South By Southwest, the annual music convention held in Austin, celebrated its 20th anniversary this past week. And while many industry analysts bemoan the declining revenues of the industry, SXSW continues to buck the trend and has expanded exponentially over the past several years. The 2006 edition boasted a whopping 1,350 music acts in attendance, with somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 people purchasing badges or wristbands. Although it doesn’t trumpet the fact, SXSW is undoubtedly the largest music conference of its kind in the world.
SXSW has proved to be a crucial launching pad for numerous acts, especially for young UK bands, with Franz Ferdinand and The Darkness being two recent examples that rode a wave of positive SXSW buzz to huge international success. As a result, the conference has become a spring break of sorts for UK music fans, and this year it seemed that one out of every four attendees had traveled from overseas.
Every UK music fan I met was quick to say how much they loved Austin, and how they were knocked out by the number of live music venues along the main thoroughfare of 6th Street. And two visiting bands actually announced during their showcases how refreshing it was to meet the friendly folks of Austin, who greeted audiences with smiles and enthusiasm rather than the standoffish cool they receive on native soil.
In addition to young acts, SXSW always amps up excitement by also booking music legends who are eager to hype just-released, or soon-to-arrive projects. This year the old guard on hand included Ray Davies, Morrissey, the Pretenders, Beastie Boys, Lyle Lovett, the Flaming Lips, Neil Young, and rather bizarrely … Judy “Send in the Clowns” Collins (huh?).
And while many longtime attendees tend to wax rhapsodic about the Texas sunshine in March, this was the second year in a row marred by overcast skies and the occasional light drizzle. Certainly not disastrous, but still a disappointment for a sun-deprived New Yorker like myself who had been yearning for an invigorating solar thaw after a long winter.
But enough background details. The reason you are reading this is to vicariously share in the thrill of my SXSW experiences. You want to know about how the young turks fared! If the old lions still had their teeth! You want to read about the dirt and scandal! Well, I’m not one to disappoint, so hold on tight and let’s get to it!
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15th
(The Rumble Strips)
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Article comments
1 - Chris Kent
Randy,
Great job on SXSW! It is rare when I read such an extensive blog loaded with such detail and information on what just might be the future of rock music. Austin's event has grown so much over the years, that it has become something akin to the State Fair - there's a lot of great food, but there's always the tent with the two-headed cow. I think the event is actually too big, with too many bands lost in the shuffle. How is someone supposed to catch 1,300 live acts?! Granted, there's a sense of excitement with finding a diamond in the rough, but SXSW has a lot of tall weeds to stroll through. Isn't it about time for someone to reign in this Titanic of a fest so the common man can actually find his way through?