As the stars came out on the sixth day of SXSW, badge-holders and hopeful attendees alike migrated from the Austin Convention Center to the Rainey Street District, lining sidewalks in hopes of watching their favorite up-and-coming artists perform.

One of these artists, LA-based The South Hill Experiment (S/H/E), took the stage at Austin’s beloved Mohawk. To the surprise of some audience members, the venue’s larger, outdoor stage presented not S/H/E but R&B band SNACKTIME, and as SNACKTIME began its first song, S/H/E fans funneled out in search of the indoor stage.

Confusion lingered at the indoor stage until five figures entered wearing chameleon masks and white laboratory coats. The get-up is not atypical. Founded by brothers Baird and Gabe (Goldwash) Acheson in 2022, S/H/E champions an antidote of freedom against a music industry that prioritizes hits, averting expectations in their music and performances. As audience members pulled out their phones to confirm the performance’s location, the mask-wearing band members launched into their first song, “Chameleons.” 

Striding across the small stage, lead singer and guitarist Baird commanded the room, calling on the audience to step closer to the front as he charged through “What it Means to Love.” As the two brothers’ ethereal yet punchy vocals and droned bass line pierced the room, the band’s unique experimental sound became clear. 

A closer look at the band’s laboratory coats revealed hand-drawn airplanes, fish and flowers mirroring those featured on their 2023 MOONSHOTS album cover, as well as a projector playing a stop-motion dinosaur film in the background. 

Moving into “DREAMS!” Baird established synergy with the audience, encouraging members to join him in the song’s repeated “Ah, dreams!” Both musicians with acclaimed solo careers apart from S/H/E, the two brothers demonstrated their synergy, too, trading off solos on the guitar and keys throughout the song’s interlude, until Goldwash took the mic to announce S/H/E’s support for Palestine.

After ensuring all proceeds from merch would go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the band continued its program with vigorous lines from the keys, guitars, basses and drums. Flowing from “Alright, OK,” featuring softer vocals and a slower synth, to “O SOFIA,” featuring upbeat percussion paired with nostalgic lyricism, S/H/E showcased a wide range of songs from their two albums. 

As the clock struck 10:40 p.m., Baird received a nod from the theater manager, announcing the performance would need to come to a close. Despite more requests from the audience, the band snuck in one closing song, hit “Gabo’s Last Resort,” before packing up their instruments in haste, not to hold up the next performance.