With Bob Dylan and SBTRKT blaring (yes, we are an eclectic bunch) we set off for the 20-hour long trek to Austin, Texas, for South By Southwest. Despite the regular ups and downs of a college road trip—speeding ticket and cat-infested-couch-surfer-lodging included—we arrived successfully and began navigating the streets of Austin and the complexities of the festival itself.
There is a hierarchy of access at SXSW: the badge-holders at the top of the food chain, the wristband holders in the middle and the brave wandering souls that try their luck at getting in after the former two groups. Shows are dispersed throughout the entire city in locations as small as local dive bars to ones as large as a warehouse or convention center. The streets are overrun with the most in-touch-with-culture people we have ever seen, dictating the music, fashion and fads of tomorrow. It looks a lot like an episode of “Portlandia” but with a higher humidity.
The center of the action lies around Sixth Street, which is a combination of our beloved State Street and New Orleans’ Bourbon Street: bars and pubs line the sidewalks, each blasting a unique style of music at full volume. Free drink coupons are in abundance, and the drunk hordes are impossible to dodge. It’s charming to say the least.
The music portion of the festival begins tonight, March 13. Once the sun goes down, things really start heating up—we’re looking forward to seeing Kendrick Lamar and Santigold tonight, but if things don’t pan out with those acts there is music on literally every corner and we will have plenty to do to keep ourselves busy. Other acts playing this evening include ScHoolboy Q, Yellow Ostrich, Beach Fossils and Poliça.
We have also had the opportunity to explore some of the cultural flavors of Austin outside of the festival itself. We are staying in a loft East of I-35, a neighborhood rich with Latino culture. A delicious tacqueria is around the corner, and there are two—count ‘em, two—piñata stores on our block. We also had the pleasure of shopping in the world’s largest Whole Foods, complete with a man with a parrot buying organic, fair-trade draft ales. Hopefully the beer, barbeque and beats will fuel us throughout the week!
Check back with The Daily Cardinal arts page, @DCArtsDesk and dailycardinal.com for concert reviews as the week goes on!
