"In its 22 years, SXSW has grown from a tiny music festival in the Texas capital into a massive, unavoidable media beast..." - National Post, 3/13/08
How true.
We remember watching a piece MTV did on the burgeoning festival in the late '80s. That year it featured up-and-comers National People's Gang, The Jody Grind, Snatches of Pink, Chickasaw Mud Puppies and many more. But one thing we recall vividly is a member of Poi Dog Pondering talking about how great it was that SXSW was a cool, little festival; in contrast to New York's now-defunct New Music Seminar, which had become too unwieldy in his opinion. Ah, how times have changed.
We've felt rather blasé about the Austin-based festival for a few years now. It just doesn't seem like a place for non-established artists to get much of a fair shake at trying to get the word out, and more like a vehicle for a parade of well-known acts to raise their profile or gain some "indie cred". Then we heard Metallica just played for an "intimate" crowd of 2100 at this year's edition. Jeez.
Not only has SXSW gotten way too big and corporate but Metallica's presence surely signals the festival has jumped the shark. Just ask Lollapalooza.
