Spring is here! Technically, spring begins with the equinox, slated for March 20th this year. This refers to what Texans call ‘spring’, that very short period between ice storms and Schlitterbahn weather. With spring comes a pair of significant seasonal events to the University community. For the students, it’s Spring Break, that mid-semester reprieve from classes and responsibility. For others, it’s a chance to be a part of the world-famous South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference, Technology and Music festival. This 10-day event has been part of the Austin landscape since 1987 (although canceled for 2021-2022 due to COVID). This festival has grown into an iconic event that takes advantage of the absent student body (very likely sowing wild oats in the sun at Port Aransas) in order to accommodate the throngs of visitors in town for the fest. The music portion of the festival runs from March 13th through the 18th.
One of the impediments to exploring SXSW is the cost of wristbands or badges that allow a person to attend most of the premium events throughout the 10 days. After two years of COVID and no ‘South by’, one might imagine that demand for passes is high, and it is. Badges are running $825 up to $1895 this year and wristbands are $149 with no guarantee of admission to "at capacity" events.
There is some good news for those wishing to be a part of SXSW but lacking the deep pockets to do so in true Texas fashion. Here are a few links to some free events during the festival: link one and link two.
So, get out there and discover your next new sound!
David Ocean