Daredevil’s Charlie Cox Insists He’s Not in Spider-Man Movie, Just Like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Did

When a canister of toxic waste splashed into his eyes, young Matt Murdock lost his ability to see. But between his natural talents, the effect of the chemicals, and the cruel tutelage of his mentor Stick, Murdock enhanced his other senses. So acute are his hearing and smell, in fact, that he can tell when […]

The post Daredevil’s Charlie Cox Insists He’s Not in Spider-Man Movie, Just Like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Did appeared first on Den of Geek.

Taking in all the music at South by Southwest is a bit of a marathon. You find yourself waking up thinking, “I couldn’t possibly drink again tonight. My ears are still ringing; how can I be expected to step foot in another loud club? My voice is gone — I couldn’t hoot and holler for another band if I tried.” But then you catch a second wind. And a third. A well-timed Celsius and an Arrachera taco from the strategically placed TacoWëy food stands get you feeling right as rain. The combination of electrifying talent and FOMO propels you from one set to another until you find yourself at closing time, knowing it will hurt again in the morning, but soldiering on all the same

I cannot lie; the common refrain amongst locals and longtime attendees is that attendance is down. The literal gaping hole where a centralized convention center once stood/will stand is a reminder that SXSW is missing a centrifugal force. Meanwhile, the film, television, and technology sectors of SXSW feel like they’re taking up more of the oxygen. That said, we didn’t let that prevent us from traversing downtown, 6th Street, South Congress, and East Austin in search of familiar favorites and fresh finds.

cnx.cmd.push(function() {
cnx({
playerId: “106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530”,

}).render(“0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796”);
});

Here are the most notable acts that the Den of Geek staff enjoyed at South By Southwest 2026.

Adult DVD

When I chatted with the Leeds-based dance punk band Adult DVD on Monday afternoon, they had been awake for over 24 hours. After their gig the night before, the lads had spent the wee hours riding mechanical bulls at Buck Wild. I was chuffed when they happened to saddle up next to our group at Casino El Camino for some pints (OK, I’ll stop with the Brit speak) and cigarettes after we had just caught their second show of the festival at the British Music Embassy. Their laid-back charm was particularly endearing after an afternoon set plagued by in-ear and monitor issues, which momentarily frustrated the band even if it ultimately didn’t affect their sound. It’s par the course for the tight stage turnovers at SXSW, and they rose above it.

Still, it was a relief when everything came together for Adult DVD Monday night at Swan Dive; their infectious, funny rave-ups finally popped the audience. Sweat dripped, bodies bumped up against each other. Moves were busted. For a kid who longed to experience a prime house set at the Haçienda in Manchester in the late ‘80s, or a DFA dance night on the Lower East Side in the early 2000s, this might be as close as I’ll get.

If I were a writer for the NME, my hyperbolic headline would be “I’ve seen the future of indie sleaze, and its name is Adult DVD.” And look, I realize it can be intoxicating to rub shoulders with bands you admire, but I promise this isn’t that; this was Den of Geek’s unanimous favorite band of the festival. The band is working on their debut album with Fat Possum Records as I type and I’m smashing the preorder button first chance I get. I’ve been walking around singing “BILL MURRAY, BILL MURRAY IS LOST IN JAPAN/TOM HANKS, TOM HANKS SAYING CATCH ME IF YOU CAN” into strangers’ faces. Look it up and you will be too. – Nick Harley

2charm

Sometimes you have to take a risk and tell your millennial bosses that the must-see artists at SXSW are two shirtless guys from Melbourne doing pushups onstage in Ugg boots. I’m talking, of course, about 2charm, the indie sleaze “gooner pop” duo. We caught them at Seven Grand Whiskey Bar on Sunday night, and their 1 a.m. set delivered exactly the second wind we needed. I first discovered 2charm back in October with their single “boyfriend,” and they followed it up with their debut album star scum city in February. What I didn’t realize before seeing them live is just how choreographed their performances are. Every song has its own set of moves, and at times it felt like I was playing Just Dance Sweat Mode, trying to keep up during my favorite track, “girls.”

Yes, it really is all about girls, but the men of Den of Geek were just as into the set. I don’t know if I can definitively say they were the best act we saw at SXSW as a group, but I can say with complete confidence that they were my favorite of the festival. Consider me charmed. – Darcie Zudell

Merrick Winter

I saunter into a scene I don’t feel quite cut out for, my first time in a church in 10 years and it’s arguably the most beautiful music venue in all of Austin. With nothing but an artist title, two ears, and a dream, I sit second pew. Central Presbyterian Church has walls 70 feet high built out for the echoing melodies of Merrick Winter.

