AUSTIN, TEXAS – At least for the Minnesotans in attendance, the South by Southwest Music Conference is still worth the trip and the hassle, despite the rampant proliferation of corporate marketing and mainstream names in what used to be an event driven by indie talent.

"So we're all here," Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith deadpanned on stage Wednesday afternoon, after a mention of his hometown drew big cheers at the IFC Fairgrounds — one of countless promotional venues erected on any available downtown lot during the 28th annual music industry mega-fest. Basking in the sunshine at the outdoor gig, the winter-weary Messersmith recalled being described as "the whitest person ever" by a Californian audience member. "I should go outside more," he concluded.

Dozens of Minnesota bands — Polica, Sonny Knight & the Lakers, Communist Daughter and the Step Rockets also all had official SXSW showcases Wednesday — joined the 2,500-plus other music acts invading the Texas capital this week looking for attention. The queen of attention-getting, Lady Gaga, was already making the rounds Tuesday night ahead of her keynote speech Friday and her Doritos-sponsored showcase Thursday — admission for which is only being granted to people who complete "bold missions," such as tweeting their secret love for someone. One option for the hashtag: #TryingTooHard.

Coldplay and Imagine Dragons also crashed the party Tuesday in an iTunes promotional concert. Conversely, Neil Young spoke at the convention center to tout his own new company, Pono, offering portable music players with the high-quality audio that Young believes is sorely lacking in iTunes-style MP3's.

"This is rescuing music," Young said. "It's an artist-driven movement to take it back."

See our daily reports and photo galleries from the fest at startribune.com/sxsw.

Smith

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

helping Tibet: Iggy Pop and New Order performed Tuesday in New York at the 24th annual Benefit Concert for Tibet House US, a nonprofit group that preserves Tibetan culture. Patti Smith opened her set paying tribute to the late Lou Reed with "Perfect Day."

fast is back: Vin Diesel and other members of the "Fast & Furious 7" cast are heading to the United Arab Emirates city of Abu Dhabi after months of uncertainty about the fate of the movie. Shooting is scheduled for April. Filming was put on hold in December following the death of star Paul Walker in a car crash.

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