Ben Haggerty, commonly known as Macklemore, was one of the many artists to play at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin. | Ashley Evans/The Daily Cougar
Every March, the streets of downtown Austin become engorged with an eclectic mix of college students, local bands, music industry executives and well-known artists for the annual South by Southwest festival.
The festival hosts multiple conferences and events, but the main draw is the music. This year’s festival was a Texas-sized event as more than 2,000 artists participated at a different host of venues, ranging from bars and restaurants to clothing stores and houses. The 2010 music showcases included major artists such as The Black Keys, Hole, Stone Temple Pilots and Mos Def.
Most music showcases are incredibly difficult to get into without a proper badge, which can cost anywhere between $300 and $900. These coveted badges are mainly for music execs, but in the spirit of free love and music for all, SXSW also hosts a ton of free concert series.
Despite bitter winds and near freezing temperatures over the weekend, thousands of music lovers descended on downtown Austin to take it all in.
Saturday’s dismal weather forced most concert goers to huddle at indoor venues such as Beauty Bar, which hosted a hip-hop showcase for the books. The Seattle-bred dream team of lyricist Ben Haggerty (Macklemore) and producer/photographer Ryan Lewis captivated the audience with tracks from the newly released The VS. EP.
Lewis painted a backdrop with beats from The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beirut to accompany Haggerty’s chilling lyrics exposing his struggles with drug addiction, sobering up, love and family. Macklemore’s lyrics expressed a refreshing new direction in hip-hop that attempts to expose truth, instead of advocating drugs and violence.
Another local hot spot, The House of Guys, is a music venue/party house that hosts free shows weekly. This location was a favorite for local artists at SXSW. New Braunfuls trio Electric Courage Machine — a rock/experimental band featuring guitarist/vocalist Vincent Flores, bassist Joe Stewart and drummer Jonathon David Flores — delivered an intimate performance at the venue Saturday night. The band struck a positive chord with its melodic guitar riffs that gave way to explosive choruses. ECM was a crowd favorite and encouraged audience participation — at one point even allowing two spectators to play in tandem on Stewart’s bass as the crowd sang along with Flores.
Sunday’s festival attendees were greeted with sunshine and despite the chilly breeze it was perfect weather for an outdoor concert showcase at Roadhouse Rags, an Austin re-sale store/ backyard music venue. Houston native Mitch Jacobs and his band rocked the house with their signature rockabilly.
Jacobs, who also fronts Houston country band Romeo Dogs, recently decided to re-structure the Mitch Jacobs Band to include only himself, guitarist Eric Danheim, bassist Rex Wherry and drummer Steve Wood.
Danheim, who has been playing with the Mitch Jacobs Band for six months, said that the band has “evolved and changed and had decided to go with more of a stripped down sound.”
That “stripped down sound” was just what the crowd at Roadhouse Rags was looking for and the Elvis/Johnny Cash style crooning had couples two stepping on the outdoor patio to country classics and Mitch Jacobs Band originals.
Today, the music industry is being forced to re-think its business model due to the popularity of file sharing and artists are making a move towards more face-to-face interactions with fans. Austin has long been a music mecca and SXSW festival is just one example of why Austin calls itself “the live music capitol of the world.”
Festivals such as this one allow record companies and musicians to get together and discuss a new direction for a changing industry. It’s also an opportunity to keep music alive for generations of fans and support local musicians in their struggle to make it big.
