SXSW XX

Oh my. It snuck up on me again. I hadn't realised until just today that this citywide insanity case was coming up so soon.
It is hard to imagine that there are folks out there who don't know of this event that makes Austin Texas the centre of the world briefly, but for thos ewho might not:

South By South West,or SXSW as it's known, is a 10 day meet-n-greet and talk and party and just about anything goes for the film and music industries. someone is under the idea that Austin is the centre of some movie industry, which I have yet to see, and almost anyone who knows of Austin knows of its rep for music. It used to be a combined thing, but I noticed this year that they gave a full 5 days to the film people and a full 5 days to the music people. If you want to pay for the wrist band,you can literally walk all over about a fifteen mile square area for those five days and hear all sorts of music. There are free events too, but many folks want to feel they are special by wearing the identifying marks. Personally, I avoid the town as much as I can, or make plans for specifics only. I know nothing about what goes on for the movie people, 'cos I don't care and am not impressed by hollywierd or any of its cronies. Just not a movie person. I am a music person.
I have checked out the online list for who's playing this year and have only seen a few names I would go to any length to catch: my friend from Dallas, Salim Nourallah. Killing Joke. Well, okay, that's not good! That's all I can think of!

There's plenty of time and thousands of bands will be playing. If there is anything SXSW is good for, it is finding new people, new music. I searched for people I know and love on that list, because it is such great exposure for them, and was surprised not to see many. The cool thing is, they may still be playing during that time, but not as an official part of the conference. Austin's music venues are going almost non-stop the entire 10 days, and literally thousands of bands from around the world come to be heard by any means possible.

You're probably out of luck this year if you decide to go, because hotels are booked out well in advance, the wristbands go so fast it'll make your head spin, and the official entry list for the music stuff for this year is full. BUT....should you have a friend or aquaintence who might be willing to lend a bed, couch or bit of floor for whatever sleeping you try to do, it's worth the trip at least once for the music nuts. I suppose for movie buffs too, but like I said, i know nothing of that. I do know lots of celebs hang out in Austin that time of year; Mickey Rourke and a couple of others were at one Del Castillo gig 2 years ago. (Can't miss that face...not pretty, but one of a kind!)

Speaking of which, my Boys aren't listed to play! If they aren't on tour, I have no doubt they will find something to do, but they are on a deadline to release the new CD, so maybe they took the year off. You'll note that they chose NOT to release the CD while SXSW was going on. Wise. No one gets enough undivided attention during that time, and my Boys deserve to! Yes, I am biased! And the involvement in this indie movie Killing Snakes will probably tie a couple of them up at the film thing, if I have figured out their producer at all.......oh well. I just hope someday we out here get to see this production. I am curious if the guys can act anywhere near how they play. ;) They're a bunch of hams; they gotta have some of that ability in them!
Ah well, the day calls. I am off to figure out what that means.