First off, this isn’t Pitchfork, so don’t expect any elaborate descriptions likening Peter Bjorn and John’s performance last Wednesday in Austin to a Wilhelm Reich essay on modernity. Up until a few moments ago, when I Wikied Reich, I thought he was the periscope operator in “Das Boot.” Not to mention that I originally assumed Peter Bjorn and John was the name of a gay day spa in New York.
However, I will say that I experienced what can only be described as a total sensory overload of music (and comedy) at this year’s South By Southwest festival. I think some 2,000 bands played in the span of four days. And those were just the acts that were “officially” listed.
Wherever I went in Austin, I was immersed in music. I’d sit down at a local Mexican restaurant, and there’d be some cool band playing on the patio. I’d use the bathroom, and there would be some singer-songwriter doing an acoustic set next to the urinal. I’d walk around the block, and there’d be a group of buskers serenading me. One night, a homeless dude even tried to get me to do a “mic check” on his crack pipe. Whatever that meant.
And then there’s the actual music venues: the clubs, the bars, the concert halls, the tents, the fucking McDonald’s. They were all packed at all times with an ever-changing roster of bands. Sometimes two or three different acts would be playing in different rooms of the same place at the same time. Sometimes it seemed like two different bands were playing in different times on the same stage.
Of course, to hear the music, you had to schlep to the music. And that, my friends, was the second biggest activity at the conference. You schlep everywhere. You schlep to the shows, you schlep to the parties, you schlep to meet up with your friends. I met one hipster who had been schlepping for so long, evolution had taken over, and his man-purse actually grew into an appendage.
Speaking of hipsters! Does anybody know how many it takes to see a show at South By Southwest? 100. Ten to watch the band, five to blog about it, and 85 others to stand in line for it. Now multiply that equation by five-fucking-million, and you’ll have some sense of the impromptu population of scenesters, gawkers, shit-talkers and rockers that descended on the Texas capital last week.
And what an ironically homogenous group of non-conformists we were. For the boys: disheveled, skinny, and mustached was the look (as opposed to preppy, fat and clean-shaven?). I swear to God, there was enough lip hair there to form a complete chain of “Ironic Moustaches Across America” coast to coast. Only the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca can boast more facial scruff for your buck.
For the girls—and I’m not even going to pretend to know what the hot-shit fashion of the moment really is—Olsen Twin chic still seems to be holding sway. You’d suspect every cute indie chick was nursing a black eye, judging by all the oversized sunglasses being donned.
But I digress. Overall, South By Southwest was a lovely affair. Despite the long lines, the crowds and the drunkenness, I can’t remember seeing even one person having a bad time. For the most part, the attendees were cheery and polite, and the locals, gracious and inviting.
Lastly, our party was a blast, and if you couldn’t make it, you better axe somebody! Big ups go out to following peeps for making it the best damn two-day comedy/music extravaganza there: David Cross, Aziz Ansari, Eugene Mirman, Brian Posehn, Jon Benjamin, Hard & Phirm, Jonah Ray, Michael Showalter, Zach Galifianakis, Jon Glaser, Leo Allen, Les Savy Fav, The Black Angels, Andrew W.K., Dark Meat, Brother Reade, Spindrift, Danava, Matt & Kim, David Vandervelde, The Apples In Stereo, Ladyhawk, Fatal Flying Guiltoteens, The Carbonas, The Cubical, Dead Meadow, The Walkmen, The Black Lips, The Ponys, Deerhunter, Fucked Up, Sloan, Erase Errata, Sean Blacklist, Adam Hobbs, Henry Owings and Jared and the entire staff at Red 7.
SXSW Lost In Austin Brad Neely Super Deluxe Tim and Eric Nite Live Make Funny Not War music Baby Cakes Rants Bob Odenkirk Podcasts Atlanta Jonah Ray Professor Brothers Eugene Mirman Watch and Listen odd Austin Texas interviews Olde English Fark TV Devin Flynn Y'all So Stupid Chelsea Peretti Mess With Texas 2 Super Deluxe Uploaders Site Updates Daily Inspiration Launch blogs Hard N Phirm Xmas MySpace Drugs Are Bad Mmkay Reviews Dave Hill Thank You news Frumondah South By Southwest Super Deluxe employees Super Deluxe blog Tim And Eric NYC The Post Show Ben Schwartz Cartoon Corner All My Exes David Cross
My liver has contacted his attorney and he’ll be sending you a bill for damages incurred by all the free scotch.
If my memory serves me correctly, this was the best party ever.
-J
god damnit! i’m so pissed i missed this!
why is it that sxsw tickets are like 1000 fucking dollars? the only kids who can truly appreciate all the bands and shit are way too poor to go. sucks balls. do you have any idea how bad i wanted to see les savy fav? probably not. and all those comedians? jesus christ. i’m gonna go scream into my pillow until my dick falls off.
Um, yeah, Perry, that’s why our party was FREE for all… not just badge wearers. Next year, just hitchhike down to Austin and the rest (free shows, free BBQ, free beer) will work itself out. You might need your dick.
i played south by. i’m in a band called moros eros (www.myspace.com/moroseros). the shows i played were sick (over 300 at our label showcase). i got to drink and party at our big show but that’s about it… i’m 19 by the way. turns out sxsw sucks terribly if you’re under 21. even with the all access wrist band i was unable to go to any shows that i wanted for lack of ID. fuck that.
i had a effin’ blast!
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Phat Farm Store…
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….