SXSW XX

Yesterday marked Melissa and I's ten year dating anniversary. Wow. Ten years. Senior year of high school. Brings back memories. In honor of that important date, there will be a guest blogger. Without further ado here is Melissa recapping South by Southwest.

Last Wednesday, I began the 4 day adventure of the SXSW music festival. The entire SXSW festival began the following Friday with the film and interactive portions. The music festival begins in the middle of the entire conference. For the entire week, Austin becomes the center of the music world. Everyone there is wants to be seen and heard. Luckily, this is also the same week the University of Texas has spring break. So downtown Austin is not like any usual weekend. There are no frat parties and people in a sea of orange. Just rocker guys with skinny jeans, dark hair, and shoulder bags. I spent $150 on a wristband that allows me to jump from venue to venue to hear any band I want, provided the venue isn’t at capacity. Music shows usually are scheduled at night from 8pm – 2am. There are about 5 bands per venue, and over 60 venues. Over 1400 bands are booked to play, including the Arctic Monkeys, the Pretenders, Roseanne Cash, New Pornographers, and the greatest, Morrissey. Well, let’s see what happened!

Wednesday, March 15

It’s a Wednesday night and I have work in the morning. Originally, when carefully planning by SXSW experience, I wasn’t sure if I was to attend anything on Wednesday. Was there anything worth seeing? Well, actually there is. The Matador Records showcase is at Stubb’s. Rock on! I attended that showcase last year. I waited in line for over an hour to get into the venue, but I still go in. Well, this year, I will show up early and get in. I have a wristband, but over the last few years, wristbands are becoming more and more worthless. You see, industry people and whoever wants to put up the money can purchase a badge. A badge can grant you access into any music venue. Badge owners have first dibs over wristband holders. So, I have a wristband, but if there is a line of people with badges, they will get in before me. Period. A venue can also choose to just accept badge holders, which leaves us wristbanders out in the cold. So, when I got to Stubb’s there was a line of wristband holders down the street and up the next block. Hmmmm, I sure hope I get in. Well, the doors opened and in I went. YES!! So, the groups performing for Matador are Jennifer O’Connor, Brightblack Morning Light, The New Pornographers, Belle& Sebastian and Mogwai. This is a major showcase and that is why the line is so long. I am sure the later it gets, the more people will show up. I was right. For the first act, Jennifer O’Connor, Stubb’s was moderately crowded. But as the night went on, the crowd thickened. Jennifer O’Connor was good. A nice way to start the night and a nice way to start the festival. Then there was the second group, Brightblack Morning Light. Um, very hard to describe. I think it was just hippie music. No one sang, just music. One guy provided “Oh’s” and “Ah’s” intermittently, but that was it. Not much talking came from the band. Unless you had a pipe, you were pretty much just standing around. Then, the New Pornographers. What a great band. They rocked and had a good time doing it. Neko Case and AC Newman know their stuff. You could tell thought they wanted to play longer than they 40 minute set allotted them. Neko said she just got her groove on when they had to leave. I highly enjoyed them and would recommend them to people looking for a listen. It’s 11 o’clock now, and I still have work in the morning. I decide to forgo Bell and Sebastian in order to get to bed to be rested for the next night. It is going to be a long few days.