No it isn't about that. Kanye played SXSW in 2009, and my idea of heaven is not a 230am concert in an abandoned power plant in Austin, Texas.
This is about how SXSW made itself irrelevant .
The concept was an indie music festival at many different venues, allowing rock critics, industry types, to catch many up and coming bands. That was back in the 90s.
Now it is a meeting of the tribes with so many shows going on, there is no chance for a small band to break through of even get en, It is a horrendous mess of a fest that no longer does anything close to what it is meant to do.
Since I have been co-editing rock nyc, they have introduced me to precisely one band: Sleigh Bells. So why is everybody heading to Austin?
I hate festivals, organizations, the boy scouts, marriage, get togethers, crowds -anything that distracts from the individual. And SXSW does that in spades.
Pity the soul crushing experience for some band trying to break itself and wasting its energy en masse, so the bloated fatcats and bummed out bloggers (who can't get into clubs because THEY ARE NOT REAL ROCK CRITICS) can ignore em.
And do what? Go watch Kanye.
He performed mostly new stuff with Jay-Z coming out for a half hour set of West/Jigga tracks. Kid Cudi was there. So was John Legend and token white guy (used to be John Mayer) Bon Iver.
I am sure a wonderful time was had by all and I am sure YOUR BAND couldn't get a tix.