In some ways, South by Southwest invented modern Austin.
It brought people back downtown. It opened up all the near-town neighborhoods. It created the impression that our sidewalks are regularly populated with smart, open, kind, fun, fit creative types.
Luca Lucchesi (Australia), Dave Dart (Austin) and Nic Lam (Australia) at Guero’s Oak Grove
At the very least, SXSW crowds predict where Austin will go. As early as the 1980s, festival-goers tramped across deserted blocks to reach the essential Waterloo Records on West Sixth Street. Now that stretch between Congress Avenue and North Lamar Boulevard has become its own entertainment district.
The same thing can be said for South Congress, far East Sixth, Rainey Street and other hotspots. This year, Rainey blossomed with the popular South Bites food trailer park, a tribute to Austin’s undying funkiness.
Warren Katz (Toronto) and Justin Brown (Austin) at Malverde
(A visitor from Norfolk, Va. (metro pop. 1.7 million) said he could think of no food trailers in his hometown. Austin (metro pop. 1.8 million) is home to at least 1,200. Critical cultural marker? Where’s Richard Florida when you need him?)
These days, SXSW also stretches its tendrils down South First and South Lamar and up around the State Capitol. If Texas solons didn’t insist that the complex north of the Capitol remain a state-worker reservation — putting the brakes on public-private projects — SXSW could embrace the University of Texas campus area as well.
Johnny Sompholphardy, Robert Rozacky and Chris Alonso
Those Austinites who bitterly mourn the passing of the World Armadillo Headquarters more than three decades ago should get out into SXSW. The Armadillo’s core magic — the blissful mix of social unalikes — spills far beyond that old Quonset hut and onto almost every block of walkable Austin.
One of my highlights wandering around Friday was the Dart International happy hour in what is called the Original Austin district in the northwest quadrant of downtown. Now this area of old homes and new offices is usually pretty quiet, but neighbors flocked to hear bands from Japan, Mexico and Iran while I hung out behind a West Ninth Street law office meeting and finding out more about at least 10 totally fascinating folks.
Nathan Vargo, Summer Vargo, Brenda Porta and Jay Hull
One visitor, John Koprowski, originally from Portland, Ore. but now living with his musician girlfriend, Poeina Suddarth, in Los Angeles, was just passing by the day before when he discovered this free event among the scores of other free SXSW parties. He came back. And who knows, the couple might come back for good.
Yellow Dogs, Josy, Night Beds, Mood Rings, Wampyr, I Can Chase Dragons and William Tyler were among the lyric, harmonic and almost symphonic players this day at Music by the Slice, South by San Jose, Rock the Lot, International Day at Guero’s, Malverde (Bootcase party) and other stops along the way this SXSW Friday.