BBC Interviewer Melvin Bragg: "You were the great star of Woostock. Woodstock itself was one of the biggest pop events in world terms because of the film that millions of people had seen. It was a marvelous thing in its way but just as a matter of interest, what do you think it changed? What was different after it? What did that generation, all those people, given the same time by the same thing and yourself and such, what did it change?"
Pete Townshend: “Well, it changed me. I hated it.”
--from The Kids Are Alright
South by Southwest is upon us here in the People's Republic of Austin, so like Ed Clements of KLBJ, let me welcome you to town. Have fun, spend lots of money, then go home.
SXSW, for those who don't know, is a multi-faceted local festival that highlights film, computer technology and applications, and music. It involves not only performances and displays, but also conferences and speeches for "industry." It originally started as a means to showcase local bands for the national media, a product of the local hubris that has always believed the best bands live and play in Austin but for some mysterious and unjust reason never attract the national attention they so richly deserve. The Austin Chronicle was the initial sponsor, but it quickly mushroomed into the multi-headed, bloated, beer company and Dell sponsored dinosaur it has become.
At the risk of having some local Birkenstocker/Austin Chronicle reader send me an anthrax letter, let me explain why I dislike SXSW so much. My primary reason is, concededly, classic bitter middle age man whining: its the locust plague of slackers, hostel-jumping dropout kids, record company swine, club rats, music "journalists," spring breakers, tweakers, freakers, skater punks, clove cigarette smokers, small town rubes, bands looking for gigs, and nihilists that descends upon and clogs up downtown. Basically its our own version of Douchebags on Parade. These people apparently think they can spill into the middle of the street or dart in squirrel-like fashion into traffic while staying impervious to cars, have never seen a traffic light or understand what those mysterious color sequences mean, and are responsible annually for the worst traffic in Austin. They overflow the local restaurants, make it impossible to park downtown, cut off the streets, and rob the town of all rental cars and hotel spaces. Again, I know this totally reeks of "if its too loud you're too old." So I'll move on to something more fair.
I also tire of SXSW's pernicious fanning of the flames of hip, cool Austin smugness. "Come check out this band, they're so in no one's heard of them." "I think Michael Stipe may be coming by later to jam with Dennis Quaid." "We're looking to option our short to Sony with a side development deal." Gratuitous Matthew McConaughey sightings. Live acoustic sets on KGSR. People spending thousands on clothes meant to look "vintage." Martinis at Molotov, before the Lou Reed keynote. In short, it lures people here to come partake in the coolness that is Austin, even though in its present incarnation it involves nearly the opposite of the actual Austin lifestyle it purports to promote. all the while promoting its inevitable and painful transformation into Dallas, or mini-LA. The South Park episode lampooning the Sundance Festival hits very close to the SXSW home. Again, please at least send the anthrax to my house, not to work.
There also seems to be a kind of developing and disturbing social stratification to the festival. On the one hand, you have the corporate rich white guy types with their Kristen-like arm candy jamming to the hep tunes yo (like the Rob Lowe character in Wayne's World). They make it to the film premieres, the Antone's after-parties, the meet and greets at Stubb's backstage, and the like. Then there's the slacker, plasma donating crowd that sold hemp bracelets to raise the bus fare to get here and who jam on street corners for meal money. That works just fine when you're on tour with the Dead, but doesn't really suit SXSW. The drill is that the music festival takes place in various local clubs, and you need a wristband to get in each club. The wristbands cost $165. That makes it pretty tough for this type of visitor to enjoy the festival. REM, for example, played Stubb's, but that was a wristband only show. Not all acts appear in places that require wristbands, but you still have to pay a cover charge to many of these places. So this means there's really two festivals-one for the rich folk, one for the poor. Ain't it always so.
As a festival goes, I think the logistics are poorly thought out. Because the bands play largely in clubs, you have to go club hopping to check out the bands you want to see on any given night. The clubs aren't terribly far from each other, but many are well beyond walking distance, so that means lots of cabbing (or bussing). Then, you often have to wait in line to get in if the club is full. Merely having a wristband does not guarantee entry (although there is an extra-expensive, extra-premium form of wristband that basically allows you to cut in line). So you conceivably could spend half your night standing in lines and trying to get to particular clubs instead of enjoying music. Which sort of defeats the whole purpose of going in the first place. Something like Jazz Fest, Austin City Limits festival, Bumbershoot, or the Chicago Blues Festival, which are all in confined and defined spaces, works much better. All the acts are within easy walking distance, you need a ticket to get in the area (keeping out various random criminal elements), its safer (no drunk drivers and readily available police, EMS, etc.), and there's no waiting in line to hear bands.
So, Austin visitor, enjoy our fine weather, music, dining, and hospitality. Spend lots and lots of money. Then beat it.
Pete Townshend: “Well, it changed me. I hated it.”
