SXSW Question

[Alchemy]

Is it possible to just go see one show at SXSW? Like if I wanted to see Badly Drawn Boy at Stubb's on Friday?

[nothingman00]

You wouldn't be able to get in. Yes, you can purchase tickets to SOME of the individual shows (at least, you could in the past) but BDB will be packed (as will most of the other big namers) so you'd probably be standing in line for the entire show. It's also fairly easy to sneak into some shows during SXSW (depending on the venue). My friend got in to see Okkervil River last year without paying a dime. He just quietly slipped in.

[Alchemy]

I was dreading that. Thanks.

[nothingman00]

Well, Badly drawn Boy are playing at Stubb's (large outdoor venue) with Andrew Bird and The Good, the Bad, and the Queen... I'd say you have a slim (very slim) chance of getting in without a band... You could find someone who isn't using their band for Friday, and use their band to get in. Stubb's has a fairly large capacity, but that will probably be a hot ticket. Good Luck.

[bmack86]

I really want to go to SXSW sometime. I've never been to Austin, and I hear it's a cool place.

[nothingman00]

bmack, I may be biased, but Austin is such a great town with great people. It is a city that doesn't aspire to be like any other city and thus, it retains the unique feel. I'd highly, highly recommend going someday. Sooner rather than later.

[TomAz]

Happy hour at the Continental Club. yeah.

[RienOneTexas]

YAY! Come to texas! It's awesome. You'll have a blast at sxsw. You can go to as much or as little of the shows that you want. There are SOOOO MANY!!! If you have a favorite record label, and they have showcase show there, you will love it!!! It's great! It's like weeks of shows at different venues all over the place

[york707]

Tom are you going to SXSW?

[eudaemonia]

Austin is a great city.

Speaking of SxSW, heads up: I hear wristbands have been released...

[TomAz]

Tom are you going to SXSW?

not this year no.

[york707]

Wristbands were jsut released today.

[TomAz]

Austin is a great city.

Speaking of SxSW, heads up: I hear wristbands have been released...

on sale today at Waterloo.

[york707]

Really?

[TomAz]

according to this site.

[york707]

I was kidding. But then again you actually added new info, so I shouldn't have kid.

[TomAz]

It was a confirmation of his "I hear".

[nothingman00]

Full lineup/set times up at sxsw.com. And to clarify my initial post, the way they do most shows is people with wristbands get in first (actually, the VIP passes get in first, reg. wristbands get in next). If a place isn't completely packed with a line of people still waiting outside, you have a decent chance of getting in without a wristband. A wristband doesn't even guarantee you entrance into a show. Sometimes, there are huge shows at smaller venues, and once capacity is hit, you'll be waiting outside in the line indefinitely. I remember that the Kaiser Chiefs (or was it Louis 14) had a show that hit capacity about 45 minutes before showtime in 2005. I had friends that were just pissed because they had bought wristbands with the idea that they would be able to get in any show they wanted. they ended up hearing several bands from the street while waiting in lines.

[TomAz]

yep.

you might have a shot if you get to Stubbs' way early and just hang there all night.

[nothingman00]

Yes, especially if you go there to eat some BBQ at like 5PM, then just linger around, run up a nice bar tab... You get the drift. stubb's is a big venue (by SXSW standards, and Friday has a ton of great bands, so it's entirely conceivable that you could make it in...

[amyzzz]

bmack, I may be biased, but Austin is such a great town with great people. It is a city that doesn't aspire to be like any other city and thus, it retains the unique feel. I'd highly, highly recommend going someday. Sooner rather than later.

I want to go some year too. My husband has mentioned in the past that he would really like to check out Austin, and SXSW would be really good way of doing that. Maybe after our kids are grown.

[eudaemonia]

It was a confirmation of his "I hear".

"her", actually. I wonder how many people have gone for a long lunch or ditched their jobs in Austin for those wristbands? (I'd think the bosses would be sympathetic too.)

I want to go some year too. My husband has mentioned in the past that he would really like to check out Austin, and SXSW would be really good way of doing that. Maybe after our kids are grown.

There's also Austin City Limits Music Festival in September. I've seen couples bring their kids to that one so you might not have to wait so long?

[MarkO]

Is SXSW more of a trade show or ?? I'm sure getting a hotel down there for that week is $$$$$$.

I miss Austin. Rudys BBQ is sooooo good.

[amyzzz]

There's also Austin City Limits Music Festival in September. I've seen couples bring their kids to that one so you might not have to wait so long?

Isn't ACL horribly hot though? Is it a dry or wet heat in Austin? I've heard Texas is humid, but it's a pretty fucking big state, so I wanted to get a clarification here.

[TomAz]

When I lived in Houston I thought Austin was terribly dry, my skin would itch from drying out when I went there. Now I go there and can't believe how muggy it is.

[MarkO]

Austin gets ridiculously hot and humid. I was there once for a month in August and going back to Phoenix was a relief. That's how muggy it is.

[nothingman00]

Yes, ACL is absolutely sweltering. On a comfort scale of 1-10 (10 being most comfortable), it's about a -4, with coachella coming in at a 3. The big difference is that coachella at least cools down at nighttime, but at ACL you're just miserable for the entire time. But, everyone else is miserable too, the food at ACL is the best, there are no beer tents so you can wander freely with your beer, they serve squeezy bottles of Blackstone Cab and Merlot... besides the heat, everything is golden at ACL.

[amyzzz]

How's the weather at SXSW?

[nothingman00]

SXSW weather is pretty good. Plus, many of the shows are indoors.

[nothingman00]

Last year, it actually got a little cool by the time Mogwai came on at Stubb's. SXSW is my favorite event of the year, every year.