SXSW Part Deux

So now it's about that time to reflect back on some of my biggest issues with SXSW. I actually didn't have that many problems with SXSW it was just the couple of things that bugged me; SERIOUSLY bugged me. Let us begin with the thing that annoyed me more than anything else, The Kanye West Fiasco!

I love Kanye West, I really do, and I think it's awesome that he goes to SXSW and does free shows. This year was nothing new, I'm sure everyone remembers back in 08 when he showed up at The Fader and did a performance. It was awesome. His Fader performance is one of those amazing moments from SXSW where everything comes together to create an awesome experience for music fans. This year the experience was not so organic, in fact, it was completely ridiculous.

VEVO decided to make their presence known at SXSW this year by throwing a free concert with Kanye West. This in and of itself is not a problem but the way they went about it was. There were rumors Kanye would be there for a good month before the festival even began with a confirmation coming the week before the music part of SXSW began. Vevo decided the best way to go about this would be to have people text message a number to RSVP to the show. That was their first problem. Everyone and their mom RSVP'd to the show and obviously that created chaos. Normal shows have an online RSVP where they explain it doesn't guarantee entry but that they can better control. You can take the RSVP down when you have more than enough people on the list already. This is how a smart company does a SXSW RSVP. Anyway, after the initial text Vevo sent out another one (on Friday I believe) saying you had to respond to get GUARANTEED line entry. That sentence alone is ridiculous. Guaranteed line entry? Yippee I get to stand in the line! Look at me ma, I made it!

Here's a little tip about Austin during SXSW, cell phone reception is hit or miss. When you have a bunch of cell phone addicted people in a relatively tiny area you run the risk of overworking the towers. This means that a lot of people get calls and texts well after they're sent. Perhaps this is why SMART people don't have cell phone RSVPs during SXSW (yeah I'm gonna harp on that a lot). So my friend gets the text saying you must respond with the code word "Kanye" to get guaranteed line entrance a full minute before I got it. She replied in about 15 seconds and guess what? She was too late to get on the list! This is pretty much what happened to everyone and it kind of pissed people off. I'm sure this got back to Vevo so to save face they decided they would, wait for it...have ANOTHER text RSVP later that night. Yeah people, obviously the people organizing that event are super smart! (I wish you could see the face I made as I typed that.)

So Vevo spreads the word that a whopping 100 more RSVPs will be given out and that the first 1000 badge holders will get in. That is nothing people, NOTHING, and the fact that they felt the need to spread the word about that is laughable. NO really, laughable. I am quite sure I actually laughed when someone told me. So obviously that situation was going to turn into a clusterf*ck and that is why I voted no on going. Luckily, I have friends that went and were able to give me some fun details about the party.

1. All that text message RSVPing meant NOTHING! Anyone could get in line it was first come first serve.
2. People were lining up before 6 for a midnight show.
3. The show didn't even start at midnight
4. At 2 Kanye had STILL not performed.
5. Kanye went on around 4ish.
6. Complete and utter chaos.

Was it worth it? Yes, it's Kanye and yes Jay-Z and a couple other people were there so a lot of people would say yeah it was but I don't really agree. Think about this, 3 years before people were just chillin in The Fader, drinking free drinks, not waiting in line for hours, and guess who pops up on stage; Kanye. THAT is what makes a big name performance at SXSW awesome. The element of surprise that someone you never expected would show up. Not some over-hyped, poorly managed, spectacle of who can PAY the most for an artist to show up. That whole thing just left me with a bad taste in my mouth.



Issue number 2, the Perez Hilton party. This is the party I actually went to Saturday night and while it was a good time I had some issues. Let's just go ahead and list them.

1. You have a venue that holds 2500 people and you give out 10000 wrist bands.
2. No free booze (I know it sounds like I'm being ungrateful but you'll understand later)
3. No surprise guest/the way the party ended
4. Perez Hilton's attitude.



Let's just go ahead and hit all these points. Perez, like most people had an online RSVP and then you had to go pick up your wrist band to get in. Now wouldn't you think that the RSVP would close at like 3000-3500. I mean you have to count that not all people who RSVP will go but having a venue that only holds 2500 and letting 10000 wrist bands out is STUPID. That's right, it's not ridiculous; it's simply stupid. It's one of the stupidest things I've heard in a long time actually. I mean, who does that!?!??!??! So after grabbing our wrist bands earlier in the day my crew and I got in line around 5 for the party at 6. We didn't actually get in until around 8 but the people I was with made that wait quite fun. I did have a big problem with the fact that once we finally made it to the front we had to wait another half hour to get in. Why you ask? Well they claimed they were at capacity but they MOST DEFINITELY were not. I hate when people do that.

