2016’s SXSW is officially in the books and it has to be my favorite one so far. This was my fourth year in a row attending the festival, so I felt pretty confident my plans would pan out this time around. However, things got off to a shaky start right away with me missing my flight down to Austin. Things didn’t look good at all, but thankfully I managed to make it onto a flight to Dallas and then to Austin. Shout-out to everyone that helped make that possible. Being on the standby list for a flight is not fun at all.
As soon as I touched down in Austin, I headed straight to the Cliche showcase at the House of Vans. I wasn’t there for too long, but it seemed like a really well organized event. It was nearing the end of the event, so it was time to make the next move. The next stop was the Fader Fort. The good folks at Fader hooked it up once again with some press passes, so waiting in line was not an option. As soon as we entered one of my favorite SXSW parties, we were greeted with some Budweiser. It was fitting since it was 3/16 and Stone Cold would be hella proud of me drinking a few of his favorite brews. Not too long after making my way around the Fort, I hear Desiigner’s “Panda” blaring through the speakers. Desiigner was at the top of the list of artists I wanted to see perform and I was able to knock him off of the list on the first day in Austin. Chicago’s very own Twin Peaks and Metro Boomin, alongside DJ Esco, blessed the stage right after. Both put on some very dope sets.
The next move was to walk back to Red River street to get in line for Jansport’s Bonfire Sessions party at Cheer Up Charlies. The line to get in wasn’t too crazy, but I still had to wait maybe 20 minutes to get in. The line was well worth the wait since Texas’ very own Lone Star was provided in some red solo cups the whole night. SXSW is a place for discovery and that happened at this event. Not only did I discover Jansport throws out book bags like they’re tshirts at their shows, but I was also introduced to Beach Slang. They put on a very cool set and set the right mood for Mick Jenkins and Kehlani. Mick and definitely didn’t disappoint, even Rae Sremmurd and 2 Chainz had to stop by and check out what was going on at this party. This way a good way to end a very productive first day of SXSW.
I kicked off day 2 of SXSW by hitting up The Spotify House to check out some live music and get some drinks at the same time. I accomplished that and after a few hours, it was time to make the next move. The next stop would be at The Belmont for the AXE and Spin Magazine Event. The event was headlined by John Legend, who handpicked five artists (AXE Collective) to grace a SXSW for the very first time. Couldn’t think of a better place than The Belmont to make your first appearance at the big fest. One of my highlights from the entire fest has to be John Legend’s short but amazing set at this showcase. It was only him and a piano, but he had the crowd locked in from start to finish. Some of my other favorite performances from this set were Gallant, who I will be doing some research on because he killed it, and Rae Sremmurd. I managed to see Rae Sremmurd last year at SXSW, but this time around I was a lot closer to the stage and it was a very fun time from start to finish. They have plenty of songs to light up any showcase they rock.
After the AXE and Spin showcase, there were no real plans for the next few hours. I decided to check out The Yard party right off of 6th street to get some Green Flash beer and Tito’s Vodka. Can’t really say no to some free drinks. There was a nice sized crowd at this event so it made for a good atmosphere. After a few drinks, it was off to the next spot. The Chicago Made showcase at The Main was the next stop and we ran into many familiar faces. The homies Saba, Golden and Mick Jenkins all graced the stage. The standout from the group had to be Golden, as he was making his debut alongside his new band. They will surely be making some noise very soon and for the rest of 2016.
SXSW day 3 was once again spent with Spin Magazine, this time around for their showcase at Stubb’s. Last year, they provided some apple cider throughout the entire show. This year, we made it a little too late to get some tacos, but they had some Bud Light to keep us hydrated. The highlights of this show had to be Vince Staples, Deftones and CHVRCHES. Vince was on my list of artists to check out, so I was finally able to cross him off of my list. Comedy Central’s Kegs and Eggs party was going on right across the street, so I was able to get my tacos after all. SXSW is a truly awesome fest.
An hour or so after I left the Comedy Central party, the notifications starting coming in for everyone to find some shelter as a storm was fast approaching. Those notifications and the way the sky was looking was enough evidence for me to go ahead and make my way to the convention center. It ended working out as I was able to charge up and get a good rest before heading out to the next event. It would definitely come in handy. I made my way to the Republic SX showcase featuring some of Republic Records artists. As soon as I got to the venue, I was notified that the event was canceled due to the storm. I immediately jumped on twitter to find the next party and stumbled upon a Bud Light party featuring performances from Misterwives and Bleachers. Sign me up! I made way to the venue and after waiting for 2 hours in line, I was finally able to enjoy some Bud Light and a very awesome performance by Bleachers. Last year, I was only able to the band perform one song, so it was nice to be able to see a full set.
The last day of my SXSW trip this year was meant as a day to recover, get some interviews done and catch a few shows before catching an early flight back to Chicago Sunday morning. Our four interviews were set for Saturday morning and early afternoon, but I sort of regret setting up interviews as early as 10am. The team and I still managed to get things done and knocked out some dope interviews with Omen, Cozz, Bas and The Virginmary’s. Soon after wrapping up the interviews, we made our way to the Fader Fort to partake in the last night of their always entertaining event. That didn’t really work out the way I planned as the lines to get in were massive all the way around. It also doesn’t help that Drake was rumored and later confirmed as the surprise guest for the night. I still refuse to watch any footage from his Fader set. Its still all love, we’ll be back next year at the Fader Fort. To end my last night in Austin, I decided to make my way to the official Dreamville showcase. The lineup was stacked from top to bottom and was really the best move given everything else that was going on at the same time. Little Simz, Lute, Omen, Cozz and Bas all put on one hell of a show. This was a great way to end a very fun and productive SXSW. Can’t wait for 2017.
