South by flippin' Southwest

So it's been almost a week since my descent to Austin for a weekend of SXSWing and let me tell you, I had more fun than I thought humanly possible. The music was EVERYWHERE! Every corner I turned I was assaulted with conflicting melodies and odd harmonies created by a thumping hip hop show next to a raging punk club show tied together with a street hippie playing their guitar for quarters. It was musical overload and I loved every second of it.

Friday night was a bit of a blur and I am not sure we stopped long enough to take in any one band that night. We were tired and I know personally I was a bit overwhelmed, and Abe was a bit jaded after spending the entire week before at the film portion of SXSW. So we sat in a little bar without a band called Paradise and watched the world go by. FYI...during SXSW, take your own car. Just suck it up and pay for parking. Otherwise, you will be wandering around downtown Austin until 4:00 am trying to hale a cab. Eventually you will have to run into oncoming traffic to stop one and scare your friend half to death...but, maybe that's just me.

Saturday was the best day I have had in so long, I still smile when I think about it. I got to sleep in VERY late and laid around the hotel for a while after Abe went to work. I luxuriously ate a $10 grilled cheese sandwich while watching the 40 Year Old Virgin and planned out my day. My plan fell to the wayside quickly though. I jumped in a cab and started my musical adventure on 6th street. As I rounded the corner at the intersection I was dropped at, I heard a familiar guitar riff and realized instantly that I walked onto an impromptu Marcy Playground street show. I watched and listened and knew then it would be a great day. I strolled down 6th street stopping outside open windows to catch snippets of bands I'd never heard of but loved instantly. I watched some of the best live indie acts I'd ever seen at the outdoor stage and then, finally, Abe was done with work. I was glad to have my partner in crime back. We walked, talked, laughed, and listened both of us at times breaking into the conversation with a "hey, I like that..." after hearing a distant note we both responded to instantly. Day turned quickly into night and we found the most magical chairs in Austin to kick back in and have a beer or two. I say they were magic because they revived us (revived me and brought Abe to life and out of his SXSW funk). Once Abe finished his last interview and we said goodbye to his friends, we dove back into the sea of people on 6th street. He ran into people from Dallas and I got a great hug from Kim who said, "I think I remember you, I don't know, I love you though!" It made me giggle.

I am not one for crowds, so that part kept me catatonic from nervousness at times. Especially that night. It seems the douch bags of Austin come out when the moon is up like some sort of awful pack of popped collared werewolves. The turn their white ball caps slightly to the side, spray on more cologne than humanly necessary and start fights with random skinny emo kids on the street (or with each other which is more entertaining). Sensing the crowd swelling as more and more people filled the limited empty spaces, we ventured into the bar at the Omni where we were the only people talking. So we did it loudly, laughed even louder, and made more inappropriate jokes than necessary.

We finally made our way back to our hotel and passed out laughing on our beds.

Sunday was a long drive home, but the conversation was good and the laughs about memories not quite dry on their canvas were amazing.

I fell in love with SXSW. I had an amazing time. I have an amazing BFF in Abraham. Life is good.