Memories of SXSW

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Every year, the Tiny Desk Concert is held in Austin's Central Presbyterian Church by a radio station, NPR. The lineup of artists on the stage is kept secret until the day. Last year, WYCLEF JEAN, a member of The Fugees, was on stage as a special guest. Lizzo, Adele, and Taylor Swift have there performed too. Tiny Desk Concert known for their 15 minutes intimate video performances in front of a desk in a small office room. They have kept this going for ten years now. You will find very enthusiastic performances too. The reputation is so good that many Japanese fans come and see this venue. 200 E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701 United States of America NPR web site

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Here in Elysium, you can find Japan Nite every year. In 2011, a band I was taking care of played in this stage and was picked as one of the best baby bands at SXSW by The New York Times. When I saw the article, I started sending out the demonstration CD to music labels around the world. Sadly, the band broke up, but sometimes I think to myself if they had stayed together, it would have become a great success story. 705 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 United states of America http://www.elysiumonline.net/

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In the past, stages were not as cool as they are now because they were only for music bands. You could have drinks here and there. Currently, there are so many stylish music venues. Among them, Maggie Mae's is a popular one where you can find great artists. 323 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 United states of America http://www.maggiemaesaustin.com/

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One of my memories here in the Austin City Hall is the K-pop showcase from last year. The name of the group was iKON, and it was from the same agency as BIG BANG, so I came to check them out. The stage was a blast with a vast, diverse audience! Some even had the same make-up as the performers. I have seen only a few Japanese artists going that crazy in the world; let me say, BABYMETAL. So I felt the power of K-pop. It was quite remarkable. I want to see Japanese artists gaining momentum like that soon. https://ygex.jp/ikon/

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Q. Can performers get a big break after SXSW? A. Not necessarily because of SXSW, but there are many artists that have done well and breakout after a great performance at SXSW. Each record labels have a strategy for the showcase to give a spot on a specific artist/band to sell. Recently, because of the influence of social media, the way of using showcases can be different from the past. When I was working at an agency, everyone was using MySpace, but the service didn't allow social communication like now, so business happened mainly during gatherings like concerts. I think many Japanese artists have a chance to go global if they perform in SXSW. The showcase gives them an opportunity for exposure. I know of a couple of artists found in SXSW asked to tour in the United States after that.

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If you visit the Showcase section on the SXSW Website, you will find a mention of THE GRULKE PRIZE. Happening since 2013, you can see artists who will breakout this year. Most of the artists introduced here have become popular, and it's interesting to see how those artists are doing now. The title, GRULKE PRIZE comes from SXSW Creative Director Brent Grulke. Even after his passing, SXSW created a show as a memorial to him. It may be one of the starting points of SXSW you find. For example, HAIM is one of the artists listed up in THE GRULKE PRIZE. CHVRCHES became a big artist who performed in the main stage of Coachella. Jain, a very popular artist in France, was introduced in 2017. with influence on Africa, her music is exciting. Her MV is also really cool. A R&B artist, Pink Sweat$, introduced last year, is also quite popular.

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Their stage sorrounded by limestone rock wall is beautiful. 900 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 United states of America http://cheerupcharlies.com/

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Amazing record shop and their day parties are always fun. 600 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703 United states of America https://waterloorecords.com/

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I like The Mohawk so much. It has a unique atmosphere and showcased some of the best emerging creative talents from Austin and beyond. Just FYI, security has heightened. If you step out of the yellow line, a standing zone, security will come and warn you 'Don't step out!'. Also surprisingly, at some venue, the security didn't let you bring your laptop inside. I don't know why, though. One of the best venues in Red River District. 912 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 United States of America https://www.mohawkaustin.com/

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713 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 United states of America https://www.austintheatre.org/

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At one place, security was telling us "No laptop, No iPad" last year. A writer was asking for permission to bring his laptop because he needed to listen to music and write but didn't get approved. I asked one of my friends working for SXSW the reason. He said each music venue has its own regulations, and SXSW respects them. 801 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 United States of America https://www.stubbsaustin.com/

