Music to My Ears

by Julianne Schapery

Free Energy perform at Mohawk. Saturday, March 20th

Austin, TX once again showed off it's charm with another year of South by Southwest, a music, film and interactive conference and festival that takes place every March in the downtown capitol.

For any aspiring artist, film-maker, or musician, SXSW is a must-attend event. The festival's website, describes the event as "the premier destination for discovery." For the creators, the event provides "buzz-generating exposure" and "compelling entertainment" for audiences.

Even though SXSW offers many things to see and do, one of the largest appeals of the festival is the music showcase. Now in its 24th year, the SXSW Music and Media Conference showcased over 2,000 bands from around the world on 80 different stages in downtown Austin. According to the website, "SXSW registrants have a first-look at tomorrow's stars."

According to Brandon Ruschak, a Texas State junior, originially from California, SXSW is different from other festivals because the atmosphere is more care-free.

“It had an exciting pace and was full of energy,” said Ruschak, a first-time SXSW attendee. “It was nice being able to walk in the streets with a back pack and a water bottle. At other festivals, once you’re inside you’re pretty much locked in.”

According to Austin Dulany, 23, a SXSW attendee from Georgetown, who saw bands such as Free Energy, Broken Bells , and The Black Keys, agreed. “There were so many bands, and everyone was doing something. It was really crowded but with a good vibe”

Broken Bells perform at Mohawk Saturday, March 20th

A popular feature of the music showcase were the free shows featured the last days of the festival, March 18^th -20^th.

“I don’t understand why they’re not all free,” said Dulany, who only saw free shows. “The best bands were free.”

Because SXSW takes place during most school's Spring Break time, Austin is a great destination for many. However, for Texas State students Spring Break came at an inconvenient time.

As a result of the time change of Spring Break, Texas State students weren't able to attend as many shows.

Kelsey Krohn, a junior psychology major from Austin, is one of those students.

"I was supposed to work SXSW but it didn't pan out because I couldn't miss my classes," said Krohn.

Krohn did, however, see Beats Antique for free on Friday, March 19th. "That was awesome because I've never gotten into Stubb's for free before."