Reply To: SXSW 2024
Gathering my SXSW plans tonight. Breaking down a loose itinerary here by day. Basically just noting anything from the official schedule that catches my attention. Obviously this is subject to change, and there is way more happening than I will be able to attend.
Sunday, March 10th
Arrive in Austin 4pm
Head to Butterfly Bar to meet up with @davidj-edwards, check out the reggae show there.
Then go to Austin Convention Center to pick up my badge
Monday, March 11th
10am – 11am:Brands as Amplifiers: Fueling the Universal Passion of Music
Austin Convention Center room 18cd
Speakers from Mastercard (Raja Rajamannard) and Live Nation (Russell Wallach)
11:15am – 1:30pm: Documentary Screening: How to Build a Truth Engine
Violet Crown Cinema 2
Documentary about modern media and misinformation
11:30am – 12:30pm: AI and the Future of Loneliness Panel Discussion
EU House at Parkside
11:30am – 12:30pm: Featured Session: AI and Humanity’s Co-evolution with OpenAI’s Head of ChatGPT
Austin Convention Center / Ballroom D
2:30pm – 3:30pm: AI and the Future of Truth – panel discussion
The Thompson Hotel Austin / Red River Ballroom
2:30 – 3:30pm: Cannabis Around the World: Where are the Big Opportunities?
Hilton Austin Downtown / Salon G
6pm – The Future of Music Dinner hosted by Aimi
7601 S Congress Ave Ste 480 Austin, TX 78745
RSVPed to this with my boy Oliver
7:30 – 8pm: China Bears – Music Showcase
British Music Embassy at Sheraton (Downright Austin)
8pm – 8:40pm: Neptune’s Core @ Cooper’s BBQ
Cool all-female experimental rock group
8:50pm – 9:20pm: Deer Park Avenue @ Mohawk Outdoor
German rock duo (two sisters), but the name reminds me of Long Island
9pm – 9:40pm: Laney Tripp @ Cooper’s BBQ
Singer-songwriter (same venue as Neptune’s Core)
reminds me of Phoebe Bridgers vibes (lots of songwriters go for this vibe nowadays)
10pm – 11:30pm: Mogwai @ the Moody Theatre
10pm – 10:40pm: Shallow Alcove @ Cooper’s BBQ
not familiar with this band, but based on the other stuff happening at this venue i’m probably going to dig
10pm – 10:40pm: ZADA @ Swan Dive
experimental R&B
10:15 – 10:55pm: Living Hour @ Swan Dive Patio
vibey indie rock
10:50pm – 11:20pm: Laney Jones @ Mohawk Indoor
11:40pm – 12:10am: Salsa Windfall @ Mohawk Indoor
12am – 12:40am: Winona Fighter @ Valhalla
Punk rock!
At this point in the night it becomes anything goes… and there is a lot going on, Wow!
1am: The Rare Occasions @ Coopers BBQ
1:20am – 2am: Do Nothing @ Mohawk Outdoor
Then there are some late night sets listed as time TBA… not sure where I’ll be after 2am, it depends how the night goes!
Plastic Palms @ Parkside
Lofi punk-inspired rock
Tuesday, March 12th
10am -11am: AI Isn’t Coming for Your Job, But Those Using It Will
panel discussion on AI – the title is something I definitely agree with
JW Marriott / Salon FGH
11:30am – 12:30pm:Eliminating ‘Forever Chemicals’ from the World’s Water
Climate change discussion sesh
C4 Energy – Try it @ registrant lounge?
12pm – 7pm
12pm – 12:30pm – Wez Atlas @ Palm Door on Sixth Patio
daytime hip-hop showcase
12:50 – 1:20pm: Hypnosis Therapy @ Palm Door on Sixth Patio
Electronic vibes following the afternoon hip-hop
1:40 – 2:20pm: Subsonic Eye @ Palm Door on Sixth Patio
continuing the day party with rock & roll
2:30pm – 3:30pm – Harnessing the Power of the Ocean: All-Hands-on-Deck
Hilton Austin Downtown / Salon B
right up my alley as a boat captain
2:30pm – 3:30pm -Salvador Dali, AI, and The Future of Creativity
Austin Convention Center / Room 9AB
AI is the theme of SXSW sessions in 2024 it seems, looking forward to this stuff as someone with a big interest in AI
2:30pm – 4:30pm –Think Like an Innovator: Master Associative Thinking
discussion on creative leadership
Courtyard Marriott / Rio Grande Ballroom 2
4pm – 5pm:The Cost of Admission & the Next Era of Ticketing
as someone who is strongly anti Live Nation and Ticketmaster, it will be interesting to see what gets discussed at this
Austin Convention Center / Room 18AB
6pm – 6:40pm – Bones and Jones @ International Day Stage
alt-country group from Australia. rad!
7pm – 7:40pm – Rain on Fridays @ Low Down Lounge
downbeat indie grunge
8pm – 8:40pm – Daisy Rickman @ Victorian Room at The Driskill
Dreamy singer-songwriter, listening now and love it
8pm – 8:40pm – Gummy Fan @ Chess Club
love the band name, know nothing about them!
