Final preparations for SXSW

For those of you who don't know, SXSW (South By Southwest) is the biggest music industry event in the world.  People from all areas of the industry come to Austin, Texas for five days of music classes (during the daytime) and live performances at night.  Historically, SXSW is where artists are "discovered" by major record labels (John Mayer, for example).  Today, many artists who are already established play showcases at SXSW (usually in support of a new record). 

Here is a brief list of artists whose showcases I plan on attending: Aqualung, Meiko, M Ward, Peter Mulvey, Ten out of Tenn, Fastball, The Decemberists, Billy Bob Thornton (yes, that one), Superdrag, Landon Pigg, Erin McCarley, Andrew Bird, Greg Laswell, Cary Brothers, Rocco Deluca and the Burden (Jack Bauer's band), Ben Harper, Eric Hutchinson, The Hold Steady, The Used, Third Eye Blind, Ra Ra Riot, Shiny Toy Guns . . . and probably many more singer/songwriters whom I have not yet heard of.

I expect chaos and massive crowds.  I also hope to figure out how to navigate Austin, find some quality BBQ, and play softball on Sunday in the official SXSW tournament.