Celtic soul lion Van Morrison kicked off a short U.S. tour in 2008 with two shows in Austin on March 11 and 12, the first a private concert at the Austin Music Hall with tickets sold and the second an official SXSW showcase at La Zona Rosa. Morrison was promoting the new album Keep It […]
This column is from Feb. 2014 Sunday is March 1. MARCH FIRST! People in Austin start freaking out- a mix of horror and excitement- when they flip the calendar and see it’s March. The chest pounds like being in the tunnel before a big football game. The third month means South by Southwest and, godammit, […]
South by Southwest has become a Hip Hop Mecca in recent years, with seemingly everyone from big names to rising artists coming to Austin every year for the pub and the party. But that wasn’t always the case. “We’d hear the same thing every time we called New York,” says former SXSW booker Matt Sonzala. […]
1. “The registration line was insane. That’s 25 minutes of my life I won’t get back.” 2. “Do you know where Saturday’s day party is?” 3. “Austin learned its lesson from the Armadillo. No way they’re tearing down Liberty Lunch for an office building.” 4. “I’m in such a hurry I’m gonna have to grab […]
1987 Number of acts: 172 Number of registrants: 700 Keynote speaker: Record producer Huey P. Meaux Buzz bands: Dash Rip Rock, Reivers, True Believers, Buck Pets, Wagoneers, Reverend Horton Heat SXSW organizers can’t get the computers working at registration, so even though the turnout is moderate, waits are long. That’s something that the first year […]