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Sophisticated taco at modern Mexican restaurant. 400 W 2nd St A, Austin, TX 78701 United states of America https://lacondesa.com/

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Most favorite place on Rainey St. 61 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 United states of America https://craftprideaustin.com/

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90 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 United states of America http://austincontainerbar.com/

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Hi, I'm Kentaro, working for WESS Inc. WESS organizes "RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL in EZO" every August in Hokkaido, Japan. I also plan and administrate an event inspired by SXSW; "NoMaps:Sapporo Creative Convention." My first attendance at SXSW was in 1999, since then, I have worked for a well-known showcase "Japan Nite," and also attended as a manager of Japanese band. In recent years, I have joined trade show as an exhibitor of my event "NoMaps." Austin changed so much from 20 years ago as SXSW has grown; but this city and people still keep "being weird" as the famous slogan says. I hope this map will give you a slice of idea how Austin and SXSW are complex and balanced between stylin' and weird.

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Q. Do you feel any changes in the town's atmosphere during recent SXSW events and the ones from the past? A. Totally. I'd say for the last 10 years, it has changed a lot. We used to joke, "There are many people in suits or formal clothes during Interactive and Multimedia, but when Music starts, you'll only find people in shabby clothes." Now I see the same change to the town itself. The most change I see during SXSW is on Rainy Street. During Interactive, some empty houses become venues for big companies like "Twitter House" or a Netflix sponsored event. Other times, the place is mainly for Music, so the type of visitors come to Rainy Street changes widely during SXSW.

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In SXSW, no matter where you are, you'll have many chances to make connections. Just start a conversation with, "What's your name?", " What do you do?", "Let's grab a beer." That's the easiest way to find friends there.

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Recently, Rainy Street has been named Second Sixth Street because of the number of stylish bars that have been popping up. In 2016, the Van Zandt hotel, a designer hotel, was built in Austin. It looks like the Bauhaus. After that, the atmosphere of Rainy Street changed completely. On the other hand, Sixth Street hasn't changed much because of the historical buildings that make it iconic.

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In 2006, I supported a booth at the Trade Show to showcase Japanese music. We had CDs of Japanese bands and played some music videos. The booth next to us looked a rather small company. The name of the company was Sonicbids, and they made Websites, Profile pictures, pdfs for companies and artists. The main product was named EPK (Electro Press Kit) that allowed artists to create their own website and enabled agencies to book artists if they were interested. It was around $10 a month. Now you see this kind of service everywhere, but back then, especially for independent record label artists, it was hard to promote their websites. We became a good friend with the founder, Panos, since our booths were next to each other. When he introduced me to EPK, I was thinking of using that idea in Japan. The next year, in 2007, we saw Sonicbids become an official sponsor of SXSW like Stroly. All the artists playing in SXSW submit documents via Sonicbids. Last year or one year before that, I asked someone working in Sonicbids how Panos had been doing, and he told me that he had sold the company and became a millionaire. That surprised me. SXSW is not just a place for music, but a place where you can find your next big opportunity. https://www.sonicbids.com/

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David Bowie sadly passed away on January 10, 2016. Three days later, co-founder of SXSW Roland Swenson, along with the owners of a local sign store, put a 'David Bowie Street' sticker on the street sign at the intersection of Bowie Street and 5th Street in downtown Austin. The news exploded because it was a few months before the next SXSW. It's illegal to replace a street name, so the sign had to be reverted to its original state although, the sign stayed like this for a few days, out of respect to his achievement as a musician. Later, a petition was submitted via Chang.org to make the name change permanent, but it wasn't approved. Part of the reason was that Bowie St. was named after Jim Bowie, who died at the battle at the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. In an interview with Roland, he listed David Bowie as one of the musicians he wanted to invite to SXSW as a music festival guest and a keynote speaker. He has been a fan of David Bowie for a long time. Unfortunately, it never became real.