TheFUSE has been fanboying Wichita Falls punk/emo trio Basics for a couple years now, but it had been way too long since we’d seen them. So, we decided to follow them from one unique spot to the next on successive nights, and in the process we got bonus music from Joy Drive and Garry Walden.
For the last After Hours Art Walk of 2025, we walked down to Deviance Skate Supply, where Basics was playing a set on the sidewalk. This marked our first chance to see the band with their current drummer Jono Hardman, and we thought Jono brought something extra to the band—a hard-hitting locked-in groove, felt primarily when guitarist/frontman Austin Rupe and bassist Trevor Teague break down into heavy riffing guitar breaks.
How good are Basics? As we were leaving, we ran into a friend who was just arriving. He said he could hear them from down the block, and he had to come see who it was because “they sounded too good to be just anybody.” When he discovered it was Basics, he said “that explains it.”
The following night, Basics were on the bill again, this time headlining at Wichita Falls most chill underground venue, a private backyard amphitheater called Birdman’s Nest. As a bonus, Joy Drive and Garry Walden were also performing.
The Birdman’s Nest Facebook page says “Our events are private and free. To be able to attend our events you gotta know someone that knows someone or something... WE ARE NOT A CULT!”
After an excellent acoustic set by Garry Walden [Ladybird, Mind Funeral], we got our first look and listen to Joy Drive, a Wichita Falls-based band that describes themselves as post-grunge. Joy Drive is comprised of Nathan Whisnand on bass and vocals, Nathan Banks, guitar and vocals, and drummer Logan Davidson, and we thought they were very promising, incorporating elements of hardcore and noise to create their own reckless sound.
Amongst the crowd of 40 or 50, there we several birthdays happening, including for show organizer Jay, so we all gathered around a table of pizza and cake for a rendition of Happy Birthday.
Basics headlined the night and not only played some of their better known singles from their catalog, they played a couple of brand new bangers that haven’t been recorded yet.
Have you been to a show by these performers? Been to Birdman’s Nest? Tell us about it in the comments.
Follow theFUSE on Facebook
Follow theFUSE on Instagram
