Neon Reverb Sunday: Leslie’s journal

After all the weekend festivities were over, I’m ready to wind down poolside at the Royal Resort. At 4 p.m., local indie-rockers Minor Suns are setting up and there’s a handful of people sunbathing next to the pool. The next 40 minutes of alt-rock are a bit of a’90s flashback, a breath of fresh air after all of pop bands I watched Saturday night.

Next up: an indie-pop band from Brussels, Belgium, called The Tellers. The group is on a West Coast before heading down to South by Southwest, and though the crowd is small crowd, The Tellers seems happy to be here. Their Libertines-y pop-rock and cutesy vocals win over the handful of people watching poolside. And then psychedelic surf-rockers The Tontons steal the show.

By the time the Houston outfit goes on, it’s dark out and most folks are gone, but those who stay witness a soulful performance from lead singer Asli Omar. With a stage presence reminiscent of ’70s Tina Turner, Omar interprets words and beats with choreographed movements. During new song “Golden,” she’s batting her eyes and shaking her hips in a little black dress while belting out lyrics like Grace Slick. Backed by powerful electric guitars, Omar sings a few more songs before ending with a sexy blues number. A great way to wrap up another great edition of Neon Reverb.