Influenced by the deadpan irreverence of The Monks and Talking Heads, Big Bill is known for their darkly comic, nervy take on punk rock, fully embracing the “all are welcome” vibe of punk circa the early 1980's, as embodied by Austin legends like Big Boys and The Dicks. Formed in 2011, the seed for the band was planted years earlier, when the Braden brothers spent countless untrained hours piecing together music in high school. Even as the band's ambition grows, that Outsider Art element to their music lives on.

“SXSW attracts artists and fans from all over the globe, but it always provides a great opportunity to catch some local talent, too. Austin’s fearless freaks Big Bill – serving Sparks/Dickies realness with their nervy, punky new wave and Cheap Trick realness with their nerdy, mismatched attire – fit that bill (no pun intended) nicely. “Who here is tired? Well, f— you!” shouted Warhol-wigged, Emo Phillips-voiced frontman Eric Braden, before waking everybody up by leaping into the crowd and wriggling on Bar 96 dirt floor until his white suit was filthier than Andrew WK’s. Thanks, Big Bill, for doing more than your part to keep Austin weird.” - Lindsey Parker, Yahoo! Music

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