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Old 03-18-2015, 03:07 PM
 
Location: Austin, Texas
1,985 posts, read 3,318,930 times
Reputation: 1705

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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdevelop2 View Post
We love it! The town is full of energy and excitement and there is excellent people watching to be had.

I have never understood those Austinites who hate SX and try to get as far away as possible. SXSX is part of what makes Austin such a fun city to live in.

A few more drunks downtown? LOL spoken like a true hater who has not been to SX.
I agree. The festival makes an already vibrant city even more lively and it showcases Austin to the world.
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Old 03-18-2015, 03:42 PM
JH6
 
1,435 posts, read 3,218,301 times
Reputation: 1162
Plenty of gouging.

Parking is $30 per day in most spots.

$189 for a local wristband, no thank you.

I'm sure its fun, but only if you have a few bucks..
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Old 03-18-2015, 03:51 PM
 
213 posts, read 301,634 times
Reputation: 309
Wristband? Who gets a wristband? It's all about the free party rsvp's...
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Old 03-18-2015, 04:56 PM
 
10,097 posts, read 10,011,473 times
Reputation: 5225
189 seems too high. What kinda access do those passes even get you? If it gets you into regular bars then forget it. But a good party where you can network then yeah its worth it.
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Old 03-18-2015, 05:57 PM
 
10,130 posts, read 19,879,750 times
Reputation: 5815
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdevelop2 View Post
I have never understood those Austinites who hate SX and try to get as far away as possible. SXSX is part of what makes Austin such a fun city to live in.
Don't let a couple of forum posts fool you. Most locals know that there is plenty to do for free, there are crowds but that comes with the territory, and parking is cheap/easy if you know anything about getting around Austin.

Quote:
189 seems too high. What kinda access do those passes even get you? If it gets you into regular bars then forget it. But a good party where you can network then yeah its worth it.
It gets you access to official events, panels, and showcases. And it can get a lot higher than $189 if you want VIP access. It is the only way to get into some of the most popular bands/film screenings. But those make up a small percentage of what is going on. As for parties, the free ones outnumber the badge-only ones, some are lame and some really good. Some require RSVP, others don't.

If you are going for work (to attend panels or industry stuff), or absolutely don't want to miss a particular band/film/speaker, then maybe the badge is worth it. Perhaps if you are making a trip from the other side of the world, you might as well add a badge to your expenses and have access to everything. But if you are flexible and just want to catch some good music, parties, and maybe a film screening -- it's not worth it.

Bottom line, badge or not, there is way to much to do for you to possibly see it all. However much you can handle, that's what you do.
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Old 03-18-2015, 10:10 PM
 
Location: The People's Republic of Austin
5,184 posts, read 7,278,461 times
Reputation: 2575
Hey, RL - wouldn't want you to miss out on the SX vibe. Happy to bring it to you.
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Old 03-18-2015, 10:20 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,269 posts, read 35,637,527 times
Reputation: 8617
I generally don't go anymore (used to some back in the 90s), but I don't have anything against it. Definitely a bit more traffic at certain times of the day and certain places, and from where I work SW of downtown, I have often been able to hear music drifting our way from the Zilker park area. Have a co-worker (older guy, retired military) who likes to go down and wander around until he gets 'dragged' into some show that isn't full. Sometimes the music is good, sometimes it isn't, but seems it is all about filling up the venue - wrist band or not.

Yeah, the big name shows aren't doing that, but plenty of others apparently are. And you can always people watch.
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Old 03-18-2015, 10:37 PM
 
436 posts, read 570,699 times
Reputation: 590
Usually we just leave town and go camp in Corpus for the week until its over but had to skip it this year since they are cutting back vacation time at my job. So its just an excuse to avoid downtown until its over, which is a shame since I miss riding around at zilker now that all this rain is mostly over with.

You can tell who loves/hates SXSW as a clear indicator of who is living a slightly higher than middle class lifestyle. Or the people who dont have kids and a lot of disposable income. Everybody I know with a household income higher than $75k a year, love it. Happy for them, but wish I could get to zilker without an hour drive.
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Old 03-18-2015, 10:52 PM
 
Location: Lancaster, PA
997 posts, read 1,312,534 times
Reputation: 577
Many celebs are here. We avoid downtown and look for free stuff. $189 is bananas.
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Old 03-19-2015, 12:02 AM
 
147 posts, read 212,725 times
Reputation: 234
Quote:
Originally Posted by radiolibre99 View Post
The way it's always reported it seems like the biggest event of the year but what's it like being there in Austin while it's going on? Is there a vibrancy about it? Has anyone seen any famous people?
At 1AM in a UberX, it's making me feel old.

Fame is a state of mind, not a state of being.
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