SXSW In Orbit

     The South by Southwest music festival is certainly one of the biggest if not the largest gathering of musicians the planet sees all year long.  For the last several years the festival has really been two events in one.  SXSW badge and wristband holders are willing to pay dearly for the privileged of gaining entrance to the headlining acts and then there are thousands of people like myself where the lines of privilege seem to be an ongoing blur.  Mapping out a no badge or wristband trip was as thrilling as following directions on a treasure map.  My experience at SXSW was a patchwork of new discoveries mixed alongside the everyday music of Austin natives.  Throwing longevity out the window, it didn't matter if the band had been together ten days or ten years.  Volume and variety was the name  displayed on my name tag and it served me well as I hopped from one location to another.  Could it be that the King would sing Viva Las Vegas?  Anything is possible during SXSW, at least I saw a sign that made me think so.

     From  one Stratocaster to the next,  rocking to a different tune all day and all night.  The sheer size of South by Southwest  makes it an impossibility to see and hear even half of what the event is all about.  Yet being open to the unexpected allows for moments of unanticipated perfection.   There always seems to be some out of this world experiences at every SXSW and this year was no exception.  I'll connect the dots again next year, letting noise and chaos flow from stage to stage.  Until then  SXSW will return to orbit with scheduled reentry March 2012.