Music
by Danielle Dreilinger
SXSW—“a spring break custom-made for giant music nerds,” as local blogger/DJ Janet Timmons describes it—starts in less than a week. Problem is, you can’t afford the $650 for a badge, and it’s too late to get the cheaper wristband that would have gotten you into the nightly showcases. But you don’t have to give up on Lone Star, queso and buzz bands. Turns out that “SXSW can be a total blast even without a wristband,” says Austinite Bryan Smith.Christian Cunningham, a San Francisco music promoter, has gone unofficially for six years and “seen every single band I wanted to see,” he says—56 last year for about $95. Apart from the financial savings, going commando “is totally kickass.” So whether you’re a cheapskate, a procrastinator or too cool for school, here’s how to swing SXSW with nothing on your wrist but your tatts.
Day
You can see pretty much every official band for free—at afternoon parties. “Wake up before noon and hit the streets,” says Smith, who’s booking non-SXSW acts at the bar Plush. At press time, showlistaustin.com listed 40 non-SXSW multi-band parties on Thursday afternoon alone, including the Raveonettes, Nada Surf and Motorhead.
The classic SXSW day party is free and open to all, and flows with beer and BBQ/Tex-Mex. “If you’re a real SXSW soldier you can eat and drink for free most of the time,” Smith says.
Cunningham didn’t even consider booking an official showcase for his organization, The Bay Bridged. “There’s nothing better than sitting outside watching bands, drinking cheap beer and eating cheap food,” he says. Last year, Jason Moon Wilkins of Next Big Nashville looked up at an afternoon party to see Peter Buck and Robyn Hitchcock hanging out.
Some parties require advance RSVP, so you’ll need to do some footwork. (An RSVP doesn’t guarantee a spot: Come early for the Raveonettes.) Check showlistaustin.com, donewaiting.com, freeyrradio.com, The Austin Chronicle, austinist.com and unofficial_sxsw_info@yahoogroups.com.
Ask your musician/industry friends. Ask anyone. SXSW is “full of people who are as obsessed with music as I am,” Timmons says.
The conference hosts a few official day parties. Skip ’em.
Night
Admittedly, “daytime is a hell of a lot easier,” says Austin’s Ben Londa, who works for the company behind Lollapalooza. You have two options: night parties—far less numerous than the afternoon affairs—or, yes, official showcases.
Badge- and wristband-wearers get priority entry, but most venues will let in plebes (for a fee) if the room doesn’t fill. To make this work, “You can’t go venue-hopping,” Cunningham says. “You’ve got to pick your shows, you have to get there early and you have to be rational.”
“There are definitely shows that you won’t get into at all,” Londa says, likely including anything at La Zona Rosa, Stubb’s BBQ, the Parish, Austin Music Hall or (often) Emo’s outside.
Timmons prioritized a few bands on her first trip last year and saw them all. “I really wouldn’t aim to see more than five of your favorites. Really, what this festival should be about is discovering something new,” she says.
Overall, plan but be flexible. “I promise—after a bunch of beers and some Austin sunshine you’re going to abandon your agenda and just end up walking toward whatever sounds good,” Timmons says. “And that’s awesome.”
Don’ts:
Don’t: snag a badge/wristband from your friend who leaves early. The fest has been known to scan badges and wristbands at the door and match them with ID. Don’t: rely on friendships. Timmons got on the guest list for some official showcases, but Wilkins couldn’t get into the Chicken Ranch show even though his friend runs the label. Don’t: pretend to be Nic Harcourt. Wilkins saw the real article fail to sweet-talk his way into a Franz Ferdinand show a few years back.
Sure, going commando requires extra hustle. But all true music fans have a sense of adventure. “Keep your expectations within reason, but also remember that nothing is out of reach,” Timmons says.
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