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South by So What: A wrap on the fest
AUSTIN, TEXAS - Metallica and Kanye West ate up a lot of the spotlight by crashing the party, but the biggest surprise at the South by Southwest Music Conference this year was simply the fact that it remains so ... well, big.
Rock 'n' roll music has a great knack for either reflecting the times or transcending them. The latter was clearly in effect at SXSW 2009. In theory, it should have been the year the 23rd annual music-biz megabash saw its first downturn, what with the economy and the recording industry's own long-simmering meltdown.
Official registration for the 23rd annual music-biz megabash -- which costs around $700 for a laminated badge to get into all the clubs and daytime panels -- was indeed down about 10 percent, a SXSW organizer said.
However, SXSW long ago stopped being an official affair. There's another pirate-style festival on top of the sanctioned one. Call it SXSW4HO (South by Southwest for Hangers-On), with tens of thousands of Joe Blow music fans and a sea of free, privately held day parties where some of the bigger buzz bands play nonstop over four days.
That side of SXSW was more bulging and hyperactive than ever.
"What a week," marveled Thomas WP, frontman of the London dance-rock trio We Have Band, playing his band's last of 10 shows in Austin after midnight Saturday night.
A clear sign that South by Southwest has become as much a marketing vehicle for outsiders as a get-together for insiders, one of the hottest parties of the fest was Saturday's rooftop patio bash by TV foodie Rachael Ray, headlined by the Hold Steady and New York Dolls.
It's hard to argue with the commercialization of SXSW when those are the bands signing up for it, and they're served with gourmet, beer-marinated mini-burgers on the side.
The fest was such a dizzying whir for New York up-and-comers the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the fuzz-rock band completely missed their slot at the Paste magazine party.
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Pop music writer Chris Riemenschneider is in Austin, Texas, for a week taking in many of the 1,500 bands at the annual music festival affectionately known as SXSW. Check back for his daily updates.
SXSW: Metallica at Stubb's
The opening moments of Metallica's set Friday night at the 2,000-capacity Stubb's amphitheater, which kicked off with the song 'Creeping Death.'
More from this series:
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Photo gallery:
SXSW: Day Three
Metallica, Devo and more at the annual music festival in Austin, Tx. -
Photo gallery:
SXSW: Day Two
The second day of the annual music festival brought some good performances. -
2009 SXSW Sendoff Showcase
The Vita.mn event recently took place at First Ave and featured music from Solid Gold, Sims of Doomtree, Jeremy Messersmith, Gospel Gossip, First Communion Afterparty, The Idle Hands and Bella Koshka. -
Metallica steals show in nostalgia-led SXSW
No surprise, the metal giants showed up, and so did a newly revived Devo. -
SXSW gets its freak on
King Khan, Janelle Monae and Jane's Addiction were among the latest highlights. -
Star acts try to hold on to frantic tempo
The mad whir continued Thursday with two highly anticipated album previews. -
Photo gallery:
SXSW: Day One
See a sampling of bands performing at the annual Austin, Texas music showcase. -
Bands come for a beer, and maybe a career bump
Thousands of indie artists such as Minneapolis singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith are flocking to the 23rd annual music industry bash simply for a good time. -
SXSW: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears performed under a sweltering tent Wednesday for Paste magazine’s party during the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, which is also the group’s hometown. -
SXSW: Interview with Romantica
Members of Romantica tell Chris Riemenschneider why they decided to play SXSW. -
SXSW: Jeremy Messersmith "Light Rail"
Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith performs his song “Light Rail” at an all-organic, wind- and solar-powered day party Wednesday at Threadgill’s in Austin, Texas. -
SXSW: Jeremy Messersmith "The Commuter"
Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith performs his song “The Commuter” at an all-organic, wind- and solar-powered day party Wednesday at Threadgill’s in Austin, Texas.