Screaming Females, Tacos + Concert Posters: SXSW Recap, Day Four

If you've been following along with our coverage of all things SXSW, you've likely noticed a trend: In our daily recaps and conversations on Instagram, there seems to be a focus on one specific gender.

That's not a bad thing. When you have the chance to see Courtney Barnett or Laura Marling multiple times, you don't hesitate.

Day Four (March 20) brought with it a number of unforgettable performances from the likes of Twin Shadow and Seinabo Sey, we once again have pulled some of the standout highlights from our experiences:

Best Set of the Night -- Screaming Females

If you came late to the Screaming Females' set at Spin's showcase, Marissa Paternoster's leggings could fill you in on what you'd missed. The black fabric was torn around the knees and her shins were covered in dust (which had clearly stayed there due to sweat). She's one of the most delightfully furious frontwomen in rock, and as she led her boys, the New Jerseyan flew around the stage with her guitar like a punk-rock pixie, hopping along the very edge of the platform as she soloed, planting a foot on a photographer's forearm for balance as she soloed and dropping to her knees for yet more soloing. "You make me feel so enlightened," she sang with an erudite English tone during live staple "Pretty Okay." Only moments before, she spat out a huge wad of saliva between lines — clearly it was getting in the way. The intensity of this tiny whirlwind of a woman also had a perfect foil in the contrasting cool of her giant bassist, a towering bear of a man with a scruffy beard and a big grin that grew wider every time Paternoster freaked out.

Best Breakfast Tacos -- Spin Showcase at Stubb's BBQ

They don't look inspiring, but can you put a price on free breakfast tacos? Exactly, no. The Spin day party at Stubb's kicked off with a brunch buffet that pretty much consisted 100-percent of these little food-folders. Scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, spuds, peńos ... a sturdy foundation for the day's winning lineup (see above, re: Screaming Females). Also, grabbing three turned out to be prudent considering the other free comestibles on offer included fruit-flavored malt liquor (Steel Reserve, for those interested in reliving the mistakes of their underaged drinking years) and, um, Dutch Masters cigars, also fruit-flavored (unless you prefer the cognac option). Yum?

Best SXSW Exhibit -- Flatstock 48

In addition to food and music, there are a ton of exhibits to see at SXSW. While we enjoyed checking out the trade show and looking at some killer new musical gear, we were most excited for Flatstock 48, a gathering of the world's greatest gig poster artists. Our expectations were high, but the event blew us away. The only downside was the fact that we aren't millionaires and couldn't buy every single poster we laid our eyes on.

Best Pop-Up Record Store -- Third Man Rolling Record Store

Austin has a wealth of good record stores, most notably the iconic Waterloo Records, but during SXSW, it wasn't uncommon to find spots that normally don't sling vinyl all of a sudden getting in on the fun. As usual, Third Man Records wanted to make sure they were a significant part of that scene, and with the Rolling Record Store, they stole the show. Not only could you buy limited edition tri-color 7"s from the truck, you could also watch amazing live music from acts like Thee Oh Sees and Olivia Jean. Vinyl and free music? Yeah, we'll be coming back to SXSW next year -- and we hope Third Man does, too.