Not Your Usual Sea Shanty

For the first weekend of South By Southwest 2025, Gorton’s Seafood took over the Parlor Room on Rainey Street with shrimpy samples, free drinks and great tunes. We got to catch Borderline and Saint Blonde on the front lawn Sunday afternoon.

Gorton’s lineup for Sunday, March 9, started with a set from DJ Mel followed by brothers Ray & Paul. While the venue was at capacity at the time, those of us waiting in line were still able to enjoy the band’s indie-rock tunes from the other side of the small fence.

Borderline were next with their first of many SXSW performances. The New Zealand quartet consists of Ben Glanfield on vocals, Matthew McFadden on guitar, Jackson Boswell on drums and Max Harries on Bass. They played tracks from their 2023 album “Perfect Movie Scene” and their most recent single “When it’s Raining.” This felt like a perfect start for their USA run of shows.

Denton, Texas, group, Saint Blonde, came to close out our time at Gorton’s with some of their top hits. The indie-alternative band is composed of Tré Rollins on guitar, Kyle Cade on bass, Hunter Fitch on vocals, Alexander Hernandez on guitar and Tyler Lee Cooper on drums. Their most recent single “Prowl” seemed to be the one getting stuck in everyone’s head for the rest of the day. Rounding out our time at the Gorton’s Pop Up, we’re eager to see what Saint Blonde’s debut album will be like.

You can find more photos from the Gorton’s Pop Up Here, Saint Blonde, Borderline