Winter combined vocals akin to Caamp (Ohio mentioned!), and Elliott Smith adjacent songbooks to take this audience on a train ride. No, seriously, he beckoned us to take the California Zephyr if we hadn’t already in the title track of their latest full body of work, The California Zephyr. His stance on flying: “Hell no. Sorry…God.” Winter was quick on the draw to thank his audience. Maybe it was the Holy presence or just his London charm. – Riley Clark

Sofia and the Antoinettes

I don’t envy the position that Sofia and the Antoinettes were in on Thursday. As the third name on the lineup of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Festival, the London-based singer and her three-piece band were facing a crowd in desperate need of a second wind after two acts had already played and Lola Young’s performance was still hours away. Within seconds, that second wind blew right through Sofia’s Old Hollywood hair and revived the crowd with haunting melodies and poetic lyricism. She charmed the crowd with cheeky anecdotes about past lovers and the internal inspirations behind her music. I felt the presence of Jeff Buckley, Phoebe Bridgers, and Nick Drake onstage beside her as existential bridges swelled and I found myself hoping the set would never end. – Sophia Rooksberry

Gogol Bordello

Fresh off a connecting flight and the dreamy haze of sitting on a Florida beach, I was snapped right into the high-seed neon chase of SXSW by Gogol Bordello’s opening night performance. Listed as a “high sensory experience” online, the Lower East Side punk outfit’s performance delivered an encounter so steeped in flashing lights and mania, I thought I was being beamed up. Led by singer Eugene Hütz, the seven-piece band engaged and enraged through songs from their newest album, We Mean It, Man!

Deciding the crowd wasn’t living up to expectations, Hütz ordered the forming mosh pit to “Start swaying motherfuckers.” He was happily obliged when Puzzled Panther jumped on stage to perform a personal favorite off the album, “From Boyarka to Boyaca.” Fans new and old crowded the three-storied venue, jumping, pushing, and screaming the night away. The performance was capped in a delirious crowd and a spontaneous sidewalk performance outside the venue. After nearly 30 years under pressure, Gogol Bordello has burst forth as a gem of post-punk revolution. – Alexandra Hopkins

Geordie Greep

After the dogged pace of SXSW, the Tuesday night set from Geordie Greep was uniquely brain-melting. Greep’s jazz-influenced guitar freakouts and his impossibly tight band are almost maddeningly idiosyncratic. It was a smart choice to simply project Greenwich Mean Time on the screen behind him as he performed; never has such a bugged-out midnight showcase felt more like 5 a.m. – NH

Didjits

South By’s only scorching hot day, reaching a high of 99, required plenty of hydration. Rick Sims was having none of it. “It’s full of vodka,” he joked, holding up a full water bottle to the packed backyard at Hotel Vegas. Or not. Who knows. Who cares? The longtime Didjits frontman offered us a reprieve from the late afternoon sun, drawing in the crowd with his abrasive antics and thundering riffs.

His Didjits journey dates back to the early ‘80s, but Sims seems energized by his much younger touring bandmates—who offered smirks and winks as they watched their fearless leader trade middle fingers with fans, heckle the crowd (“Austin bitches!”), and spunk off the neck of his guitar into the crowd mid solo on multiple tracks. Sims fed off the adoration of the punk-mad scene in Austin. And from the moment we saw him strut on stage—with a frilled blazer, puffed shoulder pads, dark, round glasses, and seductively shaking his old ass and wiggling his tongue, we gave it right back. Middle fingers up for a punk legend. – Chris Longo

Amor Vincit Omnia

It’s 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. I’m bloated from barbeque, exhausted, and severely dehydrated, yet somehow still being pulled toward the stage at Low Down Lounge by two blond Icelanders asking, “Do you wantttt it?” Amor Vincit Omnia’s sound is compelling in a way that’s energetic enough to have you shaking your head, yet hazy and vibey in a way that makes you want to stretch your arms wide and just float. I saw their set completely sober, but their blend of folk textures and electronic noise still made me feel like I was on a cloud.

Things took a turn from intriguing to unforgettable when the pair pulled out small egg shakers and moved across the stage in perfect sync. It was so specific and totally captivating. The set clicked into place during “Rvk Amour.” Before playing, they asked, “Who loves being in love?” and the room lit up. Amor Vincit Omnia may not deliver perfection, but they sure do deliver a feeling that got me excited for the rest of the night. Definitely an artist to watch. – DZ

Grocery Bag

For some cruel reason, Texas temperatures dipped below 60 degrees on March 16 and 17. Leave it to Austin’s own Grocery Bag to bring the heat at a chilly outdoor performance at Zilker Brewing. Their staggering 10th performance of the festival didn’t show a hint of fatigue. Guitarist Dillon Aitala bounded across the stage in overalls while bassist Logan Kerman stood out with memorable riffs. Friends of the band packed the crowd and made it obvious that the formidable psych garage band could play 10 more shows and they’d all be as memorable and well-attended. – NH

Amie Blu

Amie Blu and band did nothing short of impress. There is no better sight than a female vocal lead standing foreground to a male band—a promise of a solid quintet dynamic. Billboard House welcomed Blu to Mohawk Outdoor where audience members ducked the beams of scorching sun like vampires. As soon as Blu took to the stage, a cool air swept through the venue and parted crowds merged into one. Was it magic or just the lullaby of music to my ears? The South East Londoner fits snugly into the Indie Pop category with a sound of the likes of Mk.gee and Faye Webster. The 23-year-old was wise beyond her years, serenading ye olde truths in her sung poetry and sporting loafers. Amie Blu, if you’re reading this, my deepest sorrows for the loss of your kitten. – RC

