…and hours and hours and hours…
What, not enough evening diversions to sate your sybaritic appetite? We thought not. SXSW Interactive is as much about parties (perhaps moreso) as panel presentations, and webheads, hackers, code monkeys and content creators step up every year to fill the nights with drama, music, drink, art and lively discussion.
Here’s our opinionated and still incomplete take on a few more post-conference diversions:
Dorkbot: Saturday, March 10, 6–8 pm in Brush Square Park. “An open mic and science fair mashup, Dorkbot gathers artists and hackers to do strange things with electricity.” We’ll forgive the use of the m-word, since they promise there’ll be beer there. Sponsored by Make Magazine, the Austin chapter of the International Game Developers Association and SXSW. Why you’ll wanna go: Almost 100 percent certainty something will go spectacularly boom!
AMODA Digital Showcase: Saturday, March 10, 10 pm–2 am at the Mohawk. An art lounge presented by Austin’s Museum of Digital Art, featuring video projections, interactive art installations and a “laptop battle” where local digital musicians compete. Why you’ll wanna go: This event is often over-shadowed on the packed Saturday of SXSWi, but it’s a lot of fun and a great chance to meet artists living at the intersection of tech and talent.
Austinist’s Local Music is Sexy 3: Saturday, March 10, 10 pm–4 am at Pure Volume Lounge. Austinist is one of our favorite ISTs in the empire, and this year’s party features performances by Black Before Red, Peel, Clap!Clap! and The Laughing (and maybe more?). Come see why the city rightly heralds itself as a live music world capital. Why you’ll wanna go: Local music is sexy. Enough said.
Film Baby: Sunday, March 11, 9–11 pm at Whiskey Bar. Film Baby (no relation) presents an evening of art and music celebrating a great year in indie film and media, including a “temporary installation by world renown fabric sculptor-architect Soo-Hwa Yuan, music by LA Troubadour Coby Brown, G-4’s Zachariah and San Francisco’s best, DJ Mancub.” Why you’ll wanna go: We like saying “Mancub”.
Chow/Consumating/Webshots Party: Sunday, March 11, 10 pm–2 am at the Mohawk. “A food site, a dating site and a photo site walk into a bar...” and give you performances by What Made Milwaukee Famous and the Lemurs plus DJ sets by Stay Gold, all with snacks and cocktails. Why you’ll wanna go: Internet Rockstar Ben Brown will no doubt be there and it’s even odds on whether he’s wearing pants.
Austin on Rails Happy Hour: Monday, March 12, 6–9 pm at Buffalo Billiards. Pool, shuffleboard and darts provide the backdrop for this meeting of indigenous Rails developers and their kin from around the world. Drinks and snacks provide the social lubrication. Free with a SXSW badge or an RSVP for non-conference goers. Why you’ll wanna go: Nothing says party like a web application development framework.
South by Northwest: Monday, March 12, 10:30 pm–2:30 am at Iron Cactus. Blue Flavor, Bryght and Raincity Studios head back to the scene of previous crimes, but this year have smartly booked almost the whole joint for the free bar meeting of the minds. Why you’ll wanna go: Fertile brains from the upper left-hand part of the map packed into a confined space with booze, and a chance to stroke Nick Finck’s beard. (Ask nicely first.)
We continue to trawl the web for amusing ways to rob you of your rest during SXSW Interactive. Stay tuned to this website for further bulletins as events warrant.
