i’ve lived in and around austin my entire life. i’ve watched it grow exponentially in the past 10 years. i remember when the city limits sign was over by barton creek mall and it read somewhere close to 477,000. now we’re over 1 million.
i’m not complaining. all of the growth and influx of new life has made austin my home. i’ve been exposed to new experiences, new food, new people, new austin. i love it.
sxsw is another story. last year was my first real experience with the 2 week ordeal. last year, i was a rookie. exploring the free food, booze, concerts, t-shirts, etc. i was blinded by a city bustling with life.
at some point this year my eyes were opened. i remember hearing about sxsw as an “indie showcase”. a place where new music/movies came to be discovered. at some point this independent vibe went commercial. last year i don’t remember too many corporate sponsors or gigantic touring acts. fiat, budweiser, pepsi, and maybe a handful of others as well as kanye west, foo fighters, the strokes. this year it’s chevy, converse, nike, nokia, at&t, samsung, doritos, cnn, pepsi, mtv, american express, jay-z, bruce springsteen, lil wayne, 50 cent, ti, the cult, counting crows, etc.
it’s no longer about an introduction to something new and fresh. gone are the days where you can see an unknown, future grammy winning band sit on a street corner playing a set. gone are the days of randomly stumbling onto rainey street to see a guy sitting on a bucket jamming out or setting up a pa system out of a school bus.
organizations like the house of creative are doing it right. they embody the spirit of sxsw.
it’s about shoving the same bullshit down our throats. everything and everyone has to be sponsored. product placement and sponsorship is sucking the life out of sx.
sxsw should limit the amount of coverage and money a company can have. it’s sad that the creators are allowing the exploitation of what sxsw is based upon. ART.
don’t get me wrong, i understand that sponsorship is way to get the company’s product recognized. it pays the bills in the long run. i just don’t think it’s right that i have to be a fucking american express card holder just to have a chance to see an artist i love or that i have to be wearing a nike fit shirt to get into your party to see a band that has some buzz.
i welcome the 250,000 extra people into the city i love. something this good shouldn’t be hidden. it needs to grow.
however, i do not welcome the enormous corporate entities that do not give a shit about the soul of sxsw.
go sell your shit at the superbowl.
let sxsw do it’s thing. let the fans enjoy. let creativity thrive.
Times Like These 