
It’s currently 61 degrees in Madison and 81 degrees in Austin. In about 24 hours I will be exchanging my 3 layers (t-shirt, sweatshirt and wind breaker) for probably just a t-shirt and enjoying that 81 degree weather. I will also be leaving my beloved winter cap behind for a week of little to no sleep, thousands of bands, free beer and Texas barbeque.

This is not my first rodeo. I have been to SXSW the past two years and have seen some great music and some not so great music. I have been moved by the likes of Beirut and Phosphorescent only to be disappointed by A Place to Bury Strangers and The Mae Shi and also puzzled by acts like Telepathe and Free Blood (insert any other act who is equipped with only a mic and an ipod).

I have spoken with agents, some who embraced me with open arms and others who shut me out of their conversations or just asked me about the Music Committee’s budget. I have even been snuck into sold-out Cursive shows by band members of Bishop Allen only to be snubbed by other band members like Sam from the now defunct Narrator, who I had hung out with in Der Rathskeller only a week prior after I booked his band.
This year brings a whole new can of worms. I am ever closer to graduating college and it doesn’t look like my English major is going to pay off anytime soon. I am feeling the pressure of the future and the real world and with that this year’s trip has some added importance because I feel compelled to rub elbows, aggressively, with the industry’s best in hopes for a job in the future. At least I’m not Peter Truby, a 5th year senior with 3 majors and not a clue in the world what he wants to do but waste all his talent and intelligence in the music business.
On a more positive note there are some really great bands playing that I am looking forward to:
Abe Vigoda, Black Joe Lewis, Crystal Stilts, Cut Off Your Hands, Department of Eagles, Dirty Projectors, Ecstatic Sunshine, Efterklang, Grizzly Bear, Harlem, Harlem Shakes, Here We Go Magic, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Passion Pit, Ponytail, Real Estate, The Twelves, Vivian Girls, WAVVES, We Have Band and Women.
Jealous?
Let’s hear from some other Music Committee members who will be in attendance:
Erica Koehn

What are you expecting when you go down to SXSW?
I’m expecting for it to be insane, tons of people, so much music (both good and terrible), and for it to be extremely exhausting.
Who are you most excited to see?
Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear, Manchester Orchestra, Department of Eagles, Explosions in the Sky, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Tallest Man on Earth, The Decemberists…Those are some I can think of off the top of my head.
What do you hope to take away or remember about the week?
I hope that I have a ton of fun, see some really great bands, meet some cool people, and overall just have a great experience worth remembering.
Maggie Rivard

What are you expecting when you go down to SXSW?
I expect the unexpected. I don’t know what’s in store. I know I’ll have an awesome time seeing solid bands and I’ll come back to Madison exhausted. There are some bands that I have been wanting to see for years, so it’ll be a satisfying week. I’m pretty pumped. And I’m really excited to see Austin. I also expect to get sick of everyone I am going with and never want to see them ever ever again. Kidding.
Who are you most excited to see?
Grizzly Bear, hands down. On a similar note, Department of Eagles AND: Andrew Bird, The Decemberists, Phosphorescent (since I missed it last weekend), Akron/Family, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Tallest Man on Earth, Horse Feathers, Okkervil River, Indigo Girls, The Rosebuds, Cory Chisel, Women, Ladyhawke, Cotton Jones, Manchester Orchestra, Tori Amos, this is getting excessive. Yeah, there are a lot of bands I really want to see. Some of these may be in question considering I don’t have a fake ID. 21+ venues = worst possible idea EVER.
What do you hope to take away or remember about the week?
I’m getting lazy at answering these questions so…Epic shows. Enough said.
Look for daily updates from Austin over the next week. It’s about time I hit the road.
-Patrick