After a total of driving about thirty five hours each way and experiencing a non-stop party in between, SXSW was an unforgettable experience. I traveled out to Austin with my three other bandmates and my producer. None of us had ever commuted this far in a car, and some of us flew back because we couldn’t handle the dry and dusty drive. One thing’s for sure--we all didn’t have the slightest clue about what we were getting ourselves into.
We took off Monday at about noon with five of us in a P.O.S Chrysler van with just enough money to pay for gas. By Wednesday morning we arrived in Austin and couldn’t believe the skyline. It looked like a mix between San Francisco and Oakland, with a little L.A thrown in.
The center of the festival was downtown near 5th street, with a few other venues on the east side that were holding some of the biggest showcases. We stopped at Red River and 6th street where all the day parties were just starting. Somehow I managed to find the Noise Pop Day Party with Two Gallants, and this great local Austin band called Brothers and Sisters. The day parties were going on at every venue in the city and showcased talent from all over the world. All of these parties served cheap drinks and sometimes offered an open bar and free food. The venues had multiple stages inside and in the back where bands played back to back until the night showcases took over the city.
My band played the next day at the Orchid on 7th street between Trinity and Neches. We played the Viper Room and Swing House Day Party with Astra Heights, Monte Negro, Lincoln Bedroom, and Meiko. Our set was short but sweet and we were joined by another musician from Oakland who played the piano.
After playing our set we were able to hang out and enjoy the free show for the rest of the day. There were dozens and dozens of industry professionals checking out our showcase. Everyone seemed to be really nice because in all of our eyes no one knew who you were. You could be a famous rock star or a record label GM, and we were all hanging out in this city to celebrate live music. There were over 1,600 bands playing the festival and about 100,000 people taking over the streets. It was complete madness.
The the festival showcased bands from all styles from all over the world, and I was craving something new and edgy. I decided to go to as many electro, dance, and hip hop shows I could it in a day. I went from venue to venue seeing groups that were mashing up electro and hip hop style grooves with dance beats. One of my favorite shows featured The Cool Kids from Chicago. They were smooth and sly up on stage and engaged the crowd with one of their hits, “Gold in the Pager.” Other performers who I saw were Flosstradamus, A-Track, Kid Sister, and Chromeo. Bands like MGMT, Vampire Weekend, RJD2 , MSTRKRFT, Sia, Dr. Dog and Why? Were the talk of the festival, but it was all about the lesser-known bands here. This festival was an amazing experience because I was able to see how it worked from both a musician’s, and fan’s perspective. Make sure to check out SXSW next year--you will be blown away. Trust me.