Well, that was a drag. I'm very sad to report that SXSW is no longer worth my time and money. In previous years, this event had three fundamental characteristics that made is amazing: 1) They ran the tightest ship, and on the most epic scale, that I'd ever seen. Every band went on exactly on time; sound quality was always adequate to excellent; and the published schedule (when there was one) was always true. 2) The variety and obscurity of the music I discovered was unparalleled. I'd see bands who had never been in the country before, and might not be again for years to come. 3) If I wasn't that in to the band I was watching, I could walk down the street and poke my head into four nearby doors, and by the last one I'd have found something better! All that's gone now. It's been a mess of cancellations and reschedulings. Even after the solid week and a half of prep I put in (much more work than last year) my schedule was very sparse. Not only that, but […more…]