The Paste 20th Anniversary Party presented by Ilegal Mezcal in Photos and Video

SPONSORED

We had an amazing week at SXSW at The Pershing in Austin, Texas, celebrating 20 years of Paste Magazine with our presenting sponsor Ilegal Mezcal. We kicked it all off on Tuesday, March 15, with a special femme-forward celebration with our friends at Women That Rock. We continued through Friday, March 18, showcasing 44 bands in all and giving away hundreds of copies of our special 20th Anniversary vinyl sampler featuring Keb Mo’, The Wood Brothers, Seratones, Warren Haynes, Valerie June, Julia Jacklin, Courtney Marie Andrews, Half Waif, Lunar Vacation and Wheatus—which you can still enter to win here.

We were joined on our site by our sponsors Ilegal Mezcal, who created a custom cocktail menu for the event, as well as providing tattoos for many of the artists; Karbach Brewing, who provided the beer; Gold Rush Vinyl, who made our beautiful sampler; FreshTix, who handled all the RSVPs; The Razor Group, who was on hand with their Porto Vino wine totes; and SuperMush, giving away samples of their energy, immunity and chill sprays.

We captured all 44 performances, all of which are available to stream on the Paste YouTube channel.

Tuesday, March 15
Paste Magazine 20th Anniversary Showcase:
A Celebration with Women That Rock

New York City’s Moon Kissed kicked off the whole party with their fun dance-pop set on the outdoor stage. The day’s many highlights included Pom Pom Squad’s Mia Berrin commanding the stage in her giant red platform shoes, S.G. Goodman shredding on the indoor stage and Sunflower Bean closing out the day. Watch Sir Woman’s phenomenal set below.

Pom Pom Squad photo by Lindsay Thomaston

Stream all the concert video here:
Moon Kissed
Hannah Jadagu
Mamalarky
Madison McFerrin
Pillow Queens
Sir Woman
Pom Pom Squad
Seratones
Katie Toupin
S.G. Goodman
Sunflower Bean

Wednesday, March 16
Paste Magazine 20th Anniversary Showcase: Day 2

Wednesday’s lineup was ridiculously stacked. Geese and Yard Act proved why they were among the buzziest bands at SXSW this year, and BLACKSTARKIDS’s infectious energy was the perfect way to close out the day.

Yard Act photo by Lindsay Thomaston

Stream all the concert video here:
SUSTO
Malin Pettersen
Geese
Enumclaw
Gustaf
Yard Act
Fake Fruit
Katy Kirby
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Lunar Vacation
BLACKSTARKIDS

Thursday, March 17
Paste Magazine 20th Anniversary Showcase: Day 3

Our third day of celebration showcased a range of talent, from veteran L.A. alternative rock band The Dream Syndicate to Swedish post-punk band Pom Poko to country singer Holly Macve to English indie band The Lathums. We were especially proud of our second band of the party from Paste’s hometown of Atlanta (after Wednesday’s Lunar Vacation), Lowertown.

Lowertown photo by Lindsay Thomaston

The Dream Syndicate
Pom Poko
Particle Kid
Kiltro
Teenage Halloween
Joshua Hedley
Holly Macve
Lowertown
The Heavy Hours
King Hannah
The Lathums

Friday, March 18
Paste Magazine 20th Anniversary Showcase: Day 4

We couldn’t have asked for a stronger finish to our anniversary celebration than a Friday that began with the soulful sounds of Sugaray Rayford and ended with the post-punk brilliance of Manchester, England’s W.H. Lung. Joe Evans, the charismatic frontman of the latter band, hopped down from the stage to engage the crowd in an unforgettable performance. We’re incredibly thankful for all the bands and fans who celebrated with us in Austin or watched along on our livestreams.

W.H. Lung photo by Lindsay Thomaston

Sugaray Rayford
Joshua Ray Walker
STUCK
Runnner
IAN SWEET
Sour Widows
Water From Your Eyes
Boulevards
49 Winchester
Fieh
W.H. Lung