Spring Tee and I have done a few SXSWs. Sadly, this year I broke my personal five year streak. it's off the charts fun mixed in with some fine music. I call it the "rock and roll death march" because you need to sleep for a week when you get home, and you'll lose about ten pounds walking cause daytime and night showcases are all over the freekin town and buses are scarce. Bands play almost 24x4; in parking lots with generators, construction sites with power from adjacent office buildings, there's even an art gallery out on Congress called the Yard Dog that sets-up tents in their back alley. They hosted Flight of the Conchords there three or four years ago, before they even dreamed of success and a tv show.
Parts of 6th Street are closed to traffic and tour buses are banished to a lot over by the Convention Center. You'll see bands you know pushing equipment trolleys all over downtown. 930 club boardies already know about many of the bands there...sort of like the earlier link talking about the recently signed "new" band, Silversun Pickup??!!!! WHAAAATT? A 930 Club stapher told me to check them out three years ago. On top of the 1,900 "official bands" hundreds of rogue bands show up and play the free daytime showcases at clubs along 6th street, starting around noon every day. There you'll find some of the BEST unjuried bands - discards from the "Official SXSW" judges panel.
Just sayin...go but don't set your sights too high, and take a large wad of cash. Downtown hotel rooms and official passes are expensive (passes were over $600. walk-up this year). Coolest daytime hangout: Cedar Street Pub four-day headquarters for Filter Magazine: somewhere to sit down, have a proper cocktail and listen to unexpected visits from major headlining bands...like Snow Patrol a couple years ago. I thought I was hallucinating when Gary Lightbody took the mike and introduced the band like they were just off the boat. There were probably fifty people there. Good times for fans and bands. (Tips: If you're gonna go, make your hotel reservations in late August or Sept. for the following March. My fav. bunk-in is the Austin Hilton downtown; and take seriously comfy shoes.)
