Presented by High Road Touring
Charlotte Rose Benjamin
The very first sound you hear is a doubled, drifting vocal calling out the name of early aughts teen movie star, Hayden Panettiere. “Dreamtina is my cross to bear and my altar ego.” As a Gen Z/Millennial cusp it makes perfect sense that Hayden Panettiere would be an early informant of Benjamin’s concept for Dreamtina, but the humor and specificity in naming the opening track after the head cheerleader from the Bring it On franchise is where Benjamin really shines as a writer. Her lyrics can be startlingly honest at times and shamelessly pleading; take the 90’s alt rock inspired track “Cumbie’s Parking Lot,” in which she begs for someone to “take pictures of [her] and post them on the internet.” Or in “satisfied,” a track with a Moldy Peaches campfire style earnestness hijacked by a Weezer-like gargantuan hook, in which she recounts a story about a recent ex boyfriend accidentally showing up to one of her shows. Dreamtina’s funny moments bring depth and self awareness to it’s serious notes. In “Deep Cut,” an intimate dance of waltzing guitars and delicate melancholy, Benjamin confesses that she’s “built like a strainer, a useless container, but at least [she'll] admit it"
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.