WTUL’s SXSW RECAP
By Kayla Green, Chelsea O’Lansen, and Sonya Zhong
DOS:
- -This is the lamest and most obvious statement, but bring comfortable shoes. I’m not talking about, “but like, these are wedges” shoes, or even ballet flats or sandals. Get yourself some fugly, cushy sneakers.
- -Sneak into crowded events through gaps between food trucks or by saying you own a magazine
- -Go to Cheer-Up Charlie’s and get $2 Imperials!
- -Plan ahead and plan in a manner as geographically logical as possible!
- - Take advantage of every free taco
- - Go see a genre of music you’ve never heard before (ie: seapunk)
- - Get a slice of pizza from Death Metal Pizza on 6th
- Look up the side-projects of your favorite bands- - Invest in a portable phone charger (or push your way to the front of each show to use the outlets on the stage during sets), or go to the Marlboro tent regularly to use their free charging stations
- - Use Twitter religiously, and…
- - When in doubt, tweet it out
- - Be prepared to make musical sacrifices (it is physically impossible to see it all)
- - Take chances on new bands
- - Look up SXSWendy’s
- - Two words: Lone Star
DON’TS:
- -Pay SXSW bar prices for a drink. There are free drinks to be had, and BYOB shows to go to.
- -Go anywhere near the tourist traps on 6th Street… unless you’re watching that crazy guy panto-miming an entire two-hour fishing trip… including the drive home.
- -Bother RSVPing to every party, as many websites advise. I didn’t even use one of my two-hundred or so RSVPs.
- -Get your tragus piercing ripped out via entanglement in someone’s fishnet shirt and bleed all over a co-op.
- - Don’t forget you’re not in New Orleans anymore (ie: Open Container Laws)
- - Don’t get upset when you’re kicked out of a bar at 2am (not every bar is Snake n Jakes, sadly)
- - Don’t get star struck. You WILL be standing in line for a taco with your favorite band
- - Don’t waste your time waiting in absurd lines for one act. There are hundreds of incredible bands playing around every corner.
- - Don’t underestimate the power of the fannypack
HIGHLIGHTS:
- -Witnessing Carson Daly play drums for Thee Oh Sees
- -Watching Zola Jesus climb atop a speaker and perch like an ice goddess falcon.
- -Watching Nicky Da B, Rusty Lazer, and other members of the NOLA bounce family shake their asses on stage with Diplo while performing the new Nicky Da B/Diplo single “Express Yourself”
- -Participating in a 200 person synchronized circle dance at Dan Deacon. It was dictated by the “contest winner” at the center… lots of pseudo-swimming.
- -Watching Trash Talk, Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs, and Wavves perform in a backyard at the Workaholics house party (and drinking their drink named “The Tightest Butthole”)
- -Discovering Airbird, Joel Ford of Ford and Lopatin’s solo project, and watching his gnarly bass face while he performed
- -Seeing my friend get “back-slapped” in the face by an obese, excessively sweaty and shirtless man at a particularly rowdy Maps and Atlases show. Meaning, slapped with said sweaty back.
- -Seeing bands I’ve never heard of before and falling deeply in love!
- -Watching Bass Drum of Death play inside a giant Doritos vending machine (you heard me)
- -Seeing The Octopus Project play in their hometown (they have a standing Theremin on stage, need I say more?)
- -Taking my very first sip of Lone Star beer
- -Discovering that there are still bands beside JethroTull whose lead singer plays the flute (ie: POND: Tame Impala side project)
