This time last year, I was giving some friends a ride to the airport so they could head to SXSW. At the time I knew little about the annual festival of awesomeness. By now I’ve heard more stories than I can bear and I get more upset every day that I have never been myself. So although I’m extremely jealous of those of you in attendance this year, I thought I’d pass on some useful information. With the help of SXSW regulars Mac Smiff and Cristina (The queen of 10 Things who is having a ball in Austin as I type), I’ve compiled a list of 10 things to do at SXSW.
1. Network, Network, Network.
SXSW is the ideal setting for networking. Artists from across the country flood Austin and get the opportunity to make connections. Say hi to old friends. Introduce yourself to new ones. Shake hands. Take a copy of their CD. Hand out stickers, buttons, cards. Get email addresses, Twitter names and websites. Connect. Branch out. Network.
2. Find free food.
Who doesn’t love free food? Or free anything for that matter? Thanks to the magnificent SXSW gods you can get free food at many venues in Austin right now. You can check out @SouthByFreeNoms to find out where.
3. Get to stepping.
Any time you’re out of town, exploring a different city, walking is a good idea. You see more of a city walking around than sitting in the back of a cab. Plus cabs are expensive and ain’t nobody got time for that. The time and route a cab takes may also cause you to miss out. Walking around you may find yourself stumbling upon a low key show featuring a high key artist that you may not have otherwise known about. And as if all that isn’t enough, walking is exercise and you can work off all those beers and free food.
4. Expand your horizons.
SXSW is a meeting ground for artists of many different genres and mediums. Now is your chance to explore. It’s not just music shows and parties. There are film screenings, comedy shows, workshops and more. Many influential voices like Youtuber Franchesca Ramsey can be found speaking throughout the week on a myriad of topics. So go check it out. And since we’re on the subject….
5. Check out artists, both Indie and major.
Missing the chance to catch something right before it blows up can burn. I’m sure there were tons of folks last year who missed acts like Macklemore, Fun. and Alabama Shakes because they were waiting in line to see the ones who had already blown up. Take the opportunity to see indie artists you’ve never seen perform. There are gems out there and some will soon earn their worldwide fame and you’ll get to say, “I saw them last year at SXSW.”
Also be sure to go support the artists we already know and love. Find the oh so fabulous Strictly Bizz tomorrow at the Us vs. The Industry Showcase where you can see some of our favorites like Spac3man, Ayelogics, Cool Nutz and Trox doing their thing.
6. Please RSVP.
Don’t like standing in line for hours? Want a better chance getting into a cool show? Make sure to RSVP for:
Viceland
Ice Cream
SXSW Music Accelerator
Ditto Hype Machine Hotel
Pure Volume
Boiler Room
7. And click here to RSVP for more.
One click gets you an RSVP for tons of events during the week. No fear of running out of stuff to do.
8. Download apps to guide you.
They don’t call them smart phones for no reason. There are apps for just about anything now, SXSW is no different. SXSW2013, FreeSxSW, and ATX Parties are a few useful apps that will keep you in the loop. And remember, when you’re out of town, navigation is your friend. You don’t even need an address. Just tell your smart phone where you want to go and it will show you how to get there.
9. Go to the Fader Fort and pick up a wristband.
Don’t ask questions, just trust me on this.
10. Make sure you bring necessary batteries and chargers.
You don’t want to be stuck searching for a friend with a dead phone. Make sure it’s charged up and bring your charger with you in case you need to find an outlet somewhere while you’re enjoying the festivities. Same goes for cameras. You definitely don’t want to miss capturing a significant person, place or thing because you forgot to put new batteries in or didn’t bring any extras.
More than anything, just have fun and be safe. Enjoy your experiences and grow from them. And…..
** bonus** Don’t forget to get a little ratchet.A touch of ratchet makes everything just a little better.
–Sharde Marie
Your Official Ratcheteer