SXSW 2018 came and went before we knew it, and once more the festival left us with plenty of great experiences to already get us excited for next year’s festivities. Our annual pilgrimage to ATX allowed us to witness plenty of dope performances each day and night, making the task of picking our favorites quite difficult, but it’s also rewarding to reflect on the week that was.
So look below to check out our picks of the best of SXSW 2018.
Best ‘Fit
Khalid made it clear that he knows his way around the world of fashion. His headlining set wasn’t only poppin’ because this guy’s got some great tunes, but he also came out rocking the goods. His pink jacket paired with the “Off-White” kicks just couldn’t be beat.
Best Showcase
Hands down, this has to be assigned to SONY’s Lost In Music showcase. The lineup was stacked with some brilliant up-and-coming artists that are carving out quite a name for themselves. Leikeli47, A.Chal, and Tinashe to kick things off and with Khalid as headliner, you can imagine this was just one dope performance after another with quite a range of different genres to relish in throughout the night. The showcase also included a VR experience with Khalid, which offered fans another component to enjoy.
Best “Home Away From Home” Showcase
The Showtime House saw the Showtime network take over Rainey St. and one of the dates was dedicated to their excellent series The Chi, so it was only right that the curated lineup for that day boasted some of the dopest names from our local scene. Air Credits, Knox Fortune, Joey Purp, AND Kweku Collins? Chicago is a bastion of talent, and that was clearly demonstrated by these POD favorites. We always support Chicago artists no matter where we go and it never gets old to see fans from other parts of the country (& world world) also support the artists we’ve always been appreciating back home.
Festival MVP
HINDS! The Spanish outfit played an incredible number of sets for both official and unofficial showcases across Austin; over a dozen if I’m not mistaken. Each time around they did things a little differently, they joked around with each other on stage, and interacted with the crowd in an unrehearsed fashion, which was refreshing as a fan that saw them perform multiple times. This group can really bring it, so it’s always great when you have clear examples that their performances will never lose their integrity no matter what the (reasonable) circumstances may be.
Most Likely to Conquer SXSW 2019
A.CHAL is our pick for this category because he possesses all the components to make a big splash wherever he goes. The Peruvian artist is pretty much a veteran of the festival now, playing the last 2 editions straight, but with the hot streak he is currently experiencing and with a new project on the horizon, it’s not hard to see why A.CHAL will captivate much bigger, and more passionate crowds from here on out. Bringing him back next year is a no-brainer, and the fest will be better for it.
Most Rewarding Fan Experience
Wyclef Jean took us back the block party days with a truly personal set that included freestyles, storytelling, and performances of his biggest hits just inches away from the fans in the front row. The anecdotes he told included working with Carlos Santana, being in the Fugees, and more. There were no barriers between the star and his fans, and we were all able to dance with him and hype him up to deliver his next shining moment… Oh yeah, AND he played the solo on “Maria Maria” with his teeth! The whole place was bumping. It’s not typical for fans to get all this from a single performance, but you’ve got to thank Wyclef and SX for making it happen.
Check out our photo gallery below featuring pictures of the artists that made up this list, along with other fantastic performers that made this a SXSW to remember: Albert Hammond Jr and Andrew WK. Also, s/o to Zane Lowe and the Batmobile!
- Photo Credit: Oscar Oliva Jr / Pursuit Of Dopeness
