AUSTIN – South by Southwest seems to grow by leaps and bounds every year. It has gone from the little music festival in Texas to the must attend industry event for all of popular music.
In the early days, it was pretty rock and roll-centric, but the past five years has seen the emergence of rap, hip-hop and DJ culture. So much so that that biggest names in those genres (Jay Z, Kanye West and Skrillex) are hosting the biggest concerts of the week.
The big names are great, but for me it’s always been about the little guy. The bands without the buzz and huge crowds lined up outside the club are the best ones to see. A couple of Houston bands were on my list this year and both made my trip worthwhile.
Day Sailor were the new kids this year and played a set on Friday that showed a great deal of promise. Still a little green and rough around the edges, but all in all I think they have a good thing going on.
The other band on my radar were The Tontons. These guys are pretty seasoned at this point with substantial touring and recording under their belts. If you don’t know them, you should.
I did want to catch a few name acts so Saturday night it was all about the Red Bull stage. 8,000 people packed in to see Datasik, Dan the Automator, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Crystal Method and more. A great show and to my surprise, Jazzy Jeff stole the show and floored everyone with his throwback set. And oh yeah, it was a free show.
