My SXSW Interactive, Film and Music Experience

Fantastic.

Oh, I should write more, shouldn’t I.

Well, this being my 500th post on this here blog, I think I will. I can’t believe I have written that much.

SXSW is a conference (or play?) in three acts: Interactive, Film and Music.

I didn’t have my lovely Canon 5d Mark ii because it had a software error, that Canon fixed graciously, it just took two weeks.  The two weeks I was gone in Austin.  All pictures below are from my iPhone.

Interactive

People that come to Interactive are the people undermining the business models of Film and Music.

(Accessibility * randomness) + drinks + ideas + bands – ego + Austin + gadgets.  Pretty much the formula.

This year featured some real knock out panels.  I have written about the Yes Spec Is Evil panel, but there were so many other panels worth noting.

Alex Bogusky, who I worked about 20 feet from when I was at CP+B, spoke on a new project, Bcycle.  I would love for this to take off.

Other highlights included: The Ecosystem of News, Change v2, The Hyper Island Way: Learn Creative Group Dynamics, HOWTO: 149 Surprising Ways to Turbocharge Your Blog With Credibility!, Design for the Wisdom of Crowds, Making Whuffie: Raising Social Capital in Online Communities, Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business and Policy Trainwreck: How Copyright Law Failed the Digital Age.

If you read an article such as “South By Southwest is a Pointless Party” it should make you laugh (how many times can you spot Becca Camp in the background of the photos?).

Thinking about it, SXSW was the only party I have ever been to that had a purpose.

Film

I only saw two films.  The first was brilliant documentary called Strongman.  Really well done but was about a half our too long (131 minutes I believe).

The other film was RiP: A Remix Manifesto which has been released for everyone to remix.

I would highly recommend this film. Trailer is below.

Next year I need to make sure to watch a few more films.  It is really a nice break from the hectic panels and parties.

Music

By this point, I was looking into meetings for drinking this many days in a row.  Thankfully, fewer parties were hosted bar, and I reduced drinking down substantially.  Thankfully.

I saw a dream lineup of bands.  Over four days I saw at least a half a set of 36 bands.  My big memories:

• Decemberists show at Stubs was amazing, their first performance of the new “The Hazards of Love.”   They added two new members, Becky Stark and Shara Worden who did an amazing job at being ‘good lover bad lover’ in the plot of the story. Opening up were Heartless Bastards and The Avett Brothers
• The Wrens were the best ‘big band in a small venue’ show for me.
• Silversun Pickups opened up for Metallica.  I think I was one of 10 people in the venue that was more excited to see the former.
• The worst band name of last year, the Shout Out Out Out Out, played a great set.  Four basses, two drum sets and five synths might just kill a man, but in this case, worked out quite well.  Another set that night was the Wallpaper.
• Airborne Toxic Event was the band that finished to unfilled encore shouts from the packed house.
  
• Echo and the Bunnymen are legends
  
• Horsefeathers are soothing.
  
• American Analog Set are better live than their fantastic albums
  
• 3oh!3 was the weirdest set of the show for me.  Two average
  
• Voxtrot was my favorite last year, and were great again.
  
• Republic Tigers played a few shows (including the Digg party).

Those were the stand out bands that I saw.

TechStars

BrightKite was out in full force, as was Foodzie, who were hand making smores on the streets to anyone wearing a Foodzie button.  They also had bacon suckers.  No joke.

My favorite tweets from the event:

• A recent survey of metallica fans says that there better not be any hipsters in here. #sxsw
• Most concert attendees have ear plugs. Except that one old dude giving the “turn it up” sign. #sxsw
• Still mass AT&T problems in Austin.
• I miss the #Sxsw geeks. The hipsters have taken over the town. Anyone up for a battle?
• crazy brits made my night. @paulcarr crew is always welcome. Well, unless that bouncer wants to break you, in which case, your on your own.

I’m now slowly going through the stack of business cards, following up with all the great people I met.

Next year, I am taking a break between Interactive and Music.  A day is needed to decompress.

A huge thank you to the staff at SXSW, another amazing year.

ps. Hugh Forrest for mayor