South by Southwest (SXSW) is a multimedia festival and conference comprised of three main parts:
- The SXSW Music and Media Conference, which "showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin," and features a massive trade show and panel discussions.
- The SXSW Interactive Festival "celebrates the creativity and passion behind the coolest new media technologies."
- The SXSW Film Festival and Conference "emphasizes all aspects of the art and business of independent filmmaking."
The music festival is the main attraction. Over 1,700 bands will be in Austin this week playing one or more gigs, from unknown acts to the buzziest new bands to the biggest names: R.E.M., Vampire Weekend, My Morning Jacket, Yo La Tengo, Van Morrison, Dizzee Rascal, The Breeders ... the whole list is here.
Problem for most folks is that you need a wristband to get into most of the shows, and they ain't cheap! Lucky for those who work during the week and don't have lots of dollars, there are also a few free events going on. Thursday night, for instance, there was a free concert at Auditorium Shores. It was a beautiful night. Grupo Fantasma, a latin band that is tight enough to convince Prince to fly them to Vegas once a week to back him in concert, played first. They had the crowd dancing and smiling. Switching things up next was Del the Funkee Homosapien, long time Bay Area rapper, who performed a lively set with A Plus (from Souls of Mischief) and a funny looking white DJ named Zach Hendrix. Finishing up the night was Austin favorite Spoon, who just cleaned up at the annual Austin Music Awards. Spoon was joined by the Fantasma horn section for some of their new, horn-inclusive songs, and really pleased the people as the show wound down in the dark. As usual, I toted my camera along. More free stuff today, so come back soon to catch my pictures from the Mess With Texas Party.
Rachel ready for free tunes
Jose Galeano and Adrian Quesada, Grupo Fantasma
Matthew “Sweet Lou” Holmes, Grupo Fantasma
Timbales!
Fantasma saxes: Gene and Josh
Del the Funkee Homosapien
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