Once we got in the first thing I noticed was no free booze. I'm sorry but that's just really unacceptable. One of the sponsors of the party was a vodka company, I mean COME ON! Almost every party at SXSW has free food or free booze or both! The past two years Perez's party has had free alcohol and it just seemed like this party was just thrown together last minute and that pissed me off.

I heard rumblings that Perez was trying to make the party badge only and I think he got a lot of heat from people about that and ended up changing it last minute. Perhaps this is why he was in such a bad mood the whole time. He didn't mingle or anything he simple came on stage before each performance, introduced the person, and then went backstage again. It was odd. Don't get me wrong the party was fun and most of the performers were cool and I discovered an awesome band (Kids of 88!!!) but the vibe was off. This wasn't helped by the fact that EVERYONE thought there would be a big name performer. I mean with Diddy at the Fader and Snoop up the road I think people just thought he could get someone. The first year he had Kanye and Gaga and last year he had Katy Perry so it just would have been cool to have a fun surprise guest. It was like our party was the red headed step child of SXSW!

IF he had no intentions of having a big name performance he should have structured the show differently. It was the most abrupt stop to a party I've ever experienced. The bands went off stage a DJ came on and spun some less than stellar tunes and then bam the lights came on. I think people actually booed. I think my main issue was you expect a Perez Hilton party to be on a certain level and this was kind of just a thrown together party of nonsense. If he couldn't get it together he honestly shouldn't have had any party at all.

Aside from the two party debacles I guess I just didn't love the feeling of SXSW this year. You know that feeling you get when you find a really awesome band/rapper/artist and then a couple months/years later MTV discovers them and ruins them? THAT is exactly how I felt at SXSW this year! Most of the people I was with have been before and the common theme among all of us was "what is going on?" Too many big named brands were advertising and kind of having a pissing contest with each other to figure out who could get the biggest artist there or who could have the most people and it just ruined the spirit of the festival.

Here's the thing, I have memories of going to SXSW and seeing Kid Cudi walking down 6th. A friend of mine randomly got to interview Asher Roth on 6th two years ago. I met Nat from 3OH!3 and Shwayze outside their shows a couple years ago too. I'm not against bigger artists coming but I'm against them coming when they don't really take full advantage of some of the cool aspects of SXSW. A lot of the people they got this year *cough cough* Kanye, Diddy, Jay-Z and crew were rolling around town in blacked out SUVs and not having any interaction with fans. They simply went to do their obligatory performance, pick up their chick, then leave town. That's not what you do at SXSW!! You meet your fans, you walk around Austin and experience all the randomness the city has to offer, you do free spontaneous shows for people that truly love music, in short; you experience SXSW!!! That is not what the celebs did this year and it bugged me. I also think that all the hype around Kanye made the crowd different.

It seemed to me there were more people there to party than there were to listen to music. I love a good party but I can party in Dallas the biggest reason I go to SXSW is shows. Well, if I'm being completely honest shows and boys (don't judge me! :D ) but still music is a big part of why I go and that's the point! Too many people were there just to be seen or just to see Kanye West. The more I type this the more I realize where the good people of Austin were coming from when they said Don't Dallas My Austin! I guess I kind of feel that way about SXSW, simply put don't Coachella my SXSW.




SXSW for me is about music, the weirdness only Austin has to offer, boys, good food, cool people, and fun times. It has that nice southern charm that only Texas has to offer. Big brands trying to make money, celebrities making paid appearances, pissing contests between brands to see who throws a better party, and the kids walking around like they're the coolest thing since sliced bread (because they are rocking a new pair of Ray Bans) belong at Coachella! Perhaps I'm just being too harsh though. Maybe it's a good thing that SXSW is growing and big news and gossip blogs are following the happenings of the festival and all that jazz but I vote no. I'm an only child that never learned to share and a born and raised Texan so I guess what I'm saying is back off my SXSW! Hey, I may be a little crazy but you know you love it. :)

* OH and since I promised, the infamous, Stripper video! Haha. I don't even know if this does it justice! It's sideways, we had to do stealth videography.