[Dixielandjazz] South by Southwest Music Festival

[Stephen G Barbone]

Couple of excerpts from a long Times article on the annual  South by  
Southwest music rite of spring  in Austin Texas.  Some 1700 bands  
attended. Some interesting thoughts in the article, that should be  
relevant to OKOM.  One that successful bands  need to make a good  
portion of their living it in live performance these days. And Two  
( for the sound guys like Mad Do) on the DJML), Ben Sisario's comments  
that Austin sound crews do a magnificent job getting the acts in and  
out on time.
Cheers,
Steve Barbone

March 15, 2008 - By THE NEW YORK TIMES - South by Southwest, Shot by  
Shot
Austin TX - Wednesday Afternoon - by JON PARELES

The record business, or at least that of the major labels, is  
foundering, as CD sales spiral downward. But South by Southwest  
thrives on the plain fact that people still love music: making it,  
hearing it, dancing to it, even marketing it. Musicians and the  
hustlers who enable them are hyperactive, making their way in a  
digitized ruckus of downloads, touring, independent labels, publishing  
royalties, ringtones and every lifestyle marketing ploy that still  
thinks music is cool.

Without disc sales to depend on (and even the majority of major-label  
acts never could), most musicians are going to make a good part of  
their living in front of audiences, as musicians have done throughout  
history.

South by Southwest promises new bands an audience that can do them  
some good, a crowd of tastemakers and/or deal makers. It can also give  
established musicians a healthy reboot, as they measure themselves  
directly against hundreds of younger, hungrier bands. SXSW is as close  
as the concert business gets to a level playing field. Big names and  
small play the same beery clubs, through the same sound systems,  
without their accustomed arena video setups or undistracted audiences.  
Reality check, please.

Friday Afternoon - by BEN SISARIO

In most ways Texas time is much slower than New York time. But not  
when it comes to the musical assembly line here.

Of the couple of dozen bands I have seen in the last 24 hours, none  
have gone onstage more than eight minutes later than the posted set  
time. At exactly 2 p.m. Liam Finn took the stage at the Dirty Dog and  
played for 20 minutes. Across the street Bon Iver played at Emo’s  
right on schedule at 2:30. On Thursday No Age was set to go at 1 a.m.,  
seven hours into a showcase; the group started at 1:07. That’s a far  
cry from New York clubs, where fans are used to adding at least half  
an hour to the advertised show time.

It’s a testament to the skill and hard work of the sound crews of  
Austin, who are setting up and breaking down the equipment for dozens  
of bands each day. Now if only the beer lines moved as efficiently.