South By Southwest (SXSW) took place March 17 through 20, 2010. It’s a yearly event that has something for everyone! Are you interested in the latest developments in technology and gaming? Perhaps you’d like to see a movie premiere and meet Quentin Tarantino? Would you rather soak in every musical style under the sun? I couldn’t wait to grab my camera and cover the festival, and while all of these options sounded fun, I focused my sights on the music — Austin can’t be called the “Live Music Capital” for nothin’!

Starting Wednesday, March 17, everyone poured into the streets donning their green for St. Patrick’s Day. The streets surrounding the Austin Convention Center were closed for pedestrians to run about — the same was the case on 6th Street. Almost every door was open with music pouring out — if there were electrical outlets, it was transformed into a concert venue! This included parking decks, restaurants, bars, and even the street itself at times.

Official showcases ran all day and night. To get into these showcases you had to have purchased a wristband; however, most bands played multiple shows — some official SXSW showcases, and then some for everyone! Free unofficial showcases were everywhere, and as long as you could prove you were 21 or older, music was at your disposal. Bands that wanted to reach out to younger crowds were playing in the street. By Friday, walking down 6th Street, you would run into at least two bands per block, playing and drawing crowds on the asphalt. You could catch acts with years of experience and platinum records to their credit, as well as indie bands on their first tour.

Odd tactics to draw people back into the clubs were also used — I spotted Gwar walking down the middle of the street. They were on their way to their mid-afternoon showcase, collecting a crowd and posing for photos with fans along the way. Celebrities were out enjoying the events as well — Bill Murray was spotted tending bar at Kung Fu Saloon Thursday night!

All in all, this is an event everyone should experience at least once in their life…and if you try it once, you’ll be back year after year.