As seated, Toronto reggae band Magic! are Mark Pellizzer ("Pelli"), Alex Tanas, Ben Spivak, and Nasri, who shared some of their experiences at SXSW 2016 with the Texas Chapter. Tanas and Spivak are drums and bass, and were added after Nasri and Pelli began writing together. Nasri had already been a hit-making songwriter and Magic! became his chance to create music he identified with as a performer. Their two albums so far have been 2014's Don't Kill the Magic and Primary Colours in 2016. Spivak spoke to Toronto's large Jamaican community and its influence while they were growing up, and Tanas cites the Police as especially influential. Pelli says they all began writing the second album during the success of the first, so they'd be ready. Nasri addressed the fact that being ready only gets you so far at SXSW. "When we performed here the last time, I myself as a frontman, I was very inexperienced with this kind of situation like, 'Get up and play.' No preparation," Nasri said. "But coming now after touring, you just have to have a good time ... The sound is not always perfect here because there are no soundchecks and there are so many acts, so what you convey is what matters … You've got to get into your music and enjoy your music, and people will see that."
Leonard Cohen Tribute To Feature Sting, Lana Del Rey, Elvis Costello
