Right, they’ve got Smokey for the keynote address and a bunch of panels and whatnot to attend, but the ambrosia of SXSW manifests in an already-musically-inundated town soaked through to overflowing with amazing artists and music lovers from around the world, largely just for the price of getting to Austin with a comfortable pair of walking shoes and a place to crash.
There is so much going on it’s ridiculous.
Brooklyn Vegan is hosting SEVEN shows over four days, starting tomorrow (Wednesday). Ninety-one bands total. All but one, I think, are free. Free admission, free drinks, free breakfast tacos and more. You’ll have to be selective. I strongly recommend you get over to the Saturday day show from noon to 4:30 at Galaxy Room. Wye Oak kicks it off. Other highlights: Besnard Lakes, Holy Fuck, Roky Erickson with Okkervil River, Suckers, Plants and Animals. Serious. Friday, starting at noon over at Club DeVille’s another choice show: Princeton, Pearly Gate Music (Tillmans), The Antlers, and Abe Vigoda, to name a few.Wednesday (tomorrow) night, also at Club DeVille, is the official showcase – free if you have a badge and worth the cover if you don’t – featuring Dawes, Here We Go Magic, The Middle East, Bowerbirds and Califone. Yippee.
Some other great free parties/shows (mere droplets amidst the sea of goings-on): Little Radio Shows – W, Th and F from 5pm at the Red Eyed Fly; Billions and Ticketfly present Thursday noon at Mohawk; The Baeble Show Thursday from 12-6 at The Scoot Inn & Bier Garten (free but you gotta RSVP); Terrorbird/Forcefield Party, Wed noon at Red 7; Check out the Waterloo Records events HERE.
Stubb’s isn’t free and the line will most likely be insane, but the line-ups each night are consistently worth the congenial beer-soaked wait.
Here’s a site that lists the bands, the venues and the parties: Do512. I’m tired. Go investigate, get excited and maybe make a loose plan. If you’re not from LA or visiting very soon, also try to get to a show by each of these artists: The Happy Hollows (from LA) and The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (from Denmark, coming to LA March 23rd).
Peace, love and good times. Have the best time ever, safely.
