In Austin, everyone gets their ID checked … even grizzled rock veterans like me. And though I had my ID checked many, many times throughout the week, one encounter stands out for a particular reason.
While entering the British Music Embassy on Saturday, the security guy noted that I was coming from Canada. “I’m sorry,” he added – presumably a comment on the rising tensions between our two nations over the past couple of years – though he also threw in a little jab, joking about us being “number 51.”
It served as a reminder that, not just for Canadians, but for any of the international SXSW attendees, coming to the U.S. these days can feel a little weird. And it’s definitely having an impact. The number of Canadian acts on the bill seemed notably lower than in years past, and while Canada House was back this year after its cancellation in 2025 over tensions surrounding trade and tariffs, it appeared to be focused solely on the Film and Innovation aspects of SouthBy, leaving out the dedicated Canada House showcases and parties.
Regardless, there was still a solid contingent of Canucks in town for the event, and, much like I did last year, I made a bit of a concerted effort to check out my fellow Canadians while in Austin. Luckily, supporting the home team is easy enough to do when they sound as good as Kali Horse.
The Toronto art/psych rockers were playing the Swan Dive Patio on Saturday night as part of the Project Nowhere showcase on a bill that also featured OOZ, Ancient Greece, Spoon Benders, and CDSM and they put on a solid performance that definitely got people’s attention on Saturday night. Sam Maloney & Desiree Das Gupta are both commanding presences onstage, and the band’s trippy psych rock, often incorporating electronics, translates quite well in the live setting.
During their set, I overheard a woman telling her friend that she could watch the band “do anything.” She did qualify that by adding she was on mushrooms, but honestly, she wasn’t wrong. Kali Horse are a very watchable band.
