SXSW: Day One - Nick

Look at my crazy hat you guys. It's so crazy.

As I deplaned in Austin on Monday a girl I didn't know very well approached me and happily asked if I was in town for South by Southwest. "I don't think I know what that is", I answered. "You mean like the Hitchcock movie?" She excitedly explained that it was a two week media festival held across much of Austin and that bands play. I asked her if any good bands were playing this year and she enthusiastically said they were. I told her that I was suspect since going to all of these shows must cost a lot of money but she informed me that most were free and it was a fun time. I continued pretending not to know about South by Southwest until we reached the baggage claim. Pretending not to know things and letting people excitedly explain them to you is one of the greatest free forms of entertainment I have ever known. I call this game "Teach Me." I encourage everyone to try this game.

To me SXSW is a place where people eagerly trade in their dignity for the privilege of being able to eat food out of trucks, hear music in it's worst sort of presentation and wait in a million lines. I like it for the summer camp-ish elements but it's like running a gauntlet where you constantly discover that you missed something you would have liked to have seen. I tried to avoid making plans to see anything and just wandered around and photographed the characters I saw as I followed people around.

Here are the best and most terrible things I saw at SXSW. I am not sure which were which. It's like when you cry at a wedding or laugh after realizing you almost just died.

This cowboy pulled open his shirt to reveal that he was goth. Then he revealed to me that he was also a doctor.

Some other guys brought their horses to a concert because they were desperate for attention and do not care if their horses are terrified. Their ploy apparently worked because look at that girl eyeing that horse.

This is Fat Tony and Tom Cruz performing. This was pretty great and they shouted me out which is very important because hearing your name shouted out at a rap show is the greatest joy you can ever know.

A bartender told me he liked my art a lot and gave me a drink so I drew him as a skeleton.

This guy hit bottom and now he's eating off of it.

This is definitely the best hand drawn Ninja Turtles jacket I saw all day. They are a huge trend with straight edge kids this year.

I managed to get Beach Fossils and Brad Oberhofer into VICE's big Jansport party which made me feel like a big man at the backpack jam. I am very proud that I know young, handsome famous rockers who I can be jealous of.

This is one of my favorite bands, Wavves. That's Nathan "The Wavve" Williams in the middle with his hands up trying to get the crowd to put their hands in the air.

Stephen Pope of Wavves got off stage feeling very booger proud. A fan looked on hornily.

Chase from Iron Age pulled up his shirt at someone and asked her how she liked these titties. I thought it was funny at the time but if I saw this guy show me a giant chest tattoo of the Grim Reaper staring all wall-eyed I think I'd be pretty spooked.

Polyphonic Spree!! Please Get Us In!

Nathan Williams says you will not get in to the Polyphonic Spree.

Anyway those were the best and worst things I saw my first day and a half of SXSW.

Nick will be at SXSW taking pictures of people and things all week. If you see him, go ahead and say hello. Perhaps he will take your picture. Either way, he's on Twitter - @NicholasGazin