--from The Kids Are Alright
South by Southwest is upon us here in the People's Republic of Austin, so like Ed Clements of KLBJ, let me welcome you to town. Have fun, spend lots of money, then go home.
SXSW, for those who don't know, is a multi-faceted local festival that highlights film, computer technology and applications, and music. It involves not only performances and displays, but also conferences and speeches for "industry." It originally started as a means to showcase local bands for the national media, a product of the local hubris that has always believed the best bands live and play in Austin but for some mysterious and unjust reason never attract the national attention they so richly deserve. The Austin Chronicle was the initial sponsor, but it quickly mushroomed into the multi-headed, bloated, beer company and Dell sponsored dinosaur it has become.
At the risk of having some local Birkenstocker/Austin Chronicle reader send me an anthrax letter, let me explain why I dislike SXSW so much. My primary reason is, concededly, classic bitter middle age man whining: its the locust plague of slackers, hostel-jumping dropout kids, record company swine, club rats, music "journalists," spring breakers, tweakers, freakers, skater punks, clove cigarette smokers, small town rubes, bands looking for gigs, and nihilists that descends upon and clogs up downtown. Basically its our own version of Douchebags on Parade. These people apparently think they can spill into the middle of the street or dart in squirrel-like fashion into traffic while staying impervious to cars, have never seen a traffic light or understand what those mysterious color sequences mean, and are responsible annually for the worst traffic in Austin. They overflow the local restaurants, make it impossible to park downtown, cut off the streets, and rob the town of all rental cars and hotel spaces. Again, I know this totally reeks of "if its too loud you're too old." So I'll move on to something more fair.
I also tire of SXSW's pernicious fanning of the flames of hip, cool Austin smugness. "Come check out this band, they're so in no one's heard of them." "I think Michael Stipe may be coming by later to jam with Dennis Quaid." "We're looking to option our short to Sony with a side development deal." Gratuitous Matthew McConaughey sightings. Live acoustic sets on KGSR. People spending thousands on clothes meant to look "vintage." Martinis at Molotov, before the Lou Reed keynote. In short, it lures people here to come partake in the coolness that is Austin, even though in its present incarnation it involves nearly the opposite of the actual Austin lifestyle it purports to promote. all the while promoting its inevitable and painful transformation into Dallas, or mini-LA. The South Park episode lampooning the Sundance Festival hits very close to the SXSW home. Again, please at least send the anthrax to my house, not to work.
There also seems to be a kind of developing and disturbing social stratification to the festival. On the one hand, you have the corporate rich white guy types with their Kristen-like arm candy jamming to the hep tunes yo (like the Rob Lowe character in Wayne's World). They make it to the film premieres, the Antone's after-parties, the meet and greets at Stubb's backstage, and the like. Then there's the slacker, plasma donating crowd that sold hemp bracelets to raise the bus fare to get here and who jam on street corners for meal money. That works just fine when you're on tour with the Dead, but doesn't really suit SXSW. The drill is that the music festival takes place in various local clubs, and you need a wristband to get in each club. The wristbands cost $165. That makes it pretty tough for this type of visitor to enjoy the festival. REM, for example, played Stubb's, but that was a wristband only show. Not all acts appear in places that require wristbands, but you still have to pay a cover charge to many of these places. So this means there's really two festivals-one for the rich folk, one for the poor. Ain't it always so.
As a festival goes, I think the logistics are poorly thought out. Because the bands play largely in clubs, you have to go club hopping to check out the bands you want to see on any given night. The clubs aren't terribly far from each other, but many are well beyond walking distance, so that means lots of cabbing (or bussing). Then, you often have to wait in line to get in if the club is full. Merely having a wristband does not guarantee entry (although there is an extra-expensive, extra-premium form of wristband that basically allows you to cut in line). So you conceivably could spend half your night standing in lines and trying to get to particular clubs instead of enjoying music. Which sort of defeats the whole purpose of going in the first place. Something like Jazz Fest, Austin City Limits festival, Bumbershoot, or the Chicago Blues Festival, which are all in confined and defined spaces, works much better. All the acts are within easy walking distance, you need a ticket to get in the area (keeping out various random criminal elements), its safer (no drunk drivers and readily available police, EMS, etc.), and there's no waiting in line to hear bands.
So, Austin visitor, enjoy our fine weather, music, dining, and hospitality. Spend lots and lots of money. Then beat it.
1 comment:
SXSW is fun! Crash a few of the industry parties (no need for a badge, listen to music, drink for FREE!) ...
Actually, I didn't partake this year. I carefully planned outings just north of 35th Street to avoid the whole scene. Unfortunately, my favorite hole-in-the-wall Tex Mex restaurant was discovered by the ultra cool SXSW crowd. There was a line down the block to get in. I didn't get my weekly chalupa fix as a result.
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