AUSTIN, Texas -- Don't expect the bands and labels gathered at the South by Southwest Music Festival to forsake MySpace, Twitter and Facebook anytime soon.
Most musicians and industry players find that none of these virtual connections replace the need to shake hands, look one another in the eye or bond over a couple of Lone Star beers -- all the ways people traditionally networked socially before the internet enabled what we now call “social networking."
“It started on the airplane [to Austin]," said Diplo, aka Wes Pentz, of Major Lazer, a dance-oriented British duo that's known worldwide, unlike most of the groups that play the annual Texas music festival.
“I was sitting next to 303's label lady, and she said, 'You guys should do more mixes for us. Then it went on in the car, with my sister's friend who runs a record label, talking about going to their show and checking out their band.... I'm not that interested in meeting label bosses and [potential] remix bands. That's what managers do. I'm only here to hang out with people that I love, and see what DJs are playing and what records are getting people to go crazy."
As the music industry struggles to figure out a business model that works in the digital era, musicians increasingly find it's more important to connect with their peers at SXSW than it is to try to land a record deal or find management. Lining up a tour, or connecting with players from a powerful regional music scene, can lay the foundation for building a successful fan base.
For many attendees, the massive festival gives them a chance to meet their online friends for the first time, turning SXSW into something like a series of blind dates for bands.
“It's all these people who we correspond with on a weekly basis via the internet or phone -- bloggers, even our label people -- so being able to meet those guys in person, it's great," said Mark Demolar of Colorado band Woodsman. “It helps you get the ball rolling with getting tours going and things like that, instead of just doing it on the internet. It's easier to do it face-to-face."
Given that bands fly in from all over the world, the festival allows local music scenes to cross-pollinate in ways they cannot online.
Most musicians and industry players find that none of these virtual connections replace the need to shake hands, look one another in the eye or bond over a couple of Lone Star beers -- all the ways people traditionally networked socially before the internet enabled what we now call “social networking."
“It started on the airplane [to Austin]," said Diplo, aka Wes Pentz, of Major Lazer, a dance-oriented British duo that's known worldwide, unlike most of the groups that play the annual Texas music festival.
“I was sitting next to 303's label lady, and she said, 'You guys should do more mixes for us. Then it went on in the car, with my sister's friend who runs a record label, talking about going to their show and checking out their band.... I'm not that interested in meeting label bosses and [potential] remix bands. That's what managers do. I'm only here to hang out with people that I love, and see what DJs are playing and what records are getting people to go crazy."
As the music industry struggles to figure out a business model that works in the digital era, musicians increasingly find it's more important to connect with their peers at SXSW than it is to try to land a record deal or find management. Lining up a tour, or connecting with players from a powerful regional music scene, can lay the foundation for building a successful fan base.
For many attendees, the massive festival gives them a chance to meet their online friends for the first time, turning SXSW into something like a series of blind dates for bands.
“It's all these people who we correspond with on a weekly basis via the internet or phone -- bloggers, even our label people -- so being able to meet those guys in person, it's great," said Mark Demolar of Colorado band Woodsman. “It helps you get the ball rolling with getting tours going and things like that, instead of just doing it on the internet. It's easier to do it face-to-face."
Given that bands fly in from all over the world, the festival allows local music scenes to cross-pollinate in ways they cannot online.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
