Brand Vegas: SXSW Ain’t What It Used to Be—and Neither Is Austin (Houston: suburbs, yard)

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by scm53

If you are really old, it is 19th Street. And will ALWAYS be Town Lake.

And if you're really, really old, it is Magnolia Avenue.

Town Lake was "the rivah"

(And 1st Street was Water Street.)

[scm53]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

(And 1st Street was Water Street.)

I doubt anyone reading this is that old.

[AguaDulce]

also,
If you attended the Doritos/Gaga vomit-art event you got exactly what you ordered.

There's plenty of other stuff on the menu.

[philopower]

**** all the haters. Not everyone can afford to go to concerts and sxsw is the perfect opportunity to do it for free. I for one did a challenge to get into gaga's show and im so glad that I had the opportunity to see her in an intimate show up close. Screw all the elitists complaining about the corporate sponsors. I suggest they open their eyes and realize that this whole city is one big corporate hellhole.

[AguaDulce]

. . . Not everyone can afford to go to concerts and sxsw is the perfect opportunity to do it for free

glad you got what you ordered.

See? Something for everyone!

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by scm53

If you are really old, it is 19th Street. And will ALWAYS be Town Lake.

And Cesar Chavez will always be 1st Street.

I read the article. I might disagree with him on a couple of points, but you know what? He's got some very good ones, as well.

[AguaDulce]

This festival is four years old and it is very non-corporate.

Four days of big brass marching bands from everywhere.
Home | HONK!TX 2014 - Festival of Community Street Bands | March 21-23, 2014

It's super fun!

I'm gonna catch it on Saturday when it comes to the North Campus area.

[austin-steve]

I thought it was a fair piece.

I especially agree with ...

I have a small amount of faith that South by Southwest will roll back the branded concert crap. They’ve been mocked enough by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times to understand that brazen corporate pandering at that level may bring short-term cashfalls, but will probably be bad for business in the long-term. Sponsorship works best here if it’s a subtle brush, or at least an intelligent one.

Not the NYC, LA or WSJ are credible mockers, but the observations in those articles were fair enough also. Don't shoot the messenger.

Nobody has said this, but I wonder if Lady Gaga wasn't up to something, introducing copious amounts of "barf" to a Doritos sponsored show. I wonder if there wasn't a backhanded, artistic message there. Maybe she took the money and was being cagey in how she sells out to a corp gig.

Steve

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

nobody has said this, but i wonder if lady gaga wasn't up to something, introducing copious amounts of "barf" to a doritos sponsored show. I wonder if there wasn't a backhanded, artistic message there. Maybe she took the money and was being cagey in how she sells out to a corp gig.

+2

[scm53]

Actually, I really agreed with this part:

I find myself wishing for a return to the time when beer and backyards, not expensive branded showcases, marked this city’s signature festival, a simpler time, a less-discovered time. A time when people didn’t die at South by.

Bigger isn't better. Besides, the music industry SXSW was started for, doesn't exist anymore.

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Nobody has said this, but I wonder if Lady Gaga wasn't up to something, introducing copious amounts of "barf" to a Doritos sponsored show. I wonder if there wasn't a backhanded, artistic message there. Maybe she took the money and was being cagey in how she sells out to a corp gig.

It is the height of irony for non-musician Lady Gaga to be promoted by non-food Doritos. Match made in heaven. Branding in the total absence of substance.