SXSW on a budget 01/12/2010
 
It's almost that time of the year - the great pilgramage south to Austin, TX for the annual SXSW.  Now before I get started on the subject in the title, I want to start by saying that I do not condone what I'm about to tell you.  If you have the financial means to purchase a badge to SXSW, it is absolutely worth it!  The badge will get you in to see panels, keynote speakers, the trade show area, tons of shows, and more. 

BUT, given the current economic conditions, many of you are probably sitting there asking yourself "Is it worth trying to come up with the money to get to Austin for SXSW if I don't have a badge?"  My answer - absolutely!  It's going to require some homework on your part, but if you plan correctly, it can be a very worth while trip.  Not to mention you can probably manage to stay drunk for at least 5 days straight (again, I do not condone this...and may or may not have done this in the past). 

So, how are you going to do this?  First, let's talk logistics.  Getting there - if you have some friends that are into music, get them to go with you, and drive.  Sure it can be a long drive, but if you're within 15 hours of Austin, probably cheaper for a group of you to drive than for all of you to fly.  Lodging - there are plenty of people that live in Austin that just want to get out of dodge during SXSW, and they rent out their place.  Or in the case that I experienced, a girl rented out the bedroom in her apartment to us and the 2 nights she was there, slept on the couch.  Might sound weird, but it was much more economical for us, and she made some money.  So start checking Craigslist ASAP to try to find a deal.  Eating - get groceries for the place you are staying, and eat some of the pizza on 6th St. 

Next, what are you going to do while you're at SXSW?  During the day, there are plenty of small record labels, publishing companies, other music groups, etc hosting showcases.  Many times you can get into these for free just by RSVP'ing on their website.  This is the part that is going to require a little homework to find the ones you want to attend.  Another great part about these is that they often offer a couple free drinks.  I saw some of the best music I saw at the festival at showcases such as this.  In the evenings, just walk down 6th St.  There is music everywhere!  Sure there are some shows that require a SXSW badge to get in, but there are plenty that do not.  But, be prepared to shell out a little cash to get into some of the better shows. 

Last but not least, the biggest way to make SXSW worth your time is to network.  That means beforehand (see who is going to be there), during the festival (meet up with them), and follow up after.  SXSW is a great time to see old faces and make connections for future endeavors. 

Hopefully I am there to see some of you this year.  After all, Cheap Trick is one of the headliners.  If that's not reason enough to go, I don't know what is. :)
 
Been a while... 03/25/2009
 

I think I write this almost every post, but holy crap it's been a while since I updated this thing!  I'm not going to sit here and make too many excuses, but let's just say I've been hella busy and leave it at that.

So, where have I been?  Well I just returned from an 11 day trip to Austin, TX for the 2009 SXSW.  It was a great time, but very exhausting.  We were working anywhere from 10-14 hour days, then networking at night.  We had a great promotion for our client throughout the interactive, film, and music portions of the festival.  I also met some great people from Revision3 - an online TV channel.  Check it out - they have some cool stuff!  Check out the episode of Scam School with our client's van in the episode. 

By the time the music portion of SXSW was rolling around, I was exhausted!  I was able to catch up with long time friend, Jason Vigil, who (I heard) put on a great performance at his showcase.  Way to go Jason!  A nice long night of 6 hours of sleep got me rested and ready to go for the rest of the music week.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to see nearly as many bands as I had hoped.  Late nights of work restricted the music I was able to catch.  I did get to see Jane's Addiction sound check for the Playboy Party...and got to be at the party (by the way, the bunnies really aren't that hot).   Dave Navarro still knows how to play guitar pretty well.

Probably the highlight performance that I saw was Janelle Monae at the Levi's Fader Fort.  She has a great voice, and her stage presence just blows the whole show out of the water.  Very entertaining to watch, that is for sure. 

We had a great new band from the UK play in our client's vehicle (performance will be posted soon) - We Have Band.  Very down to earth people and humble.  We checked out their show that night, and they put on a great performance.  Definitely check them out! 

All in all, it was a fun but exhausting week.  I think I'm still recovering...hopefully one of these days I can catch up!  Including posting more on here.  If you were at SXSW, share you're favorite bands with me!