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SXSW (South By Southwest) Festival this week - Spider Glenn is there March 12, 13, and 14, 2008 Listen to live concert webcasts from the South By Southwest Festival from NPR Music. Our own Spider Glenn is on special assignment in Austin, Tx.

NPR Music will webcast and broadcast four concert line-ups from the 2008 South by Southwest music festival on March 12, 13, and 14. Bands include R.E.M., My Morning Jacket and Vampire Weekend. In addition, coverage will include a blog, features on acts in attendance, and much more. by Nick Straka Hackettstown, NJ South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) is a private company based in Austin, Texas, with a year-round staff of professionals dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals. Since 1987, SXSW has produced the internationally recognized Music and Media Conference & Festival.

In 1994 as the entertainment business adjusted to issues of future growth and development, SXSW added conferences and festivals for the film industry (SXSW Film) as well as for the blossoming interactive media (SXSW Interactive Festival). Now three industry events converge in Austin during a Texas-sized week, mirroring the ever increasing convergence of entertainment/media outlets.

In addition to the SXSWeek events, SXSW is also involved in North by Northeast (NXNE), held in Toronto, Canada in late Spring, in association with NOW, an alternative newsweekly in Toronto.

Why Austin?
The first South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) was held in 1987 in Austin, Texas. Despite the fact that Austin was not a Top 20 major market at the time, the background and character of the city made it a perfect location for the conference. Austin was considered a fairly cosmopolitan town for its size because of the University of Texas, which draws people from all over the world. As home to the state government and Texas Legislature it has also always been a popular party town, with a reputation that goes back to the 19th century when numerous nightspots and bars were populated by General Custer's troops after the Civil War. These nightspots are located in the same areas where the 6th Street and 4th Street club and bar scenes now exist.

Austin's eclectic music scene goes back to early in the city's history (from Mexican, German and colonial origins) and encompasses a wide variety of music including country, folk, jazz, blues and rock. Central Austin boasts more original music nightclubs in a concentrated area than any other city in the world.

All this week, Spider Glenn is on assignment in Austin representing WNTI. We're sure that he'll have some great stories to tell next week on the air, as well as a suitcase full of new music for you to enjoy. And not to mention some goodies for the upcoming Spring Membership Drive!

How Can We Listen to the Broadcasts and Learn More About the Festival?
For more details on the festival, see the NPR Music site.
Also see the Webcast Schedule including 'Click Here To Listen' Links.

Source home page: SXSW.COM