Tired of the usual spring break destinations? Try Austin for the music portion of South by Southwest, which takes place March 18 to 22 all over the city.’
There will be a plethora of artists from every genre, ranging from big labels to unsigned artists looking to catch a break.’
If you don’t have a wristband to get into shows, don’t fret. With the exception of some of the bigger acts, such as Katy Perry or Cold War Kids playing at venues like Stubbs, most bands can be seen for free or close to it.’
There are also impromptu shows bands put on that can be heard about by word of mouth on the streets.’
Here is the agenda for Sound Check’s visit to South by Southwest.
P.O.S. will bring his blazing flows and fast rap style at 11:15 pm March 19 at Habana Backyard Bar. Up-and-coming emcee Asher Roth will be performing before U.K.’s hip-hop princess Lady Sovereign at midnight Friday, March 20 at Club de Ville.
Don’t party too hard on Thursday night, because at noon on Friday ‘Shirts For a Cure’ will be holding its annual showcase at Red 7. The free show is on a first-come-first-serve basis and will feature performances by The Bouncing Souls, The Dillinger Four, Ruiner, The A.K.A’s and Darkest Hour.’
While the show is free, donations toward breast cancer treatment and research will be accepted.
Fans of buzz pop and pop-punk will want to be sure to go to Red 7 to see The Cute Lepers and Teenage Bottlerocket at 10:45 p.m. March 20, and at midnight March 21, Street Dogs will perform at Emo’s Annex to close out the weekend’s festivities.’
– Mike Damante
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If you’re as jaded as many people are about the typical trip to Cancun or Miami during spring break, then please set your sights on SXSW, the biggest music conference in the U.S. Be sure to get online and search for 2009 SXSW RSVP events to get into many shows and parties that will be exclusive only to those who RSVP.’
In addition to the shows that Mike mentioned, there are a slew of great shows. Purevolume.com will be renting out 2nd and Trinity again this year and will feature acts such as dance-pop act Young Love and B.o.B., a hip-hop up-and-comer who’s signed to T.I.’s label, and several more.’
Hip-hop’s presence is strong this year. Among the performers are Reflection Eternal, a group comprised of Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek, who will be performing at the Scoot Inn on March 19. G.O.O.D. Music’s latest signee, Kid Cudi, is also slated to perform that night and will be playing at 1 a.m. at Ace’s Lounge.’
Hometown heroes ‘hellip;And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead will be playing a slew of shows and their live show is definitely one you won’t want to miss. As Tall As Lions, a personal favorite of mine, will be performing twice, once on March 19 at Cedar Door, and another night show on March 20 at Buffalo Billiards. Also, don’t miss the Cr’egrave;me de La Cr’egrave;me party on March 20, which will feature Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon, Mickey Factz and Kidz in the Hall, among other hip-hop newcomers.’
Lastly, M. Ward and Cursive will be playing a free day show on March 20 at coveted venue La Zona Rosa, as part of the Village Voice Media Party.’
These are just a few of the shows you should be finding your way to. For more information, visit http://www.sxsw.com for the complete listing of the official showcases. For a very convenient way to create your own schedule, visit http://sxsw2009.sched.org, which I would strongly suggest.’
– Roshan Bhatt
