I’ve been attending SXSW for a few years now and it’s hard to believe another year of the mega-super-conference-and-festival-giant is down and out for the count. It’s interesting to see how things continue to evolve and change year to year and also what continues to be SXSW tradition. Here are some of my humble observations!
The new trade show vibe. This year the trade show at SXSW combined Interactive and Music participating companies. Was it weird to have our booth next to the likes of Microsoft and Monster? Totally. But for Sonicbids, a music-tech company, it actually worked out really well. We made lots of new connections from companies that might not have stayed around for all the music events, and we were still able to see good friends and partners and see what folks have been up to lately during the music portion – all the while meeting the hundreds (literally) of bands that got their SXSW using Sonicbids!
Showcase madness grows. Last year, I remember thinking to myself one night in Austin: “Man, this SXSW thing is crazy. I don’t think anything more insane can possibly exist aside from a straight up riot.” Welp, I was wrong. Thankfully, we didn’t quite hit riot levels but Sixth Street continues to be, as I like to call it, the modern day Babylon. You can stand anywhere at night and your eardrums are banging with the sounds of at least 5 different bands from stages through the open doors or on rooftops, not including the bands constantly busking on the street itself. The bummer from all the craziness? Lots of looong lines to get into the venues, ugh. My favorite part? The potent smells of the food trucks and beer happily distract you while you dodge the sea of characters, animals and pedicabs that fill the streets.
Our party at Maggie Mae’s keeps getting better and better. This was our third year having an Official SXSW Party at Maggie Mae’s – and I have to say, it’s now hard to imagine SXSW without it. Now, I’ll admit I am biased as I worked with our good friends at The Planetary Group to build the bill for the day. But in all sincerity, I was blown away by all the amazing talent that graced the venue that day. You can check out the lineup here and get a solid dose of awesome music – and don’t forget to put all of the bands you see on your gig radar. Each one put on a great live show. For those of you there who stopped by, thanks for joining the fun. Thanks also to our friends at JanSport, BMI, Musician’s Institute and Myxer for making the day a smashing success!
The glorious weather rejuvenates all. If you’ve had a winter like the one we’ve had here in Boston, you’ll know why the constant 80 degree weather and the ability to wear flip-flops was a-maz-ing. Enough said there.
Check out some photos below, or more at our Facebook! Thanks for a good time as always, Austin. Until next year.
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