How to crash SXSW

SXSW - Jon Ray style

When it comes to SXSW, there are really two different festivals going on simultaneously – the official SXSW parties and the unofficial parties. Jon Ray shows you how to party like a rock star and get the most out of your time, money and energy.


*I'm diggin' your vibe and will get jiggy w/ colonel sanders to prove it!

Who is Jon Ray?
http://www.whoisjonray.com
PR Guy, Filmmaker, Music Promoter, Lush, Party Liaison, the guy with all the laminates
Claim to fame: “I’ve partied with Paul Rudd at SXSW three years in a row, now. That’s got to count for something, right?”


*Back of Paul Rudd's head

Things You’ll Need at SXSW:
•    The Internet (trust me, this internet thing is catching on and it’s your source to everything you ever wanted to know about SXSW)
•    ID (especially, if you like booze)
•    Schedule (You’ll make your own. See below)
•    Camera (for use both as a prop and an actual camera)
•    Comfy Shoes (Optional. A lot of people don’t even wear shoes. We call them hippies.)
•    Map (for when you forget that Stubb’s is on Red River in your drunken haze)
•    Earplugs (to prevent ears from bleeding)
•    Badge, Wristband, Tickets and/or Laminates (hold on to these as if they were actual currency…FYI – Laminates are the laminated passes you wear around your neck)
•    Self (this one is pretty self-explanatory)


*Director, David Wain and Jon Ray are real world BFFs

Buying a badge, wristband or tickets.

If you’re loaded or your parents are buying you your SXSW credentials, then you can just head over to the official SXSW website (http://www.sxsw.com) and buy them there. But, if you’re trying to save a little bit of money, try Craigslist (http://craigslist.com). A lot of times, people will win free passes that they don’t want, or they bought passes back in September when they were cheaper and are willing to sell them to you at a discounted rate.

Are you super broke this year? SXSW is not just a music festival. It is also an interactive and film festival. Many of the people attending the film/interactive portion of SXSW leave before the music festival starts, even though their Platinum badges get them into all the shows and events for FREE. Hang out at the Hilton or other downtown hotels and strike up conversations with drunk people. Find someone with a Platinum badge who is leaving after the interactive/film festival and offer to buy their badge off them. If they’re drunk enough, they’ll usually just give it to you for free. Woohoo!


*Jon Ray's alter-ego, Michael Sugarberry, sings lead vocals in a Guns 'N' Roses cover band. They are currently touring the universe.

Find the parties. Get in for free. Drink merrily.

Being well-informed is the most important part of scoring free stuff at SXSW. In addition to the official SXSW shows and events, there are even more unofficial day shows and parties. Knowing about these will make you the go-to guy/girl the entire week, which, in and of itself, is enough to score a couple of free drinks, a drunken kiss from that guy/girl you’ve been eying and/or an autographed band poster or two. What are you waiting for?

•    The Official SXSW Site (sxsw.com) – Want to know where EVERYONE with a badge or wristband is going to be? Check out the official SXSW site for all the information you ever wanted to know and more. Don’t have a badge/wristband? Continue reading.

•    Google Blogsearch (blogsearch.google.com) – This is going to be the Rosetta Stone to your free SXSW experience. Not familiar with Ancient Egyptian artifacts? Google Blogsearch will help you decipher which parties are cool, who’s playing them, where they are, when you should show up and how you can get into them for free.
o    Go to blogsearch.google.com
o    Search for “sxsw + rsvp” OR “sxsw + party” OR some variation of these keywords (do a little digging and you’ll be amazed at what you can find)
o    Look through the entries. A lot of times the link will take you right to the party’s RSVP page. Simply, submit your name and show up on the right day. You’re welcome.
o    Click on Blog Alerts in the left sidebar of Google Blog Search to subscribe to new keyword alerts throughout the week.
o    Create a Google Calendar and add each event you’re attending to it. You can set it up to send you text message or email alerts reminding you of each event time, place and secret password (when in doubt, go with “Fidelio”)

•    Twitter Search (search.twitter.com) – Twitter seems to be the social network of choice for the who’s who of SXSW to communicate with each other. If you don’t have a Twitter account, get one.
o    #hashtags – Twitter utilizes an organizational system called hashtagging. By figuring out what the popular SXSW hashtags are, you can follow people’s conversations and find out about exclusive events. Search the following keywords or hashtags in Twitter (#sxsw, SXSW, Sxsw rsvp, Sxsw party…)
o    Search, then follow the people making the most noise. @reply or Direct Message them asking about where the cool places to be are each day.
o    Follow @studybreaks (twitter.com/studybreaks) to get the latest SXSW party news.

