Forget Punxsutawney Phil. For music fans South by Southwest is the real sign that winter is throwing in the towel and music festival season is on the way.
Each year bands and music lovers from Milwaukee descend on Austin, Texas, for the week-long film and music festival that features thousands of bands spread across hundreds of venues.
It's one of America's biggest music festivals and a welcome escape for music geeks itching for a reprieve from the snowbound north.
While the event features dozens of conferences on music and film, it's the live shows that really put it on the map. From established acts like Wu Tang Clan to kids driving down in their parents' van to play one of the hundreds of unsanctioned house shows on the festival fringes, SXSW is the place to hear and be heard.
OnMilwaukee.com will be taking Texas in style this year. We'll ride along with Milwaukee's favorite indie rock slackers Jaill, as they get in the van and head south to play some of the festivals hottest showcases.
But before we hop in the Econoline and venture into barbecue country we wanted to get in touch with some fellow Milwaukeeans making the pilgrimage to the Lone Star State.
Who: Dan Didier, post production supervisor at About Face Media and drummer for Maritime.
OnMilwaukee.com: How are you getting there?
DD: This year we are flying in. We arrive Thursday late, play two shows on Friday and leave Saturday afternoon.
OMC: Who are you most excited to see?
DD: Smiling faces when we play, we don't have a lot of time to check out bands. But, most of all I am looking forward to seeing the random person I know from years and years ago that I met on some tour that would be good to catch up on. It is a guarantee that that will happen more than once.
OMC: Where are you staying?
DD: Ramada outside of town. Renting a car.
OMC: Why are you going?
DD: To promote the release of our new record.
OMC: Who are you going with?
DD: Just Justin Klug and Davey von Bohlen. Dan Hinz will be down there already with his wife.
OMC: What non-music related thing are you excited about doing while in Austin?
DD: Eating some sh*tty pizza from, what I call "Skinny Puppy Pizzeria," on Sixth. Loud industrial and death metal music blaring while you try to order. Then to recover some nutrients ... eat at Magnolia. So, I guess all food related stuff.
Who: Alexander Allgood owner and luthier Milwaukee Guitar Company and former stage and guitar tech.
OMC: Have you been to SXSW before?
AA: Yes I have. I worked two years ago down there as a tech for the Anticon showcase.
OMC: How are you getting there?
AA:Driving, I am a road warrior.
OMC: Who are you most excited to see?
AA:Kurt Vile and the Violators.
OMC: Where are you staying?
AA:My cousin's house.
OMC: Why are you going?
AA:For vacation, and to visit my cousin mostly. I'll also probably work on some instruments and tech for a few bands, and try and get my businesses name out there.
OMC: Who are you going with?
AA:My dog Linus.
OMC: What non-music related thing are you excited about doing while in Austin?
AA:Eating migas!
Who: Alex Lichtenstein, public health worker.
OMC: Have you been to SXSW before?
AL: No.
OMC: How are you getting there?
AL: Round-trip flight, General Mitchell to Austin.
OMC: Who are you most excited to see?
AL: I'm most excited to discover bands and artists I've never been exposed to. I haven't sat down to look at schedules to find bands I'm already familiar with, with the exception of El Guincho.
OMC: Where are you staying?
AL: With the Milwaukee diaspora that lives in Austin.
OMC: Why are you going?
AL: To see music, art, friends.
OMC: Who are you going with?
AL: Erika Carrizales and Brandon Malacara.
OMC: What non-music related thing are you excited about doing while in Austin?
AL: In Austin you can get every meal of the day in a taco; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. And I love tacos.
Who: Brandon Malacara, show promoter for BattleCry Milwaukee.
OMC: Have you been to SXSW before?
BM: Have not.
OMC: How are you getting there?
BM: Falcor the luck dragon and American Airlines.
OMC: Who are you most excited to see?
BM: I'm trying to keep an open mind going into this for the first time. I would like to catch some new music which means I'm not sure what exactly I'm looking for. But I am definitely hoping to squeeze in King Tuff, Yuck, Odd Future, Cave Singers, Cloud Nothings. I have no idea what I'm doing.
OMC: Where are you staying?
BM: Someone's floor. So I've been told and assured. I hope.
OMC: Why are you going?
BM: Hear new music. Rep Milwaukee. Adventure.
OMC: Who are you going with?
BM: Friends; Erika and Alex. Meeting up with the other BattleCryers and Alto ladies Erin and Amelinda.
OMC: What non-music related things are you excited about doing while in Austin?
BM: Someone said something about swimming. Also, I enjoy eating food and drinking beer in new places. I wonder the kind of sausages they have in Texas.
OMC: Have you been to SXSW before?
AB: Last year was my first time. Ryan Matteson of the Muzzle of Bees blog threw a great party featuring Wisconsin bands which included one of my own, Group of the Altos.
OMC: How are you getting there?
AB: I am playing once again with Group of the Altos and we are driving our trusty bus which I affectionately refer to as Black Betty. We are an 11-piece and bringing a roadie this year. Imagine the adventure and smell.
OMC: Who are you most excited to see?
AB: I hate to get too excited about one band, because logistics or scheduling conflicts usually end up in disappointment. I just like to take it in as a whole and get really excited when I walk past a band I love playing in a parking lot. That happened more than once last year.
OMC: Where are you staying?
AB: Because we love each other and can't afford a block of hotel rooms, Group of the Altos are renting the same house we rented last year. I highly suggest combing Austin's Craigslist for renting a house for the event. Ours even has a pool, plenty of beds and bathrooms and the owner even makes the beds and cleans our dishes everyday.
OMC: Why are you going?
AB: To perform as well as get a jump start on Spring. Oh yeah, and see some music. It's also really rad to meet up with friends from around the country all in one place.
OMC: Who are you going with?
AB: The band.
OMC: What non-music related thing are you excited about doing while in Austin?
AB: Last year I had a really tasty Brussels sprouts dish from a food cart. I want to find that again.
Who: Erika Carrizales, self-employed.
OMC: Have you been to SXSW before?
EC: This is my second time going to SXSW. Last year I hitched a ride with Jaill. This year some friends and I had planned a road trip to get there, but we were lucky to find some really cheap flights last-minute.
OMC: How are you getting there?
EC: Round-trip flight, General Mitchell to Austin.
OMC: Who are you most excited to see?
EC: Some of my favorite bands are playing the Burger Records showcase, so I will definitely be there. I'm excited to see Conspiracy of Owls, The Pizazz and especially Hunx and His Punx. I went to go get some tacos and missed them last year. When I came back, everything was covered in glitter. I've heard they put on an entertaining live show. I'm also hoping to get into the Filter Magazine party to see Little Dragon, an electro-pop band from Europe.
OMC: Where are you staying?
EC: I will be crashing at a friend's house while I'm there, although I don't plan on getting a whole lot of sleep.
OMC: Why are you going?
EC: I'm going to SXSW to see a ton of bands, drink tequila, eat free food, and show some Milwaukee love for Jaill when they play. In my opinion, this is one of the best music festivals because it's not in a fenced-in designated park or something. There are shows at bars, outdoor stages, homes, and record shops all across the city and most of them are free with free food and free beer!
OMC: Who are you going with?
EC: I'm going down there with two friends, Alex and Brandon. The three of us have pretty similar taste in music, so that should make it easy to decide what shows to go to.
OMC: What non-music related thing are you excited about doing while in Austin?
EC: SXSW also has a film component and I heard that Pee-Wee Herman is going to be around for that. I would love to hang with Pee-Wee Herman!
