After the festival lights go out, the night is just beginning

The parties haven't quite reached the heights of SXSW, but nearly every music magazine on the market, including Rolling Stone, Paste and Filter, is sponsoring one type of gathering or another.

By Melanie Spencer
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Few would argue that one of the many cool things about living in Austin is that during music festivals, you don't actually need to have tickets to the festival to enjoy killer shows, fabulous parties and loads of free booze.

After-parties, VIP lounges, plus planned and impromptu gigs have become as much a part of Austin's music and film festivals as the events themselves (sometimes to the chagrin of the organizers). The Austin City Limits Music Festival, though, has avoided the satellite party frenzy. Apart from a long list of ticketed after-parties at the usual live music venues, such as Stubb's, La Zona Rosa and Antone's and a smattering of VIP lounges, the party in Zilker Park has remained the main event.

It seems, however, more has changed than the possibility of temperatures below 100 this year.

"I've seen an increase in these sorts of events all over the country around some of the bigger music festivals that are located in urban areas," says Lisa Hickey, marketing director for C3 Presents and ACL Fest. "The private parties have grown exponentially at South by Southwest. Lollapalooza has countless afterparties all over Chicago. Coachella has daytime parties and gifting at resorts and estates around the Palm Springs area. I think as the popularity of festivals has grown, these satellite events have also taken off."

Last year, there were only a handful of parties, such as the three-day Belvedere Music Lounge at the Hotel San José. Many VIPs, such as Drew Barrymore and then-boyfriend Justin Long, chilled out in the shady courtyard, ducking in and out of the swanky bungalows. There, they could not only gain respite from the heat and the masses, but also enjoy mellow tunage — of both the live and DJ varieties — plus massages, food, drinks and loads of swag.

This year, though, official and unofficial, "secret" and published VIP lounges, day parties and after-parties are on the rise. The parties haven't quite reached the heights of the veritable orgy of events associated with SXSW, but nearly every music magazine on the market, including Rolling Stone, Paste and Filter, is sponsoring one type of gathering or another, and corporate partners also are more than happy to jump in on the fun.

"The ACL Festival has always been a low-key, 'under-the-radar' event, and I think sponsors and media have realized that not only is it a world-class event with world-class talent, it is also located in one of the coolest cities in the world," Hickey says.

It was only a matter of time before everyone figured it out, and with ACL entering its seventh season, we are surprised it didn't happen in previous years. So, what does the world of corporate and media sponsorship have in store for festival and nonfestivalgoers this year?

Things kick off tonight with the Paste magazine pre-party at Emo's, featuring White Ghost Shivers, Mates of State, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Bobby Bare Jr,, Dan Dyer and Thomas Function. The party is free, open to the public and starts at 9 p.m.

"One of the things I was interested in was reaching out to some performers that were playing on Friday," says Bill Elek, Paste sales and events manager. "We wanted to balance the national acts with someone like White Ghost Shivers, which has a really good homegrown flavor. People are coming in from out of town and spending enough money already, even if they live in Austin. We wanted something unique in a place like Emo's with status."

Paste also sponsored parties on multiple nights last year at Maggie Mae's, and for Elek it's all about the music.

"We're (at the festival) anyways, so it's really an extension," Elek says. "The real point is knowing the pulse of the music scene in Austin is enormous. By not doing a party, we wouldn't be true to our audience and those who are there at the fest. We're looking to have a lot of fun with it."

Friday night at 8, Rolling Stone magazine is partying at the Mohawk with performances by the Cool Kids, Voxtrot and Belaire. It's also free. Upstairs, there will be an invite-only VIP lounge with a gifting suite. That same evening, Austin Music + Entertainment is throwing an unofficial ACL after-party at the Scoot Inn. Bands include the Noise Revival Orchestra, Quiet Company (ACL The Sound & The Jury competition), Pompeii and Red Leaves. Tickets are $5 at the door.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the weekend, Blender magazine is hosting a VIP lounge (invite only) at the American Legion, 2201 Veteran's Drive. Confirmed attending artists include Tegan and Sara, Iron and Wine, Flyleaf, Louis XIV, Manu Chao/Radio Bemba, Against Me!, Nicole Atkins, What Made Milwaukee Famous, the Black and White Years, Band of Heathens, Mugison, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Bavu Blakes & the Extra Plairs, Colour Revolt and White Denim.

The lounge will feature air-conditioned suites and Wi-Fi access, food from Parkside, a satellite hair and makeup salon, tattoo parlor, spa services and, of course, an open bar. There also will be "Rock the Vote" evening parties from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. at the American Legion.

The most coveted ticket of all, though, might be the Antics Toyota Matrix party by Filter, which is also the official ACL after-party. The invite-only guest list for this downtown party will include music industry insiders, clients of Toyota and Filter magazine and musicians.

"It is a small private space in the heart of the music scene," says Autumn Rich, C3 Presents director of VIP and private events. "It will be DJ-oriented with indoor and outdoor lighting, video panels, great bar. CSS is DJing along with one other we're waiting to confirm."

Rich says guests will enjoy drinks by Tito's, Blackstone wine, Vitamin Water and Heineken Light, and there also will be on-site screen printing.

And when it comes to worries about whether or not the parties and aftershows will overshadow the festival, the organizers at C3 Presents don't seem too concerned.

"I think for the most part, we love that Austin becomes so active once the festival ends each night," Hickey says. "That was always our goal of having these aftershows and ending the festival at 10 p.m. It's great for the city, and it definitely adds to the overall experience."

mspencer@statesman.com; 912-2519