Stand By Your Bill

Big Bill: “Hawk” / “Trick Everybody” (Live at Mohawk)

Over the past three weeks you’ve heard plenty about our August 2024 Artist of the Month Big Bill. But be honest…have you seen them live yet? Because despite the quality of their studio recordings, the real magic happens once Big Bill sets foot onstage to a packed house.

Fortunately for those who haven’t yet witnessed the madness firsthand, KUTX Presents Big Bill next Saturday at the Mohawk alongside fellow recent Artists of the Month Grandmaster and Superfónicos plus Cloud Companion. With a bill as big and eclectic as that, you’re gonna get your money’s worth if you stick around all night. But if those other acts don’t scratch a particular itch, and you’re still on the fence about paying the price of admission just to catch Big Bill at the Mohawk, we’ll let their latest offering do the talking for us.

And that’s on behalf of one hell of an accurate sneak peak: a live music video taken from a performance at the very same venue. Sure, Big Bill’s latest, Strawberry Seed, marks a new direction for the band, but there’s no denying the crowd-pleasing cacophonies of their earlier material. So the two-tune medley of “Hawk” / “Trick Everybody” (from 2022’s Public Freakout Compilation and 2017’s Stand By Your Bill, respectively) goes just as hard as the crusty, claustrophobic house shows of Big Bill’s salad days. With frequent cuts to the crowd, the audience engagement is palpable. And with stylistic choices like non-stop jump cuts (seriously, we don’t envy anyone transcribing this to a shot list), hyper grainy resolution, and extreme close-ups, these visuals feel like they came straight out of a late ’90s skate video. And see all those folks up front meshing in with the mosh? That could be you next Saturday…