After co-organizing the "Are You Local?" sendoff bash March 6 at First Avenue, Best Buy and Vita.mn are teaming up with the club to throw a similar day party with all local acts down at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas. The shindig -- dubbed "Minnesota Music" -- will take place noon-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, at one of Sixth Street's few mainstay venues, Maggie Mae's (site of last year's Rachael Ray party with the Hold Steady and NY Dolls).

Solid Gold has been newly added to the lineup, guaranteeing a solid draw, alongside Lookbook, Jeremy Messersmith, Romantica and City on the Make -- also all playing the March 6 show here -- plus We Became Actors, Gigamesh and the winner of Vita.mn's "Are You Local?" contest.

This party represents a couple firsts: It's the first time either Best Buy or Vita.mn have really promoted themselves down at the Texas mega-fest (Best Buy's focus will be on its new line of musical instruments/gear, and not its CD retail business; go figure). It's also the first all-Minnesotan event I've heard of for this year's SXSW, after last year's Moneyapolis party and several similar events the previous years were well-received -- at least by Minnesotan attendees.

Vita.mn has named the three finalists in its "Are You Local?" new-ish bands contest: Bight Club, Joey Ryan & the Inks and Hunting Club. Those three acts will perform in the Entry the night of the First Ave showcase, and then the winner will get the slot in Austin. (For the record: Vita.mn is owned/published by the Star Tribune, but our newsroom is not involved with its promotions or events; that said, I'd take all the free drink tickets I could get from them at this party if I didn't have a bunch of 18-hour work days ahead of me that week).

(Lookbook photo by Star Tribune's Tom Wallace; Romantica photo by Tony Nelson at a SXSW day party last year)