As a quick overview, it was another successful SXSW. It's not an easy festival to negotiate without some serious planning. With 100's of unofficial shows and a slew of SXSW showcases to choose from/ The cost of the badge (if you buy one), hotels and flights, and the Increasing distance between venues means you must have a plan, then have a back up plan.
You also must use social media to keep on top of changes. Is it worth it? For me it has been because to me it's about discovery and the festival has made that a focus again recently but it is a festival built around the industry. Most that buy badges work in the industry, they are not here as simply music fans as I am, they are here to do business and see bands. But what the festival offers is almost 2000 bands and surely anyone could visit and find a new favourite while seeing seeing some of your old favourites as well.
This year, I was able to see 99 bands, (100 if you include Talib Kwelli that I heard between sets late one night). Not only that, Austin is a wonderful city that offers up great weather, great food, and some mighty good tasting Craft Beer so there is that.
It gets harder as I get older and post festival general notes have started to list venues and showcases that offer plenty of comfortable seating so that should indicate just how hard it is but with a festival like this, at which you could watch bands from 6:30am to 2 am every day..it still excites me to think about it so we will have to start thinking about SXSW 2018!
Jim
