Monday, March 5, 2007

Geeks in rented shoes

Quick! What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of SXSW Interactive? I know, extreme sports, right?!

For years, Saturday morning kickball was the tradition, pitting the pasty against each other in loose alliances for playground domination. But now, for the second year, the geeks will compete in the Avalonstar Bowling Extravaganza, Sunday, March 11 at 7 pm. Check out the site and plan to stop by, quaff a few and cheer on your favorite team. (Best team name IMHO: “10 Strike. 20 GOTO 10.")

A word about awards

Begin practicing the following phrases:

1. It is an honor just to have been nominated.
2. It is thrilling just to be in the presence of so many talented individuals.
3. Woohoo! I won! In! Your! Face!

Got ‘em? Good. Now you’re prepared for the two awards ceremonies that take place during SXSW Interactive, whether you’re a nominee, eventual winner or spectator.

First up is the 10th Annual SXSW Web Awards—called the Earls by absolutely no one—which will be doled out on Sunday, March 11 at 7:30 at the Downtown Hilton, in a ceremony presented by Adobe and hosted by Ze Frank. (A pre-show party, traditionally featuring too little food and long lines at the bar, will precede the event from 6–7 pm in Brush Square Park, across the street from the hotel.)

Fresh from the heady rush of Sunday night, plan to bring a lunch to the Trade Show Day Stage on Monday, March 11 at 12:45 pm, where organizer, host and pop sensation Nikolai Nolan will present the Seventh Annual Weblog Awards—called The Bloggies by absolutely everyone—in a decidely lower-key ceremony that nonetheless often features lavish musical numbers, inside-joke acceptance speeches and snarky IRC color commentary.

Robert Rodriguez Presents: Zombie and Torso

Robert Rodriguez and the Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow are teaming up (in conjunction with SXSW) to host an outdoor screening on Saturday, March 10, at Republic Square Park in downtown Austin. The reason? A double-feature of two vintage “grindhouse” films: Lucio Fulci’s Zombie (1979) and Sergio Martino’s Torso (1973).

First up is Sergio Martino’s Schoolgirl Bodycount Classic TORSO, with a hacksaw dismemberment you’ll relive in your nightmares for the rest of your life, and then we have Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE, the greatest Italian Gutmuncher ever, it’s the one where the Zombie fights a shark underwater! If this is the kind of high-octane, throat-ripping action we can expect from GRINDHOUSE we’re camping out at the theater a week in advance!

Admission is free with SXSW badge, or $10 without. (And I believe they mean any badge?) Beer and food service will be available.

Republic Square Park is located at 4th and Guadalupe. Gates open at 5:45pm. The show starts promptly at 6:45pm.

Weblog Cliché: SXSW Edition

Even the four-footed folks are getting ready for SXSW! This cool cat is clearly ready to rock.

As the festivals get underway, we’ll be keeping an eye on Flickr for views from Austin. If you take a particularly iconic photo, upload it with the tag “sxswbaby” and maybe we’ll feature it here. And be sure to check out the tag lists under “How We See It” in the right-hand column for more photos from SXSW!

(Wristband kitty photo by catpossum)

Where to Eat During SXSW

This guide is old, old, old! Go to the 2008 Guide instead.

[Photos by mlovitt, cha cha, Yimay, and Ben Brown]

I’m by no means an expert on Austin food, but I thought it would be handy to note some of the places I’ve enjoyed over the last few SXSW conferences.

My focus here on listing places has been mostly those restaurants that are:
1. in close proximity to 6th Street and the Convention Center at 4th St and Neches (I like the Warehouse District a lot but most people won’t be willing to walk all the way out there for lunch)
2. relatively inexpensive and casual (or are of good value)
3. places specializing in BBQ and Tex-Mex
4. not national chains like IHOP or PF Chang’s and the like

So here’s my shortlist of where you and a few friends can sit down and grab a bite downtown in between films, panels, parties, and bands. Personally, I try to avoid eating Asian food since I can get a lot of that at home, YMMV. As a New Yorker, I also maintain the right to be snotty about Austin’s imposter Katz’ Deli.

Thanks to Yimay Yang, Karen Broyles, and Michaela Drapes for extra tips.

Continue reading "Where to Eat During SXSW"...

Get ready to spring forward, baby!

While you’re busy prepping and packing for SXSW, don’t overlook one important detail: Daylight Saving Time comes three weeks earlier beginning this year.

At 2 am on Sunday morning, March 11, we “spring forward” to 3 am. So while you can wait until bedtime on Saturday to reset your wristwatch, you may want to prepare your plastic pals such as laptops, PDAs and phones before you depart for Austin so you’re not late for that morning panel. Here’s a great guide to patches and resources to get your tech on track for DST.

Friday, March 2, 2007

News Round-up

A few news items before the weekend officially starts:

Matt Dentler talks to the Hollywood Reporter about what it’s like to run SXSW Film:

“I said, ‘Let’s cultivate filmmakers and have a great time showing their work,’ “ he says. “My focus is on using SXSW as a great opportunity. It’s not about overnight deals. Our mantra is a program of the best-quality films and best people, which increases the quality of the experience for everyone.”