•    Be a social butterfly – The best way to find out the who, what, when, where and how of SXSW is to just keep your ears open and get over your fear of talking to strangers. Everyone has a friend in a band, or knows a party promoter, etc. You’ll have more parties/shows to go to and more free booze to drink than you’ll ever know what to do with. Be safe and enjoy.


*Free drink tickets - Almost as good as sex

Closing Advice

•    When in doubt, just show up to a party or show. A lot of RSVP parties don’t have enough people show up for them and they end up letting people off the street in for free to keep their sponsors happy.
•    Getting into exclusive parties is all about your attitude. Act like you’re supposed to be there and you’ll do fine. If there is a list and you’re not on it, tell the bouncer that you’re on the list for either <your name> plus two or <make up a name> Productions plus two. Bouncers are usually so swamped that if you can convince them that you’re supposed to be at a party, they’ll usually just let you in.
•    If you get really desperate and can’t get into a party or show, check the back entrance. If someone tries to stop you, tell them you just stepped outside for a quick smoke – worth a shot.
•    Dress the part. If you look like you’re in a band, you’re ten times more likely to get into an RSVP show or party. And if a bouncer asks you if you’re in “the band,” always say YES.
•    Wear a lot of lanyards. Obviously, the SXSW Platinum badge lanyard is the most coveted of them all, but a lot of the parties and events at SXSW have their own VIP lanyards. A bouncer is much more likely to let you into an exclusive event if it looks like you’ve been to every other exclusive event that week.
•    Have fun. Whether you get into all the cool parties or not, there are plenty of great events, shows and parties that you WILL be able to get into. Find some good friends and have a good time. If you end each night singing Koombya around a campfire, then you’re doing something right.

In the end, making your SXSW experience the best it can be comes down to a good attitude and proper preparation. If you’re the lazy one in your group, that’s okay. Find that person who’s always been good at organizing things and have them schedule your week out. Then, have them to do your calculus homework. Trust me, it makes them feel useful.

STUDENT’S DOs & DON’Ts

Daniel Ziegler, 22
SXSW Go-er/Musician

DO: Have a great time, bring water, drink beer, make sure to go to after parties
MAJOR DO: BRING YOUR BIKE. It's SO hard to find parking, so bring a bike, but this is by far the easiest way to get around, and most of the stuff you want to go to is pretty much on 6th street anyway. Man, I wish we had bikes last year.
DO THIS SHOW: One of the tip-top-tightest things going on is the bridge show that happens every year. It’s on the pedestrian bridge and so many people go that it's pretty much a huge party, like a thousand people on the bridge. It's always free and it's always fun.

DON’T:  Have a bad attitude, buy a wristband, start a fight, get too drunk, be a dick, get your car towed.


Jessica Katz, 21
Die Hard SXSW Fan

DO: Check out the schedule to see who's playing where and when. Research some underground buzz bands...they are the next big stars.
DO: Try to check out bands from as many different countries as you can and embrace the Austin vibe. Relax and chill back. Take things as they come. Be spontaneous. Have fun.
DO: Drink water, wear comfortable shoes, have your ID and carry cash.
DO: Be extra nice to the bouncers. They are your best friends when it comes to getting into places easily.

DON’T: Start drinking too early. You won’t make it out to the later shows. Don't be knocking back vodka shots at 10am, wait until noon. But then again, whatever, it's 12'oclock somewhere.
DON’T: Overdress. Think Austin casual. You don’t want to look like you're trying too hard. Think about what's practical, Messenger type bags you can sling over across your chest are cute and leave your hands free to hold drinks.