A few weeks back Model Stranger made our way down to SXSW. As usual it was a rewarding trip with a lot of great discovery and learning. I enjoy making the trip for quite a few reasons. The obvious is the chance to see bands I love back to back and of course being able to find new music as well.
This year was filled with pretty fantastic performances. My favorite performances included Sleepy Sun, Cory Chisel and Alberta Cross. All three for different reasons. I suggest you check them out. All have new albums coming out in April.
I may have seen a lot more music than I am mentioning but all of the networking opportunities kept me on the hustle. This year I had a chance to catch one of the most entertaining panels I have seen in a bit hosted by Martin Atkins.
For those of you that don't know Martin Atkins, he is the aurthor of Tour Smart - an indie band's handbook on surviving the rough road of independent touring. He also is the author of Welcome to the Music Business You're Fucked and soon enough he will be releasing Band Smart. Martin's insight comes from years of experience as a musician, label owner, author and many other things. I've learned a lot from this man. I suggest you check him out.
I spent a lot of time in the convention center on my first day. I was able to land a day pass and made the most of it. For those of you who plan on traveling down to SXSW in 2013 and won't have a badge, I have a short blog I did last year that you can read on what to do without a badge.
I also had the opportunity of working for Fender at the Hard Rock. My friend Joe in Brighton, MA landed a last minute gig and asked me to fill in. My day was spent playing Fender Guitars and showing people at the party how to use the new unreleased Fender Mustang Floor model. They have a pretty cool campaign lined up with the Hard Rock where if you stay at a Hard Rock you can order an amp modeler and a guitar to your room for free. Some attendees at this party included Pete Wentz, B.O.B and Andy Rourke of The Smiths.
I was asked over a dozen times if we were performing and when I replied "No." a lot of friends and peers looked at me like I was crazy. I'm not against performing at SXSW but there is a lot of opportunities to meet people who you can work with year round - that is where we put our energy this year. I've done it before and I may do it again. However it is nice to sometimes take a backseat, watch and learn!
Any readers out there make a visit this year? What were your favorite stories? Favorite shows?
This year was filled with pretty fantastic performances. My favorite performances included Sleepy Sun, Cory Chisel and Alberta Cross. All three for different reasons. I suggest you check them out. All have new albums coming out in April.
I may have seen a lot more music than I am mentioning but all of the networking opportunities kept me on the hustle. This year I had a chance to catch one of the most entertaining panels I have seen in a bit hosted by Martin Atkins.
For those of you that don't know Martin Atkins, he is the aurthor of Tour Smart - an indie band's handbook on surviving the rough road of independent touring. He also is the author of Welcome to the Music Business You're Fucked and soon enough he will be releasing Band Smart. Martin's insight comes from years of experience as a musician, label owner, author and many other things. I've learned a lot from this man. I suggest you check him out.
I spent a lot of time in the convention center on my first day. I was able to land a day pass and made the most of it. For those of you who plan on traveling down to SXSW in 2013 and won't have a badge, I have a short blog I did last year that you can read on what to do without a badge.
I also had the opportunity of working for Fender at the Hard Rock. My friend Joe in Brighton, MA landed a last minute gig and asked me to fill in. My day was spent playing Fender Guitars and showing people at the party how to use the new unreleased Fender Mustang Floor model. They have a pretty cool campaign lined up with the Hard Rock where if you stay at a Hard Rock you can order an amp modeler and a guitar to your room for free. Some attendees at this party included Pete Wentz, B.O.B and Andy Rourke of The Smiths.
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| Joe and I with Andy Rourke of The Smiths |
I was asked over a dozen times if we were performing and when I replied "No." a lot of friends and peers looked at me like I was crazy. I'm not against performing at SXSW but there is a lot of opportunities to meet people who you can work with year round - that is where we put our energy this year. I've done it before and I may do it again. However it is nice to sometimes take a backseat, watch and learn!
Any readers out there make a visit this year? What were your favorite stories? Favorite shows?
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