Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

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October 4, 2022
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D.on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers make Austin their home during SXSW

2015-03-18_SXSW_Stephanie
Stephanie Tacy

A trio of traveling gypsy musicians has made Austin their temporary home this week.

With cigarettes dangling loosely from their lips, D.on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers flooded the corner of Sixth Street and Congress Avenue with a type of music they call “dirty gypsy blues.”

The eccentric trio perform with a single drum, a white string bass and D.on Darox on accordion and vocals. Their sound is a mix of swing and Americana roots music with a New Orleans vibe, although they prefer to just call it “dirty gypsy blues.”


The “dirty” in ”dirty gypsy blues” refers to Darox’s raspy vocals, and the “gypsy” alludes to the band’s nomadic lifestyle.

Rachel Zein | Daily Texan Staff

“We just crash in different cities and play on the streets everywhere,” Darox said.

The Melody Joy Bakers may be street performance veterans, but this is the trio’s first time at South By Southwest. Although they were temporarily hesitant because of the prevalence of EDM shows, Darox said they are happy to be in Austin meeting new people.

“It’s big, it’s nice, it’s fun, it’s good,” Darox said.

The band doesn’t have any official gigs, Darox said, but plans to perform for tips on the streets until Saturday.  They are also selling their second self-released, full-length album, Tango.

“This is what we do for a living — we are professional buskers, and we have a good time,” Darox said.

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D.on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers make Austin their home during SXSW