Kicking off SXSW 2018 Music was an official opening party at The Main on Tuesday, March 13. Opening up the main stage was Catalonian singer Bad Gyal. Accented with long blonde extensions, fake nails, and auto-tuned vocals, the Spanish-language singer pumped up the crowd with the authenticity of her gyrating dance moves.

Following Bad Gyal was Pussy Riot who were not at all pleased that they could not show a political video because the SXSW backdrop needed to show sponsor logos. The two members of the group quickly remedied the situation by applying virtually non-removable black tape over the banner and then masking it completely with a flag that read “Pussy is the new dick.”

After a quick introduction by another recently freed political prisoner, Chelsea Manning, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova explained that they are not musicians but artists and then tore into their high-energy set complete with backup dancers doing fist pumps and kicks into the air. Shrouded in complete darkness for nearly all of the set, the feeling was anxiety-inducing as the masked artists jumped around and pointed flashlights at each other and the crowd.

Headlining the early showcase was North Carolina old-school indie rockers Superchunk, who brought a youthful energy despite their age — flailing their guitars in the air and playing with speed and determination. Performing in support of their album What a Time to Be Alive that was released less than a month ago, they have several key headlining slots during the week.