Mugger

Hardcore punk band Mugger pummeled me into adorant submission. With a devil-may-care attitude and melodic yet brutally heavy riffs that would make Turnstile blush, they were by far Den of Geek’s collective favorite Austin-based act. Just when I thought the band couldn’t be any better, lead singer Anna Troxel donned a luchador mask halfway through their set and essentially transformed into a punk superhero. This band should be on everyone’s radar. – NH

Chalk

I discovered Chalk while absentmindedly listening to my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify a few months ago. Their song “Conditions” scratched my Irish alt-rock itch with a tinge of nostalgic new wave elements, and it became a regular feature in my rotating playlists. You can only imagine my surprise when I wandered into the British Music Embassy sometime around midnight to find the very same band dominating the stage.

The trio was mostly playing tracks off their new album, Crystalpunk, which dropped two days prior to their first SXSW set. Chalk’s new album fuses my beloved dejected hardcore sound with techno dance beats and autotuned vocals. “It’s like if Charli XCX made punk music,” I screamed in my friend’s ear as “Béal Feirste” washed over the crowd, another track off the debut album that turned me from a fair-weather Discover Weekly fan into a diehard daily listener. If my ear is correct, Chalk is on its way to becoming the biggest musical name out of Ireland since Fontaines D.C. – SR

Gus Baldwin and The Sketch

Another Austin punk band? Look, I promise, we checked out other genres, but something is fucking happening in the scene here! Gus Baldwin and The Sketch are so powerful that a cowboy hat just materialized on my head. The Sketch are like if Parquet Courts listened to more AC/DC. And out of every band we caught at SXSW, Gus Baldwin is the best frontman, full stop. – NH

Cashier

Hat tip to the official SXSW playlist for putting me on to the Lafayette, Louisiana four-piece Cashier. Leading into the festival I had tracks “Part From Me” and “Maybe I Was Wrong” on repeat so aggressively you’d think there was a monetary prize for landing in the top one percent of an artist’s Spotify Wrapped. I was both thrilled for the band yet dismayed for my newfound fandom to see a line out the door of Chess Club for their gig.

Eventually we pushed through and were met with a wall of bodies and crunchy, swirling riffs. In their recent EP release, the band is quoted as saying their work is a celebration of rock guitar. A no frills stage presence led by vocalist and guitarist Kylie Gaspard allows you to ruminate on any range of influences from grunge and hardcore, to pop punk and ‘00 alternative. It feels less celebratory and more like a coronation: the Southern rock revival has indeed spread from Asheville to Lafayette, and westward to Austin. – CL

Elijah Johnston

At the legendary Continental Club, Elijah Johnston was lucky he wasn’t pulled from the stage. Not because he wasn’t up to performing or captivating the crowd. On the contrary, the whip-smart lyricist was dropping winning, earworm choruses left and right. However, it was Athens in Austin night at the Continental, a showcase for Athens, Georgias’s ever-lively music scene, and Johnston confessed that he actually had been living in Atlanta for quite some time. Shhhh, Elijah — we won’t tell if you don’t. – NH

Slomo Drags

You’ll never know who you might meet when you’re catching a breather. “I like your hat,” was all it took to get me to talk to Ty, whose partner’s band was playing inside. I was asked if I had seen any Austin bands. I sure did, hence why I was very interested in hearing more. Ty says lead singer Jackson Albrachtis a mixologist in town and crafts some of the best cocktails you can imagine. I would love to fact-check this, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I think he might actually craft better songs!

According to Albracht, SXSW is dead, but thank God he and his band are here to resuscitate it. They make top shelf indie rock filled with funk and hooks galore. Adam Mason is one of Austin’s best guitar players and all-around Swiss Army Knives, even mixing it up in Ben Kweller’s band alongside Superbad star Christoper Mintz-Plasse, but here, he’s holding it down on bass. During their performance, I wondered where the glorious keyboard licks were coming from; the Chess Club stage necessitated that Ty’s partner, Bowman Maze (of Sometimes a Legend), sit criss-cross applesauce in the corner of the stage. These guys don’t suffer drunk repeaters or fools, but they love anyone who sings along. – NH

CDSM

Remember Adult DVD? From above? Surely you’ve listened to them by now. For this band, think moodier, but every bit as dancey, with 100 percent more saxophone. Kinda reminds us of the Voidz. Remember when we said Adult DVD’s Tuesday night show popped the fuck off? Afterward, a buzzed-up group of attendees spilled out into the street, and we met Tyler, who told us about his band, CDSM from Atlanta. It was serendipity; when the Adult DVD gang was asked about their favorite set that they caught at SXSW, they didn’t hesitate to say CDSM. Listen to Adult DVD’s advice — these guys rule. Buy their shirts, records, and stickers. They played 14 shows in eight days; they deserve it. – NH

The post Adult DVD, Gogol Bordello, Amie Blu: The Best Music We Caught at SXSW 2026 appeared first on Den of Geek.