identity that his music asked all night. With unapologetic youth and an almost soothing sense of uncertainty, his final song exemplified what it sounds like to grow up.
“I’m a country, hippie, city kid/ And I’m proud to be/ If you’re proud of me.”
We migrated upstairs to Love Goat’s rooftop setup for a performance by Mírame. Everyone hesitated to find places to stand in the small, triangle-shaped venue — until the San Antonio musicians dispelled all awkwardness, playing a the vibrant first chord of “Intro” and gesturing all to rush forward towards them. There was no elevated stage, just a corner full of instruments and sound equipment. In demanding closeness, Mírame invited themselves into the crowd — or rather, invited the crowd to become a part of the music.
Mírame plays on the Love Goat rooftop as the sun sets.
Singer Natassia Casas’ belted out suave and powerful riffs and runs backed by the band’s smooth, funky instrumentals. They performed four original songs and a cover of “After the Storm” by Kali Uchis featuring Tyler, the Creator, a set passionate and roaring enough to move everyone on the roof (and almost certainly the passerby below on the Drag) to dance.
Their final song, “Inner Voice,” could have lasted forever, with various instrumental solos and a never-ending, rock-star-style chord progression. Mírame’s jazzy style, booming sound, and broad smiles left us stunned, wordless, and happy.
The Afterglow community enjoys Mírame’s set, gathered closely together.
Last Saturday’s session was a successful first of many live music events with Afterglow. Join us in our journey of sharing light and sound!
Footage of both performances and an interview with Mírame coming soon to our website. Watch Keyes’ other live performances here and here. Listen to Mírame’s music on Soundcloud. Their single “Spend the Night” is now available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.