Why Your Band Won't Break Out at SXSW

A tag cloud of all the bands playing SXSW 2014, via NPR

This week is South By South West, which brings anything but indifference to attendees, Austinites, music journalists, and pretty much anyone who cares about music. Is it responsible for the influx of Californians that are ruining Austin? Does it prove that biking is faster than driving on I-35? Is it a symbol of the perils of commercializing art? There's a lot of bullshit surrounding SXSW, so much that calling it a clusterfuck would be foolishly lighthearted. But before this week goes down, let's take a moment to clear up one of the biggest misconceptions about the festival, and why you probably shouldn't lose sleep over it: your band will not break out at SXSW, and believe it or not, that's okay.

SXSW has long sold itself as a chance for bands to make it big, to grab a piece of the ever-shrinking pie. People—important people, like from labels!—come here to scour the bars of 6th Street and Red River Avenue to find the next big thing. And for most of the people playing, that's not gonna happen. The “breakout bands” are almost always set up before planes touch down on the tarmacs of Bergstrom. You hear about them—even if you don't want to and have no plans of attending. How much have you read about Perfect Pussy (a band who, by the way, I take no issue with)? Didja hear about Destruction Unit (again, another band I have no beef with) playing a bajillion shows? Hype machines are very picky about what they'll stuff their guts with and pour down their throats, and you're not on the menu. Not even as an aperitif—and you won't even be the hand wipes they give at the end.

Additionally, over the years, SXSW has become more of a party for established acts making exclusive appearances. Lady Gaga, Imagine Dragons, Soundgarden, Blondie, Kanye West—those do not sound like buzz bands. But they are names that people know, and people will gravitate towards those names, because most people are kind of stupid and are not that adventurous. They're going to overlook you if they haven't heard of you. Sorry, but that's the reality.

Take a look at the number of bands putting on showcases on SXSW's website. Your competion is legion, for they are many. This a busy Saturday night juiced up; too much music is in the air. Even binging on upper-division Astronomy courses would make you feel bigger than playing SXSW, because it's easy to feel very insignificant. Most people, as stated earlier, already have their agendas laid out for whom they plan to see. This is not even taking into account the unofficial bands that come to play day shows. And if you're playing an unofficial showcase—which are more fun, by the way, because they're not as stiff—but don't expect A&R from Epic to come knocking.

And you know what? All of this is fine. SXSW is Spring Break for people who tune into college radio—and that was happening even before giant Doritos vending machines. As a band, you've already expended the resources to come to Austin, so you might as well have a little fun. All the plentiful booze will certainly make you forget about the pain of load-out, even if the pain next morning might be far worse. Or, if you're straight edge, we have Topo Chico! (New York doesn't.) And make some goddamn friends—if nothing else, that's what you'll get out of the week—and a solid place to crash in Phoenix or Memphis can be better than a record deal.

We've all heard how the music business is going in the toilet, how getting a penny from Spotify means you're actually getting plays, how labels are evil, music sucks, blah blah blah ya should really went to law school, etc. The fact is most band aren't into making money, even if they want to. Playing music is expensive. But you know what? Don't think about that this week. Austin is a great city. Enjoy it.

Andy O'Connor is a writer based in Austin and his Twitter bio says he's the Dean of American Metal Critics. Follow him — @andy_oconnor

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