SxSW Music Festival and Why You Should Be Going
By Steve Poland • January 5, 2009
This will be my 5th year attending. If you are at all into new music or live music — SXSW (south by southwest) is the MECCA of experiences. This ain’t no outdoor festival crap.
I’m going to SXSW Music for the rest of my life. 1600+ bands, playing 4 days, 4 nights, non-stop, in ~75 venues in a 3-mile radius around town. Typically it’s the newer bands that if you’re “in the know”, then you’re getting the show of a lifetime — seeing a band that you know is going to explode on the scene, yet only you and 50 others know that and are seeing them.. in a small dinky bar with… 50 others.
I get the music wristband for like $160-$180 — last year I got into every show I wanted, including the covet’d NPR Showcase show @ The Parish [about 300 attendees; I waited 1 hour in line]. If you get the badge, you definitely get into every show — it’s about 3-4x more expensive and also gets you into panels during the day — but to hell with that. During the day, for free [note: no wristband even needed], you can get into all sorts of shows and see all the bands you want. Typically the day performances are only 20-30 min each, but they are round the clock! The night performances, which you need at least a wristband for, are 50min each. And btw, it’s high 70’s, low 80’s temperature wise in March in Austin.
Oh, I just can’t wait!
I live each year of my life for SXSW Music. I go because of the Music portion. Since SXSW Interactive goes on too, I go to that — but I’d be going even if there was no Interactive portion.
Warning: If you do go, you likely will be addicted. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
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