Perhaps you saw it come across the Twitter screen, in a Myspace bulletin, or on band blog. South by Southwest, otherwise known as SXSW, takes place in Austin, Texas. SXSW is actually three conferences that merge together each March: Music and Media Conference, Film Conference, and the Interactive Festival.
A couple of weeks ago, I perused the extensive list including hundreds of artists scheduled to perform at a showcase. The Elms, Family Force 5, Seabird, Anathallo, Anchor and Braille (Anberlin's Stephen Christian) are a tiny sampling of the acts I noted. I am sure with so many showcases to choose from each day, that it would end up being much like a day at the Warped Tour where I hope to see all of the bands on my list, yet they would all end up playing at once. Then again, why not check out some newer acts? No matter what, being amidst all of that live music would be heaven for this music-a-holic.
One of these days I hope to attend the music portion of SXSW. Music showcases are in abundance in over eighty stages in downtown Austin. I know I would enjoy being what some title the “Live Music Capital of the World” at any time of the year. But the opportunities to see upcoming and familiar artists compounded with music biz related panel discussions appeals to me. I would be in heaven. In the meantime, I can feel like I am there simply by following all of those blogs and tweets.
Most of the bands and media outlets have left Austin by now. But if you missed the action, photos, interviews, videos and feature articles abound in such places as HM Magazine and Alternative Press.