Austin, TX – Last Thursday at the SXSW festival, Bose and NME hosted the C23 Live showcase in celebration of the launch of the C23 mixtape – an exciting new compilation inspired by NME’s iconic C-series. The C23 Live showcase featured incredible performances from Flo Milli, 070 Shake, Jockstrap, JVKE, Blu DeTiger, Genesis Owusu, Danielle Ponder and Renforshort.
The event at Inn Cahoots was a testament to the power of live music experiences – bringing together a crowd of over 1700 devoted fans throughout the day. The queue for the outdoor showcase stretched across two blocks from the bustling East 6th street location throughout the day and night, even as storms threatened the area.
Where: Inn Cahoots – Austin, Texas
The day began with a sunny afternoon of music from fast rising alt-pop artist Renforshort, critically acclaimed singer Danielle Ponder, bassist extraordinaire Blu DeTiger and New York collective MICHELLE at Inn Cahoots’ outdoor courtyard festival stage. The audience could also explore an installation that featured magazines and memorabilia from NME’s rich history, alongside evolving Bose audio equipment, outlining the journey of both brands through the decades.
To open the evening showcase at 7:00 P.M., the audience was treated to a special golden hour performance from breaking US hitmaker, JVKE. He drew huge crowds to usher in an evening of spectacular live music, with dramatic, bedroom-style staging and sing-along moments to popular hits “this is what falling in love feels like” and “golden hour” proving the perfect transition from daytime into night.
As the sun went down, Genesis Owusu exploded onto the stage, with his troupe of dancers hyping the audience with a dynamic, fast paced show. With an epic backdrop of a dazzling giant live projection against the side of Inn Cahoots, Genesis Owusu wowed fans as he moved through the audience who he had chanting and jumping along right until the end.
At 9:00 P.M., inclement weather paused all SXSW programming taking place outdoors. After a delay to allow the weather pass, C23 Live restarted as UK duo Jockstrap took to the stage, performing a series of eclectic songs from their critically lauded debut, I Love You, Jennifer B, as hundreds of excited fans rushed back through the gates.
Flo Milli was next, bringing an incredible energy to the venue, playing banger after banger. It was a powerful set that saw one of modern hip hop’s heavyweights bring her A-Game for the dedicated crowd at Inn Cahoots.
070 Shake then stepped up to perform her set of futuristic R&B that showcased the wealth of cross-genre talent on display at the Bose x NME C23 showcase. The performance of “Skin and Bones” was one of the most hypnotising of the night – as Shake enthralled the crowd with her sumptuous vocals.
It was a phenomenal day and night that highlighted the impact and power of live music. The showcase was a defining moment of SXSW this year: a combination of genre-defying artists in an incredible location with stunning sound delivered by Bose.
ABOUT NME: Launched in London, UK, in 1952 as the New Musical Express, NME has grown into a global media powerhouse that creates and curates content, products and experiences essential to fans of music and pop culture today. NME brings together the best writers and photographers to provide a multi-platform editorial offering that is at the bleeding edge of what matters most across the globe — be it music, film, TV or gaming. Intent on shining a spotlight on the artists and stories coming out of the world’s most compelling music scenes via NME.com, NME also has dedicated editions for Australia and Asia, using its distinctive voice and point of view to champion and celebrate established and emerging homegrown talent.
NME is part of NME Networks, a next generation media company that views the wider world of pop culture through the lens of music and also includes leading brands Guitar.com, MusicTech and Uncut. NME Networks has operations in the UK, USA, Singapore and Australia. NME.com
ABOUT BOSE: Bose is world renowned for its premium audio solutions for the home, on the go, and in the car. Since its founding in 1964 by Dr. Amar Bose, the company has been dedicated to delivering amazing sound experiences through innovation. And its passionate employees — engineers, researchers, music fanatics, and dreamers — have remained committed to the belief that sound is the most powerful force on earth; its ability to transform, transport, and make us feel alive. For nearly 60 years, this belief has driven us to create products that have become iconic, changing the way people listen to music.
