Though Austin’s never quite been corralled into any singular sound in the past couple decades, you’d probably expect a fair amount of Southern rock from the Lone Star State’s capital. That’s where Black Pistol Fire comes in. Vocalist-guitarist Kevin McKeown and drummer Eric Owen’s lifelong friendship began in a North Toronto kindergarten class and graduated into a musical partnership by the time they were in high school. But despite their non-native status to Texas, their name alone seems like a litmus test to detect Southern drawls, (depending on whether or not you pronounce the handle’s final word as “Fah-er” rather than “Figh-er”) and as such, the duo’s felt right at home here in Austin for the band’s now decade-long tenure.
These five–time Studio 1A veterans (and three-time My KUTX guest DJs) and their raucous Southern-punk concoction have been a KUTX favorite from the get-go, so much that we named them our May 2016 Artist of the Month. Black Pistol Fire was conspicuously quiet after the release of their 2017 record Deadbeat Graffiti, only returning to stoke their eponymous flames with a string of singles beginning in 2019, ultimately culminating in this year’s Look Alive. You’ll want to Look Alive this evening for Black Pistol Fire’s headliner spot at Emo’s along with Emily Wolfe and Shooks, but even if you can’t make it in person, you can tear into the weekend with the album’s fierce title track!
–Jack Anderson
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