Embracing the hustle and bustle of South by Southwest
On the short drive from Chapel Hill to Raleigh last September en route to the 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival, an exciting yet startling thought crossed my mind: I was preparing to jump on to a moving train.
With scores of bands taking over nearly every music venue in downtown Raleigh for three straight days, the sheer number of potential performances that would cross my radar made my head spin. Planning and adhering to a strict schedule of what artists to see began to seem futile. Over the course of three days, there was no telling where my feet were going to take me.
And now, as I prepare to embark for Austin, Texas next week to cover the South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW), the mecca of the music press, I can’t shake the same feeling, but on a much larger scale.
For many independent bands on the rise, all roads lead to Austin this time of year. A single buzz-worthy performance at one of the festival’s countless showcases and day parties could grant a band its big break.
Many of my favorite bands, including some I have reviewed for the Daily Tar Heel, are flocking in droves to SXSW this year. For an aspiring music journalist like myself, it would appear that all my favorite eggs are going to be in one great, bustling basket.
But I find myself confronted with the same dilemma that I experienced last fall. With so many bands performing at a seeminly infinite number of venues, how will I see it all? Or, how will I see enough to paint an accurate picture of the festival as a whole. That is my duty as a journalist after all.
In order to combat this problem, I’ve adopted a very Zen-like disposition: whatever will be will be. Following a schedule and meticulously planning out my days will only lead to disappointment and stress. The best way to truly experience SXSW is to plant myself in the middle of downtown Austin and let the wind carry me where it may.
Of course there are bands I’d like see. Like Syracuse, N.Y.’s Perfect Pussy, whose bombastic lo-fi punk offers much in the way of volume. Or Angel Olsen, a Chicago songstress whose latest album Burn Your Fire for No Witness will no doubt find its way on to my favorite albums of 2014 list. I’d love to catch garage rock auteur Ty Segall, who is headlining a particularly robust day party.
But if I were to find any of these shows at capacity upon my arrival — and there is a significant chance that I will — I do not plan on fretting. In a city as large as Austin and with its plethora of live music venues, there will be other options, of that I am certain.
Maybe I’ll catch a hip, new Austin act passing out handmade CD-R’s after a set at a barbeque shack. Or perhaps a European indie pop band on its first tour of States, looking to introduce its tunes to a global audience. Or even a group of punk teenagers who cut school to cut their teeth performing live in front of whatever audience that will have them. The possibilities are truly endless.
While I may be accused of having a particularly wide-eyed inclination towards a festival which in recent years has been accused of growing increasingly corporate and profit-motivated, I see no room for cynicism. With so many great bands condensed into one city, performing countless shows over the span of six days, SXSW represents a rite of passage for this young, eager music journalist.
diversions@dailytarheel.com
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