Cindy Wilson (of The B-52s)

Mar 17, 2017

12:35am – 1:15am CT

The Sidewinder Inside

This performance is part of the showcase that starts on Thursday, March 16at The Sidewinder Inside

Sunrise

Cindy Wilson’s current endeavor is as far from The B-52s as one can possibly imagine. Rather than shouting from the rooftops in "The World’s Greatest Party Band", Wilson swoons and whispers over swirls of subtle psychedelia, Quincy Jones-era strings, and pulsing synths.

With echoes of Air, Bjork, Tame Impala, and Gary Numan, the band refers to its infectious brand of new wave electro-pop as "Turbo Chill,” a sonic synopsis offered by the hosts of Adult Swim’s Stupid Morning Bullshit following the release of Wilson’s solo debut EP, Sunrise. Two years in the making, Change offers a challenge to fans of the iconic B-52’s, while cultivating a new generation of listeners.

After four decades on the road internationally with The B-52s, Change represents a full circle for Wilson. Tapping into her own local stock in order to start anew, Cindy returned to the same town that nurtured her own creative roots: Athens, Georgia. Change features a “native” cast of Athenian musicians including Ryan Monahan (Easter Island, Monahan), producer/engineer Suny Lyons (PacificUV, Dream Boat), Lemuel Hayes (Ola Moon, PacificUV), and Marie Davon (powerkompany).

The project’s live show represents one continuous audio/visual trance, as each song transitions into the next with unique band-created projections. The entire song cycle is an existential meditation in itself, exploring universal ideas of life, love, and the circle of birth and death - expressing the ancient and perennial principle that the only constant is change.

“It’s very different from a B-52’s show,” Wilson recently told PopMatters. “I get to play around with different ideas and beautiful melodies. I don’t have to yell in a rock voice. I think you can get an emotional depth in the types of rooms we’re playing that you can’t find in larger rooms.”

The band intends to release Change in Summer 2017 following an appearance at South by Southwest.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.

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From:
Athens, GA
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Subgenre:
Indie Pop