8pm – 8:40pm – Mel Bryant and the Mercy Makers @ Low Down Lounge
8pm – 8:45pm – Omni @ 800 Congress
I saw this band play in Charleston once several years back. I remember them being pretty good, and I know they’re one of those hipster craze bands
8pm – 8:45pm – Sugadaisy @ Empire Garage
awesome band name
Alright, looks like I’ll be making some tough calls for the 8pm slot.. and probably all weekend as i come across other things to do.. but it’s always good to start with a plan, right?
8:15pm – 8:55pm – Doohickey Cubicle @ Swan Dive Patio
another great freaking band name, super conflicted on time slots. wowza
8:50 – 9:20pm – The Dumes @ Mohawk Outdoor
rad band
9pm – 940pm – DENDÊ & BAND @ Flamingo Cantina
dude seems awesome
9pm – 9:40pm – Rusty Dusty @ Chess Club
9:30 – 10:10pm – Pendulum Hearts @ Coopers BBQ
Cooper’s changing up the vibes with some country this day
10pm – 10:40pm – Folk Bitch Trio @ Victorian Room at The Driskill
10pm – 10:40pm – Hot Garbage @ Swan Dive
punk rock
10pm – 10:40pm – Cosmo Pyke @ Seven Grand
groovy singer-songwriter
10:30pm – 11:10pm – Cactus Lee @ Cooper’s BBQ
country/folk vibes
11pm – 11:40pm – Creekbed Carter Hogan @ The Iron Bear
dark folk
11pm – 11:40pm – Seafoam Walls @ Cuatro Gato
experimental jazz
11:15 – 11:55pm – Babe Corner @ Swan Dive Patio
I’m not really sure how close together these places are, or how packed it will be, but I imagine I can just hop around. I know there are unofficial showcases too, which aren’t even listed on the SXSW website. There is like an overwhelming amount of shit to do each day. But, I will trudge on through the schedule and find my bearings somehow.
Most of these bands I haven’t even heard of. I’m just going by who has an interesting name or vibe.
11:45pm – 12:30am – Luna Luna @ Stubbs
Latin music at one of Austin’s most iconic venues
12am – 12:40am – Crabe @ Swan Dive
late night punk rock, bound to be a blast
12am – 12:40am – King Nun @ Seven Grand
more loud late night rock & roll
12am – 12:50am – Library Card @ Low Down Lounge
it’s a tuesday night for rock n roll – more punk rock
12:10 – 12:50am – The Dinosaur’s Skin @ Palm Door on Sixth Patio
late night vibed-out indie
12:30am – 1:20am – Ethan Tasche @ Empire Control Room
this is some cool folk-pop music
1am – 1:40am – The Lottery Winners @ Seven Grand
weird rock music
and then again… the night devolves into TBA set times…
Wednesday, March 13th
This is @davidj-edwards day off and we’ll be having a showcase that night at Voodoo Doughnut from 7pm – midnight. Open jam for any artists who want to be involved. That said, I will briefly run through the daytime events to see what’s going on.
11:30am – 12:30pm –Design for Climate Adaptation
JW Marriott / Salon 7
in the changing world climate, it will be interesting to see how people are preparing design to cope with it and anticipate it.
11:30am – 12:30pm -What is a Magazine in the Digital Age?
of interest for obvious reasons…
Austin Convention Center / Room 9AB
12 – 6pm – Free Lacroix
Inn Cahoots Outdoor
2:30pm – 3:30pm -Facing Death Without Fear: Psychedelics for End-of-Life Care
Austin Convention Center / Room 18AB
i love psychedelics
at this point in the day, I imagine I will be heading into unofficial SXSW territory….
Thursday, March 14th
Anticipating a long night on Wednesday, I’m going to only briefly scan the morning events this day and go straight for the music at night.
10am – How to Build a Community on Discord, Circle & Beyond
relevant for me trying to build a freaking forum in 2024, not sure if ill make this
11am – 6pm – FLOODFest @ Mohawk Outdoor
Hosted by FLOOD Magazine. Interesting to see how another magazine handles their festival setup within a larger festival. Cool concept and something I would love to replicate. Maybe I can meet some of these people.
11:30am – 12:30pm – Collaboration vs Competition: Community Building for Creatives
I talk about this all the time. Alright, I guess they’re hooking me with shit that speaks directly to me in the AM hours…
Austin Convention Center / Room 9AB
11:30am – 12pm – Gareth Donkin @ Mohawk Indoor
groovy white boy soul
12pm – 12am – Marshall Funhouse
Parish
seems like an interesting thing to check out if i’m nearby
1pm – 7pm – Rainey Street Revival
Another all-day festival type event
11am – 6:25pm – Sounds Australia Day Party @ Lucille
I guess I’ll pick one of those and float between them.
