March 20, 2013 Nagivating #SXSW: Advice from the Streets of Austin - RECAP + More
This SXSW series was put together by Jon Ostrow (@jon_ostrow), Campaigns Director of Cyber PR.
Though our time in Austin has come to an end, we still have a bit more to share…
Our final day at SXSW was once again packed with top notch events, showcases and of course people, all the while grabbing nuggets of advice along the way.
A special highlight of the day for Chris and I was the chance to see Cyber PR® client, and Peru’s own Bareto perform. Their set was fantastic! Full of energy and dancing (something I had yet to see at SXSW until this point).
And now, let’s dive in to the last (but not least) group of people who shared their advice with us on Friday. If you’re new to this series, see the links to all of the previous articles from this week’s SXSW series that ran throughout the week.
Ari Goldstein (Band Manager, Motive - @motiveband) A band playing shows during SXSW should know that they won’t be able to follow their schedule exactly, so allow a lot of time getting from show to show. Expect to get frustrated. Expect some shows to be empty. And remember this is not a make or break situation.
Bryan Vaughn (Owner, Paper Garden Records - @papergardenrecs) You never know who is going to be in the room so just play and have fun.
Jeremy Styles (Musician, Pearl and the Beard - @PEARLntheBEARD) SXSW these days is more a situation of if you don’t have buzz coming in, you won’t have buzz coming out. So don’t expect too much
Tim Convy (Manager, Tommy & The High Pilots/ Member of the band Ludo - @TheHighPilots / @LudoRock) Need to remember that there’s potent amount of potential for the industry to be at your show, but it’s just as much that, as it is ordering a taco next to industry folk in the taco place or standing next to them ordering a beer at the bar, and starting a conversation and creating a connection that way. Also playing at sxsw can be beneficial just to be able to say you played it.
Dave Mann (Blogger, Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie - @STPPie) It’s important for a band to play a few times at least during sxsw. I booked shows at 5 different venues at this years festival and discouraged any bands from confirming a slot if that was going to be their only show in Austin. Only a few bands out of the 200 that I booked ended up only playing our STPP showcases.
Benji Rogers (Founder, Pledge Music - @pledgemusic) South By music fans are some of most rabid fans who have traveled to see you. Take care of the fans first, THEN try to go out and network with the industry people.
Eric Weiner (Blogger, The Wild Honey Pie - @thewildhoneypie) It’s important to play A LOT at least one year, and then work with bloggers for the next year so that you can get on their showcases. Also, very important, don’t reach out to bloggers for showcases that you’ve never worked with… these showcases are typically reserved for bands/ artists that have been covered and supported by these blogs already.
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