And Brett Grulke does an interview with News 8 Austin about SXSW:

Q: This year there seems to be more discussion online. There seems to be more controversy swirling around the festival. You were vilified a couple weeks ago by saying this is for the industry, not for the people of Austin. All of that means that more people are interested in South by Southwest, or it seems to feel that way.

A: It feels that way. You know, it’s always been something that is for fans of Austin, too, and we really want to make that clear and let people know that, you know, that kind of turnout and interest in wristbands is something that we deeply appreciate and that that is, you know, the heart and soul of the energy of the event. It’s the music bands in Austin.

Unofficial SXSW Film Guide

New, from Austinist and B-Side Entertainment, an unofficial SXSW Film Guide:

* Browse through all 236 films to be screened, either by categories (Documentary Features, Narrative Shorts, Music Videos, Late Night Screenings and the like), day. or venue.
* Create your own customized calendar of screenings that you’d like to attend
* Rate and review films during the festival, for your chance to win a 2008 SXSW Silver Film Badge
* Read film synopses, learn about cast and crew, access official film websites, and view trailers

The Smoke Trail: More on BBQ

The Austin Chronicle’s Food section runs down 11 BBQ joints that are fairly accessible to SXSW attendees, either via foot or short taxi ride:

1. Iron Works Barbecue
2. Stubb’s BBQ
3. Lamberts
4. Ben’s Long Branch BBQ
5. Sam’s BBQ
6. House Park Bar-B-Que
7. Bowie Street BBQ at Whole Foods Market
8. Pok-e-Jo’s Smokehouse Inc.
9. Artz Rib House
10. Green Mesquite BBQ & More
11. Ruby’s BBQ

I’m most intrigued by #3, Lamberts, a brand new BBQ place on the west side of Downtown that claims to be a “fancy BBQ” joint. Reservations are recommended and the menu’s upper entree prices are $20. But the menu contains upscale choices like baby-back wild boar ribs, pecan-smoked Alaskan king salmon, cold-smoked quail, mustard and brown sugar ribeyes, and fried blackberry pie with lemon sorbet. I’m guessing you don’t wipe your hands with paper towels here? 

The Chronicle on SXSWi

This week’s Austin Chronicle also previews the goings-on at SXSW Interactive, including an interview with gaming genius Will Wright, the guy behind SimCity and The Sims. He talks a little about his new project, the eagerly anticipated Spore.

Check all this out and more on The Austin Chronicle SXSW Guide.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Interactive Karaoke?

Austin is the “Live Music Capital of the World!” and so when I call bars, lounges and pubs asking if they either a) do karaoke or b) would be okay with us bringing in our own karaoke equipment, I tend to get laughed at.

As far as I can tell, there is only one establishment I know that would be able to host us web geeks who want to get liquored up and sing for each other. And it’s nearly six miles away from Break Bread with Brad.

Continue reading "Interactive Karaoke?"...

Posted by bryanjbusch on 03/01 at 04:40 PM
Interactive | Events & Parties | (2) Comments | Permalink

…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:

Continue reading "…and hours and hours and hours…"...

SXSW Live on Direct TV

Remember that announcement that SXSW was going to broadcast bands live on DIRECTV’s Channel 101? They’ve announced the full details and schedule.

Watch Razorlight, Ozomatli, The Fratellis, or Rickie Lee Jones from your living room! And if you’re in Austin for SXSW Music, you might be able to attend the live performance.

On March 15, 16, & 17 (4pm to Midnight, Central Standard Time) Austin’s newest live music venues will feature 24 of the hottest bands and artists on the SXSW bill for a daily 8-hour live TV broadcast only on DIRECTV’s Channel 101.

All artists will perform a full 40-minute set at the newly created Lone Star Lounge & Bat Bar, built specifically for SXSW Live inside the Austin Convention Center. Check your pocket guide or the SXSW website for exact times and location. Complimentary tickets will be available to all festival attendees and members of the general public - space permitting.

Louis Black of SXSW Responds to Blog Chatter

The debate over the price of wristbands, the business aspects of SXSW, and SXSW’s effect on the city of Austin has been going strong on Austinist since wristbands went on sale. Surprisingly, Louis Black, one of the founders of SXSW, stepped briefly into the fray, fielding various accusations made by Austinist commentors.

His column in this week’s Chronicle talks a little about the relationship between online audience feedback and SXSW:

Blogs and posts also provide a revealing look at how people think about the Chronicle. Realizing that people are most likely to write after they are pissed off, I don’t regard this as a representative sample of our readers, but it is still interesting.

One of the things I’ve affirmed, as I expected, is that I’m pretty much a villain – a role I was born to play.

Read more of his take on SXSW and blog commentary in this week’s Chronicle. 

Belly up to the BarCamp

If you don’t expect to get your fill of geekery at SXSW Interactive, don’t despair! BarCamp Austin returns for a second year, March 9–10. What’s a BarCamp? In their own words:

A BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants.

It’s a bit of an “unconference”, and may just be the tonic if you’re not the panel-goin’ type. The great BarCamp wiki has tons more details, including what to expect if it’s your first time at the rodeo.