8:15pm – 8:55pm – Early James @ Mohawk Outdoor
Heard of this guy, never listened
It’s pretty hard to know where exactly I’ll be… again. But this is sounding cooler by the minute! Wow… SXSW… the event I’ve heard about since ages ago when I first got into music…
8:30pm – 9:10pm – McKinley James @ Mohawk Outdoor
Presented by Easy Eye Sound, Dan Auerbach’s label
This night the big dogs seem to come out to play with showcases by Rolling Stone, Billboard, etc. The pinnacle of what Extra Chill could become (but hopefully way cooler).
9pm – 9:40pm – Danny Bonilla @ The Grackle
Latin music. and this dude has an awesome headshot.
9pm – 9:40pm – Dirt Buyer @ Low Down Lounge
another awesome band name. this venue seems to have a lot of lesser known, loud artists
I’m also noticing that several artists are playing multiple showcases. Different venues, different times of day. Cool opportunity but what a grind!
9:15pm – 9:55pm – Good Looks at Las Perlas
Another chance to catch this band that sounds pretty cool.
9:30pm – 10:10pm – Jimmy Duck Holmes @ Mohawk Indoor
blues, baby. Love a good change of pace
9:40pm – 10:10pm – Rose Hotel @ Lambert’s
ayy the first artist that I’m connected with I’ve come across thus far. Rose Hotel used to sing harmonies & tour with SUSTO.
10pm – 10:40pm – Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country @ Antone’s
Oh yeah. The first jam band i’ve come across. But only a 40 minute set! Oh well, you know where I’ll be for this one.
10:50pm – 11:40pm – Dinosaur Jr. @ Parish
Something tells me this one is going to be really hard to get into.
11pm – 11:40pm – Bad Bad Hats @ 13th Floor
Good band.
11pm – 11:45pm – The Barr Brothers @ Speakeasy Ballroom
Another good band.
Oh yeah. This night looks sick!
11pm – 11:40pm – Brainstory @ Antone’s
Sticking around here after DDCC seems like something I would do.
12am – 12:30am – Sweet Spine @ Hotel Vegas
I have heard of this venue. Will probably go to this.
12:15am – 1:45am – The Black Keyes perform songs from Delta Kream @ Mohawk Outdoor
Yeah this is going to be cool. Super packed, probably. But cool if i can get in.
12:15 am – 12:55am – Sam Tudor @ Swan Dive Patio
1am – 1:45am – Bleach Lab @ Valhalla
Late night loud rock baby
1am – 1:40am – Oh He Dead at Antone’s
This has gotta be a United Talent showcase…
I’m pretty decided on Antone’s this night. Seems like it’s set up for the heads.
Friday, March 15th
BMI Brunch – Sometime this morning. My friend Gab invited me, but I don’t have the deets yet. I’ll probably hear about some things to do from people at this event, considering I’ll know at least one person there. This day feels a bit open ended to me. Also, it’s a marathon up to this point.
It seems to me like Thursday is the peak of this thing. The events slow down a bit on Friday.
2pm – 7pm – Wild Fork: Rhythm & Roast Showcase
For some reason, I’m thinking food this day. Maybe I’m just hungry right now.
12:30pm – 4pm – Wasserman Day Party @ Mohawk Outdoor
Another encounter with the enemy possible this day. (the enemy being major music industry agencies)
5pm – 7pm – Music Industry Happy Hour @ Fairmont / Rules & Regs
Will this be sterile or cool? Who knows. Will stop by if I’m nearby and check it out, perhaps enjoy myself a crispy miller lite.
9:30pm – 10pm – Color Green @ Antone’s
Good band, at the venue from the night before. Like this place’s style based on bookings…
9:40pm – 10:25pm – The Red Clay Strays @ Moody Theatre
in case i’m feelin some country vibes
10pm – 10:40pm – Swamp Dogg @ Cooper’s BBQ
gimme that R&b baby
11pm – 12am – Faye Webster @ The Moody Theatre
Another one that is probs goin to be packed. But she is so so good and I’ll try my best to make this one.
11pm – 11:40pm – Pronoun @ The Iron Bear
Pretty sure DJ is filling in on drums for this one.
11:10pm – 12am – Ben Kweller @ Mohawk Outdoor
11:45pm – 12:45am – LSD and the Search for God @ Hotel Vegas Patio
You know this is going to be weird as shit.
12am – 12:45am – Blushing @ Hotel Vegas
While searching for God, we’re Blushing
12:30am – 2am – The Black Keys at Stubbs
Yeah, here’s your headliner.
Lots of other stuff going on late night. I’m not a huge Black Keys fan but it would be cool to see them at Stubb’s. I’ve heard such great things about that place.
Saturday, March 16th
12-6pm @ Cheer Up Charlies Final Day party/showcase, made known to me by @thenewcuriouscity
Lots of good bands. This is probably where I’ll be on my final day in Austin.
8pm – 2am – SXSW Closing Party @ Palm Door on Sixth
Will be tired, but this is the night cap for the week. The next day I fly back to Jacksonville.
Report back to see what I actually do!