SXSW: Some say the music fest suffers from obesity

Many skip crowded circus, head for sideshows

The line for the not-so-secret Beastie Boys show at Stubb's Bar-B-Q was so daunting Thursday evening that many South by Southwest badge holders who showed up didn't bother to battle the chaos. Most of the wristband holders were completely shut out, missing the Brooklyn rap pioneers' show that had been announced just hours before.

Big SXSW shows such as this one call into question the value of the pink wristbands that local fans buy for a shot at getting into the festival's four nights of showcases, which wrap up tonight. Even people with $575 music badges, which take priority over the $130-$175 wristbands, can't count on getting into the big shows.

Deborah Cannon
AMERICAN-STATESMAN

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Fans line up around the corner of Stubb's to see the Beastie Boys during South by Southwest on Thursday March 16, 2006.

Ricardo B. Brazziell
AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)

The Band 'Head Automaitca' performs at the Emo's night club in Austin Texas on Friday, afternoon, March 17, 2006.

"When you have a band like the Beastie Boys, of course it's going to be a madhouse," said Adam Garner, a badge holder who gave up on trying to get into Stubb's. Even "badges barely mean anything."

The formerly intimate Austin festival has swollen as more music lovers pour into town each year. The registration total for the entire festival, including the film and interactive compo- nents, was expected to top 10,000. This doesn't include all the musicians, spring breakers and other visitors. On top of that, 4,000 wristbands were sold to local fans last month.

Many say that festival organizers need to address the growing pains of SXSW, which is now in its 20th year.

"SXSW has become almost too good at what it does and attracts too many people," said Chicago Tribune music writer Greg Kot, who's covered the festival for 15 years. "And if I'm press and I need to do my job and I can't get into a show, that's a problem."

But for those with no specific agenda, the week still offers plenty of opportunities. Many music fans have forsaken the pink handcuff altogether, opting to navigate the growing number of free shows and day parties. Every year, more of these events pop up, with Web sites dedicated to compiling the exhaustive options. For a rundown of today's offerings, www.showlistaustin.com has more than 90 parties from which to choose, each featuring multiple bands.

Many SXSW artists now perform at these events, giving fans more than one chance to see them and alleviating the pressure to get into official showcases.

Unofficial parties "used to be a gaggle of local bands who didn't get in," said Phil Waldorf, booking agent at Emo's. "This year it's like huge names playing free parties all through the night."

Ted Joyner, who drove to Austin from Baton Rouge, La., with a friend to check out SXSW, said he was skeptical about getting to see bands without a badge or wristband. "But we've seen everything we wanted to see, including Belle & Sebastian," said Joyner as he enjoyed a Thursday afternoon party at the Yard Dog. "It's been everything I expect and more."

The party Joyner attended was sponsored by the Chicago nightclub Schubas and the satirical publicaion the Onion, and it featured acts such as the popular Nickel Creek, which also had a SXSW showcase that night at Stubb's a few hours after the Beastie Boys.

This year marks the third time Jenny Strang has flown down from Chicago without a wristband. She brought her friend Tim Burdick, and the two mapped out their schedule with her laptop over lunch at Madam Mam's on the Drag before heading to the Yard Dog party.

"The first year, I could get into every show without a problem," Strang said. But this year, "I think the scene has been more day parties . . . and catching whatever we can at night."

Other fans have taken the opposite approach, trading up for the music badge.

"In my opinion, it's hardly worth getting a wristband," Barry Stewart said minutes before the Beastie Boys started playing at Stubb's. "It's a big tease."

Stewart has been coming to the festival for 10 years but has opted to buy a badge for the past few to get a better chance at seeing the big-name bands. He still waited in line for an hour.

While many people were enjoying the barbecue, beer and bands at the day events all over town Thursday, Gwen Knight showed up at the Austin Music Hall at 3:45 p.m. — still in her nurse's uniform — to see Morrissey's 9:30 p.m. showcase without either a badge or wristband. She finally got in at 7:15 p.m. but had to pay $50 to see the British singer.

Some venues, such as the Austin Music Hall, opt to let people without badges or wristbands in for a charge, but they typically make it a last-minute decision based on how many credentialed fans show up.

"At Emo's after 10 p.m., there's a good chance you're not getting in," Waldorf said. "That said, there's always one show that surprises us all. We say it's going to sell out at 8:15 p.m., and people are still strolling in at 10 p.m. At SXSW there's no way to gauge."

Many wristband holders say that to avoid packed houses and long lines, they stay away from big shows like Morrissey and stick with lesser-known bands.

"Shows are definitely harder to get into," said Michael Booher of the band Zykos and an Austin representative for Daughter Entertainment, a Texas booking agency. "I tend to personally enjoy camping out somewhere for the night to watch a strong bill of bands or friends play, and feeling less stressed about running to see some new or overhyped band that everyone thinks they have to see."

Others say enjoying the festival week all comes down to attitude.

"If I don't get in to (a certain show), there are so many other things I want to see, I won't be crying about it," said college student Libby Gravatt, 21, who has bought a wristband for three years.

And for some, the festival's growth hasn't detracted from its "must go" status for music lovers.

"It's like complaining about the heat in August," said Matador Records co-president Gerard Cosloy, who lives in Austin. "It's just going to be like that. People need to do a better job about finding a show that no one knows about. For every show that's full, there might be another really great band playing for 50 people."

rrayasam@statesman.com; 912-2942