Big Freedia and company bright that magical sparkle of our neighboring friends of New Orleans to the live music Capital of the World, Austin, Tx.
The Queen of Bounce made her way to the iconic Emo’s on Riverside just outside of downtown.
You could tell after arriving it was going to be a special sort of night. With a nearly sold-out out crowd, it was tremendously packed. Last I remember hearing was about 1400 tickets were sold. The NOLA energy was in the air. Everyone was gearing up for the party of the weekend.

I’ll admit I didn’t get to catch the opening act but was able to get there in time to see the Houston favorites The Suffers. Upon a little research, I discovered they have moved in a new direction with the group. They are starting the New Year by amicably parting ways with originating members Adam Castañeda and Patrick Kelly. In on the backline is the latest member of the group, Juliet Terrill on bass guitar.

From upbeat singles like “Do Whatever” to soulful contributions such as “Giver”, The Suffers are sure to hit you with some kind of passion as they pull on your heartstrings while making you hop and sing along.
Next year will mark a decade since the band’s debut, and as lead singer Kam Franklin reassures everyone, there are plenty more Suffers jams coming soon.

One of the new tracks was an empowerment song about staying true to yourself in the face of life’s many hindrances. “It don’t cost a thing to be you, so be you!” sang Franklin as she moved across the stage with determination and grace. The second new song was a fun bounce-inspired track called “Yadda Yadda”, a not so subtle “f*ck you” to the establishment and the haters in the music industry.

High above the stage was a crown enclosed in booty, ready to be embellished by the Queen Of Bounce herself, Big Freedia. One by one, Freedia and her dancers took the stage wearing purple church choir robes, which were quickly shed once the first beat hit the sound system.

After their introduction to the crowd, the robes came off and the party ensued. Every beat was felt with high energy from Freedia and the dancers. As to be expected, the twerking captivated the fans. The dancers would shift between songs between a group of girls and a group of guys. Giving a fair share of stage time.

From that first note until the end of the night, the show was non-stop action and twerking. The audience was hypnotized by all the booty-shaking and enticed by the several call and response chants led by the New Orleans diva. At this time, not a soul in the room was still, stimulated by the bounce and turning up to the beat.

You can catch Kesha and Big Freedia touring together later on this Spring together. You can get more info on tickets for the Kesha and Big Freedia tour by going here