What to do during SXSW's daylight hours

Daytime parties are part of the festival fun.

Monday, February 13, 2006

BY MICHAEL CORCORAN

It was the mantra of Wednesday morning at South by Southwest: "Where are all the cool parties?" Everybody would hit town knowing of one or two soirees where the free booze flowed and the gratis chow was spread out on tables, but they'd have to ask around to get a more complete picture.

Nowadays, the party scene is revealed more than a month before the first Shiner Bock is cracked — then overrated — by an out-of-towner. Internet sites such as www.showlistaustin.com collect party info and spread the news, giving readers several weeks to get in good with the party hosts, to get that all-important invite.

Where I once spent days digging up as many "secret" parties as I could find, that task takes just a couple hours these days. Here's what I was able to find:

March 15

•Florida bands Ronny Elliott, Rebekah Pulley, Life of Pi, Sawgrass Flats, Gumbi Ortiz play the back of Yard Dog Gallery (1 p.m.)

•Guitartown presents Will Sexton & Stephen Doster, Tom Freund, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Walter Tragert, Jon Dee Graham, James McMurtry, Steve Wynn, Stan Ridgway, Tres Chicas, The Silos, Willie Nile, Patty Hurst Shifter at Mother Egan's (noon to 9 p.m.)

March 16

•Kill Rock Stars party with Comet Gain, Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, Spider and the Webs, Knife Skills, Imaad Wasif at Flamingo Cantina (noon to 6 p.m.)

•Vice Magazine party at Longbranch Inn and Victory Grill with Art Brut, Black Angels, Witch, Towers of London and more at 1104 and 1133 E. 11th St. (noon to 8 p.m.)

•Schuba's party at Yard Dog with the M's, Tapes n' Tapes and more (noon to 6 p.m.)

•Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Rogue Wave, Thunderbirds are Now!, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Aloha at the Parish (noon to 5 p.m.)

•Cheater Slicks, Haunted George, New Fangs at Beerland (noon)

•New West Records party at Club Deville with Nic Armstrong and the Thieves and more (1 p.m.)

•The Okmoniks, Sneaky Pinks, Live Fast Die (ex-Baseball Furies), DC Snipers, the Young at Sound On Sound Records

•Under the Radar and Tag Team Media present Jason Collett, The Most Serene Republic, Serena Maneesh, the Beautiful New Born Children at Emo's (noon to 6 p.m.)

•High Wire Music and High Voltage Magazine present Five O' Clock Heroes, the Thieves, Eastern Conference Champions, La Rocca at Tambaleo (1 to 5 p.m.)

March 17

•Merge/ Sub Pop present Robert Pollard, Band of Horses, essex Green, Eugene Mirman, Patton Oswalt and more at Pok-E-Jo's (1 to 6 p.m.)

•Texas Music magazine presents Guy Forsyth, Ruthie Foster, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Radiant, Buttercup, South Austin Jug Band and more at Scholz Garten (1 p.m. to midnight)

•Windish Agency/Pitchfork presents the Juan Maclean, Art Brut, Love Is All, Rjd2 (DJ set), Matthew Dear (DJ set), Hot Chip, José González, Ladytron (DJ set), Death Vessel, Cut Copy (DJ Set), Spank Rock at Emo's Annex

•Billions Corporation Agency presents Neko Case and more at Antone's (noon)

•The Spin Party (acts to be announced soon) at Stubb's (1 p.m.)

•Shattered Records presents the Rat Traps, Angry Angles, Digital Leather, Carbonas, Final Solutions, Tokyo Electron, Reatards at Beerland

•Riot Act party with Crystal Skulls, Headphones, The Metal Hearts, Bound Stems, Maritime at the Lucky Lounge

•Golden Arm Trio, Benko, Invicibles at the Hole in the Wall (2 p.m.)

•Louisiana Music Export crawfish boil at the Continental Club (1 p.m.)

•Vice Magazine block party at Longbranch Inn and Victory Grill (noon to 8 p.m.)

•Insound party with Serena Maneesh, Pink Mountaintops, The Boy Least Likely To, Love is All at Club Deville

•High Wire Music and High Voltage Magazine present Cooper, Minutes Til Midnight, the Frauds, the Shys at Progress Coffee (1 to 5 p.m.)

•Jane Magazine party at the Beauty Bar (noon)

March 18

•Contaminated Records presents Blank Its, Kajun SS, River City Tanlines, the Feelers, Human Eye, Gris Gris at Beerland

•Yep Roc Records party with Marah, Cities, American Princes, Billy Bragg, Tres Chicas, Chatham County Line, Ian Moore, Jake Brennan and The Confidence Men, Robert Skoro at Yard Dog Gallery (noon to 7 p.m.)

•Tycho, Dusty Brown, El Paso Hot Button, Tacks the Boy Disaster, the King of France, Minutes Til Midnight Might, Page France, the Brokedown, Hackberries, Her Space Holiday, INK, Phosphorescent, Everything's Gone Green, Student Film, Octopus Project, Handsome Charlies, Amy Cook, Steve Arceri at Progress Coffee (2 to 10 p.m.)

•JellyNYC and Southpaw present Art Brut, Big Daddy Kane, the Rub DJs at the Beauty Bar (2 to 6 p.m.)

•Porchlight Pop Festival with the M's and more at Mother Egan's (noon)