This year I had the privilege of finally attending SXSW. I went for all three festivals (Interactive, Media, Film) and was there for all 10 days. It was intense. This was my SXSW:
Those
moments when people you've literally just met are so supportive of you
and offer to put you in touch with so-and-so who might be able to help
you with such-and-such.
That
moment when some kind strangers let you squeeze in next to them on the
rail so you have a primo spot to see Future Islands and The Flaming Lips
(the show you happen to be most excited about for the whole festival) and you bond.
Those moments when you're waiting in line and it feels endless and you're thinking "I paid $1600 for this Platinum pass! How does that not give me line-skipping privileges?!" and wondering what it takes to be a VIP.
Those moments when you think there's going to be a line but there's not and you waltz right in to whatever amazing thing you are attending.
That moment when you’ve decided to take it easy for a night to recover a little and you’re in bed by 11pm but then can’t sleep, despite being completely exhausted, because your body is now used to staying up until 3am.
Those moments where the panelists just say the perfect thing.
That moment when someone you met on Friday invites you to his birthday dinner on Tuesday.
That moment when you run into your college roommate from freshman year completely by chance in a food truck lot at 1:30am.
That moment when you're so sunburned that it hurts to wear clothes.
That moment when you're so hungover that it hurts to exist.
That moment when you throw up in a trashcan outside your friend's apartment the morning after drinking and realize why people who live in Austin hate SXSW.
That moment where you're sitting on a floor blindfolded with a bunch of strangers and eating an apple and thinking "this panel was not what I thought it was going to be."
That moment when you really wish people would watch the show instead of recording the whole thing on their phone because you came here to see the artist in person and not through the person in front of you's screen.
That moment when grown men scream like teenage girls over a musician.
That moment when you're eating free ice cream in the rain.
Those moments when no one will dance and you're so frustrated on behalf of the band because they're not getting any energy back from the audience.
That moment when someone crowd-surfs and you really wish you weren't wearing a skirt so you could too.
That moment when you really wish people would stop crowd-surfing so you could enjoy the band without getting kicked in the head.
That moment when some guys behind you are bitching loudly and you turn around and offer them a hug because their harshing your good mood and you actually turn the mood around and then you're toasting to how awesome life is
That moment when you can tell you're getting sick because your body just doesn't want to do this anymore but there's still several more days of the festival so suck it up and take some vitamins.
That moment when the party ends very abruptly and the staff is all "get the fuck out" and even take your drink away that you paid for before you can finish it because they are so over SXSW.
That moment when someone friends you on Facebook and you realize you already have 11 mutual friends.
That moment when you hang out and eat cupcakes with the band you just saw and wishing one of them a happy birthday.
That moment when you get a Lyft driver for a second time and realize that's how long you've been in town.
That moment where you realize you only saw one movie the entire time you were here.
That moment when the Mexican restaurant hands you what you think is a poncho to keep dry from the rain and it turns out it’s just a trashbag but you poke a hole for your head and wear it anyway.
That moment when people are dancing in the rain on 6th street and you would join them if there weren't so many cameras filming it and you didn’t want to be recorded literally wearing a trashbag.
That moment where you pay $5 for a poncho so you look slightly less ridiculous than you do in a torn up trashbag and get the last ponchos at the store and everyone behind you in line hates you.
That moment when you see a sign that says free ice cream and realize how jaded you are because at first you don't believe them.
That moment someone you met 20 minutes ago tells you he thinks he loves you.
Those moments when the audience does dance and it makes it a noticeably better show experience.
- That moment when you have to say goodbye to the wonderful people you've just spent 10 days with and you get a little emotional.
. And come back later for more on the specific bands we saw and loved!
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