Troubled Acres, the camp that turns you emo…
One for the books, a DIY show in San Marcos TX. Hosted in the forest at the Private Park venue, campfire included. The lineup of Texas based emo bands and a crowd full of colorfully dressed kids (wearing all black). This wasn’t your average local show. It wasn’t just about the music, canned food donations and proceeds from the show were brought to the South Side Community center. Allowing everyone to be a part of something meaningful while enjoying music from badass bands.
DIY music, or scene music if you grew up on the west coast, has had a full revival in the past few years. Shows are hosted at houses, warehouses, small venues and even convenience stores. Allowing small bands to have a stage. Most shows are less than $10 or free to attend. Many people grow to love the DIY scene more than regular concerts for the intimacy, creativity and freedom.
Houston has the most legendary DIY scene in Texas. Other Texas cities like San Marcos following close behind. San Marcos, the home of Texas State University. A very understated hub for young creatives. Members of KTSW radio station and university students; Brendan Morrow and Hannah Baratang have amplified the scene to a new level. With a heavy amount of scramz (screamo) and alt bands compared to Austin’s punk/metal, and Houston’s punk/hardcore.
Troubled Acres hosted locals Lady Luck, Austin based Rose Ceremony and Die Mart, Denton based Jockey and closed the night with DJ No Eyes. A perfect balance of emo, punk and screamo. As the saying goes “every band was a local band” they all have big band energy. My personal favorites being Jockey and Die Mart. Die mart pulling a hard first for their intense performance. Dj No Eyes chilled the night out as the campfire died out and everyone began to clean up. It’s guaranteed we’ll see more epic shows like this in 2024.
Watch the Montage here: TROUBLED ACRES MONTAGE