Austin
Final day here in Austin, Texas, home of the South by Southwest Music and Film and Interactive Social Media Fuckfest. It’s a little upsetting to go because the lobby at my hotel has been filled with the computer people and it’s about to turnover into the rock-n-roll people, and I suspect those people are much better looking. They might also be more willing to give out handjobs and/or ecstasy tablets. The computer people mostly just give out business cards.
My impression of SXSW is that it’s a lot of time and money spent getting absolutely nothing done. People come here and wander the streets and drink. They go to shows and compliment each other, and then they go home and forget about everything they’ve just seen and done. What happens in Austin, I think, probably stays in Austin. Which is fine with me. I’m here for the same reason, minus the drinking.
The only historical thing I’ve done since being here is tour the state capitol, which looks exactly as it should, a giant brown brick domed edifice. Thick guys with cowboy hats mill around outside, where there is an enormous statue dedicated to remembering Northern aggression, thus causing the Civil War. Yes, at the Texas state capitol, it is stil us goddamned Yankees who caused the Civil War. No wonder they’re so mad at us.
Some great shows, great people, and great barbecue. I lovely Austin and will return. A word of caution. Strolling down 6th St, the live music capitol in a city that prides itself as being the live music capitol of the world, will destroy any love you might have once had for music.
