Punk Supergroup Demolished Thoughts Debuts at SXSW

As a statement of purpose, it was concise: "We're a cover band," Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore barked, opening the late-night SXSW set by Demolished Thoughts, his side project with J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and Andrew W.K. at Austin's Red 7.

Andrew W.K., who gave Spinner the band's entertaining pre-festival interview, didn't actually show -- he "got lost," Moore said. So Jonah Falco from Toronto band F---ed Up filled in on bass for a set of pile-driving hardcore covers from frontman Moore, Mascis and Don Fleming on guitar and Awesome Allison from Awesome Color on drums.

Together they thrashed their way through 45 minutes of punk-rock chaos for an audience that included actor Bill Murray, guitarist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye and Mascis' Dinosaur Jr. bandmate Lou Barlow.

"We're doing extended versions for all you punks," Moore declared midway through the set.

Propelled by battering-ram drums and thunderous guitars from Mascis and Fleming, Moore howled out mostly unintelligible lyrics from a stapled sheaf of papers and, between songs, issued anti-music-biz broadsides at a showcase sponsored by his own Ecstatic Peace imprint.

The group opened with 'Snobs' by Gangrene, made their way through Section 8's 'Fat, Drunk & Stupid' (dedicated by Moore to "record-label weasel" types) and took on Deadline's 'Stolen Youth,' made louder, harder and faster.

After a blistering main set, Demolished Thoughts returned for a two-song encore to end the show.