23 May 11–17, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents You Must Be This Tall to Enter Where do newer acts fit into SXSW today? BY AVA THOMPSON T he legendary Austin festival South by Southwest first took place in 1987, showcasing mainly Texas rock, blues and Tejano acts. It grew with the early ‘90s boom of alt-rock to become the premier place for burgeoning musicians to flex their chops in hope of some coveted interaction that would transform their careers. In 2004, British singer James Blunt (of “You’re Beautiful” and Twitter clapback fame), was discovered by Linda Perry. And according to Complex, artists from Janelle Monáe to John Mayer and Amy Winehouse walked in relatively unknown and left the Austin stage as superstars. The festival has come a long way — as has Austin — since its inaugural music and me- dia festival days. With the film and interac- tive portion introduced in 1994, the presence of tech, film and TV have changed what SXSW means for attendees and fans. These days, reviews and reports on SXSW may center on AI or NFTs as much as or more than on the influx of indie acts trek- king to Austin. And that shift reflects a change in scale and content in the festival it- self. In 2022, SXSW had a direct and indirect economic impact of $280.7 million on Aus- tin. (Before COVID, in 2019, the economic impact was around $355.9 million.) “It’s a dynamic experience,” says singer, songwriter and producer Keite Young. “It’s kind of broad, and it depends upon perspec- tive. For artists and creatives, South By being in Austin makes perfect sense as it’s such a music-hungry town.” Young is well versed in the festival cir- cuit, having started playing at SXSW a de- cade ago. To him, the key to performing at SXSW is knowing what you want out of it. “When an artist does want to participate in South By, I think it’s best to come up with a plan to show yourself and your brand to the right people, so relationships are really the focal point, not just exposure … garner- ing that constitutes having a really well-de- fined vision of your brand, about what you want to say, about the value that you bring.” And, as SXSW has changed, a musician’s approach should change with it. “You have to have a different strategy now that it’s literally flooded from content and media from everywhere. You have to have a strategy that lends itself more into a niche orientation. … You need to go find those people [who fit your niche] first. And eventually everyone will hear about it.” Ariel Harley and Bailey K. Chapman of the band Pearl Earl also emphasize the value of relationships. “[It is] overall worth it if you want to con- sider touring because you meet up with all these people from all over America,” says Chapman. “Later when you are in their town you can network. [That is] really valu- able for any newer band.” It is worth noting that relationships and ex- posure are the predominant form of compen- sation at SXSW. As of now, artists are given the choice between a $250 payment or a wrist- band that permits access to music events. And when you add the cost of housing for a busy week like that, SXSW becomes even less fi- nancially profitable for a band to play. “I got two White Claws for my wrist- band,” says Hartley. “A lot of people are say- ing [SXSW] is unorganized and they don’t pay artists and that there are not as many perks. [That] has not changed. It has always been this way. In my personal opinion, I feel like maybe artists are just more aware of how not lucrative it is as artists to play for exposure and to discard the comfort of a normal show for this chaotic experience. But South By has never paid artists.” Chapman agrees. “A warning to bands who do it for the first time: If you have a lot of anxiety, don’t do it,” she says. “Most people love it or hate it.” The group says venues often don’t have green rooms for every artist and that it can be hard to find a meal, let alone the time to eat that meal. For many, the festival is a game of how many gigs they can fit in one week. Avant- garde pop artist Nicole Marxen would play around 10 shows a week with her previous bands before she performed at the festival officially in 2022. She shares a similar senti- ment about the festival’s compensation. “This sounds terrible, but I’m used to not getting paid for what I do properly,” Marxen says. “That’s the sad reality of it. I knew this was an opportunity that you may not get again. And I just wanted to say yes to it.” For Marxen, SXSW was less about mak- ing career connections and more about hav- ing a good time. “I made the most of my entire experience with South By last year, which is funny be- cause I literally drove out almost an entire crowd with my performance,” she says. “While I could have gotten really down about it, the people that stuck around came up to me afterwards and told me how much they loved what I did and how special it was. I just had this really important realization that I am not for everyone, especially what could be considered marketable in the in- dustry standards.” She did make some connections that were valuable in more personal ways. “I also made really good friends at South By,” Marxen says. “My showcase was really magical. Every band that played on it was great. We formed a special kin- ship. And a year later, I still talk to a lot of them regularly. I made the most of it and I had a great time, but I didn’t get signed. I didn’t meet anyone career-wise that made a difference.” Like the band members of Pearl Earl, Marxen opted for a wristband over the $250, attending panels on visas for touring in Europe and another presented by Spotify. “A lot of the panels were really unhelp- ful,” she says. “I’m not trying to make NFTs or anything. Like give me practical advice. There is a lot that I need help with that there weren’t any resources for when there should have been because it was so focused on ‘What’s the hot thing that tech is talking about right now?’ ... My best advice to bands that apply and get in is to make it what is going to be worthwhile for you. I think we all know it’s not the incredible thing that it used to be anymore. It’s just in- credibly corporate. I mean, it’s had the soul sucked out of it.” So where do newer or lesser-known musicians fit within this mammoth of me- dia and tech and corporate chaos bundled up into a week-long festival? The old SXSW is long gone, but fear not: There’s still a lively scene for smaller-scale musi- cians. And Dallas-based musicians are no- where near abandoning their spring pilgrimage to Austin. Vera “Velma” Hernandez Keite Young, shown performing in Dallas in 2019, says the key to SXSW is knowing what you want out of it. ▼ Music 2714 Elm St • 972-803-5151 armouryde.com MONDAY – FRIDAY 5PM–2AM SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11AM–2:00AM Cocktails • Beer Traditional Hungarian Fare Hand built not bougHt. Franklins TaTToo and supply TWo loCaTions: 469-904-2665 • 4910 Columbia ave, dallas, TX 75214 open now • 903-710-2028 • 17581 old Jacksonville hwy, flint tx 75762 proFessional TaTToo supply For pros only Call for your appointment or design commissions today!
