The Monday Mix - The Historic 800th Column aka Should You Play SXSW?

If someone asked me to describe SXSW in two words, I would probably reply with "orchestrated chaos." I mean, if you think about it, SXSW is the one festival where things rarely happen as originally planned. There is great expense involved. You are competing against nearly three thousand bands for 30 minutes of attention. There is no pay for your gig. Truly, if you do not have a plan in place to make it worth the time, money and effort spent to participate, you will leave Austin feeling violated. SXSW is the music industry's largest, most horribly choreographed monkey dance.

Worse, it's no longer the true indie showcase event that it once was. There are a lot of dollars spent and a lot more at stake. Big dollars means big talent. Or rather the perception of big talent as judged by anything but talent. That usually means, "not your band."

I know from first hand experience. I left Austin last year feeling considerably violated, to the tune of about $55,000.00. But as a promoter (that's me), you assume much larger risks, and in order for all of our shows to take place, I had to bite bullet after bullet after bullet after bullet. It was like I was playing a game of Russian Roulette with a fully loaded pistol.

For bands the risks are smaller but the reward can be much more substantial. Contrary to what you may believe, there really are industry reps at SXSW and yes, they do sign talent. But, those reps aren't walking around with fat contracts and blank checks in their briefcases, so you had better be prepared to follow up with everyone you meet.

Words you rarely hear at SXSW are subsidization and hedge. It is easy to get so caught up in the spectacle of the event that you forget that the sole purpose of attending and participating is to showcase yourself. SXSW will immediately turn you from showcased artist to fan, or worse, music flunkie, if you do not effectively manage your time. You are better off buying $1500 in Powerball Tickets if you do not intend to stay diligently focused on your purpose and goals for the event. It boggles my mind that bands will shell out the cost equivalence to record an EP just to get to Austin to play one 30-minute showcase, and then spend the rest of the week maxing out their credit cards on drinks and merch. It is imperative to subsidize SXSW by booking your band to and from Austin. If you haven't started that process yet you are already chasing lost dollars. You should also hedge those costs by having a plan in place to recoup your investment after SXSW.

Let's make a SXSW checklist, shall we? Then you can decide if attending and performing is worth it.

Music: You won't sell any music at SXSW because too many people are giving it away for free. Plus, it's a hassle to lug around. I know a lot of people are trending toward digital download cards, but in most cases, those cards end up in the hands of someone other than originally intended. That doesn't mean they end up in the wrong hands because at least somebody is listening. But don't you want to know who that somebody is?

Since you will have to make your music available for free that week anyway, set up a separate Bandcamp account designated for SXSW reps only and allow downloaders free music or an option to pay by donation. Hand out business cards with the link to your SXSW Bandcamp site. At least you get real data that you can use to follow up, and you will have names and e-mail addresses assigned to whomever gets your music. That way you will know just whom you have impressed. Or haven't.

In truth, you should be collecting information rather than distributing music anyway. Shake hands, meet reps, get their business cards. Establish a rapport via phone or e-mail after SXSW and then send your music. I guarantee that is the only way you will get industry people to listen to your new record. And about those CDs? Look in the garbage cans on Sixth Street, in the hotel lobbies and at Austin airport when you fly home. You'll find bags of them in each receptacle. Such a waste.

Merchandise: If you are not giving it away for free, don't bring it. No matter how cool you may think your new t-shirt design is, when it comes to merch vs. food and drinks, almost everybody chooses food and drinks.

Finding cheap accommodations: That simply doesn't happen. The last two years we rented and shared a house with one of the bands playing our showcases. Last year, we also had photographers and merch reps staying with us. As a result, I slept on an inflatable mattress with a bad leak. In reality, I slept on a concrete floor with an 1/8 of an inch of PVC between my body and the concrete. Fun stuff.

You have to book flights/hotels as far in advance as possible. That doesn't make it any cheaper, but at least it guarantees you a place to stay. The closer you are to Sixth Street, the more it will cost you. Air BNB is a great alternative, but, temporary rentals of homes and apartments in Austin are $200 - $500 per day. The first year I went I actually stayed about an hour and a half west of Austin in a town called Fredericksburg. I got a nice hotel for $69/night and the daily drive into and out of Austin wasn't that bad. Parking in Austin isn't outrageous, either, especially if you get the early rates before 10am. You can get 18-hour garage parking for about $20 if you get there that early.

I Shouldn't Have To Tell You This, But...... If you are driving 90 minutes each night, abstain from alcohol. In fact if you are driving 90 feet abstain from alcohol. Don't drink and drive. Period.

Your Showcase:Wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. It's a quickie, no doubt. Better be prepared. You get about five minutes to set up, thirty minutes to play and five minutes to tear down. And then you're done. Can you feel the magic? Worse, if there are any delays in set up or sound it comes out of your time slot.

Why? Venues are booked open to close and stay on a strict schedule. Rare is the occasion that a band plays their full thirty minute set. So make the most of your time on stage to get noticed. Crank out the best of your best and nail every note. No need to tell your backstory. You're not Bruce Springsteen. You introduce yourself, grip it and rip it, and then, as Mr. White says in That Thing You Do - "we bow, in unison, and then we leave the stage while the audience applauds." Then meet the people you want or need to meet and always smile.  Always.

Here's an idea: try inviting people ahead of time to your showcase that you actually want to witness your performance. Of course that means making connections ahead of your appearances in Austin. How do you do that? You have a phone. You have an e-mail address. Both are pretty useful tools. Put them to use.

You should do just as much networking before your shows in Austin as you do during and after SXSW. Just a suggestion. If your marketing efforts stop and start with Facebook and Twitter posts announcing your showcases, you've already wasted every single opportunity presented to you by your participation.

Busking: Is it beneath you? Too bad. In four years of attending I have noticed that industry reps spend more time walking up and down Sixth Street people watching than they do visiting showcases, unless they have scheduled appointments. If you want to really get noticed, do not be opposed to being a street musician.

There are perks as well. You'll get food and drinks. People will put money in your guitar cases. You will be heard. Busking is not illegal on Sixth Street but fire and safety codes will usually result in you being asked to stop by the police force because you will be disrupting foot traffic. especially during the evening hours. Be quietly obedient.

Knowing everything..... Is SXSW worth it? For many, yes. But you need to have a game plan and you need to stick to it. If you are planning to play SXSW just to add a notch to your touring resume, don't bother. It's not nearly as prestigious as you think. If you are planning on making money or leaving town with a major label record contract in tow you should probably just stay home.

So what makes it worth it?

Face-to-face connections. Networking with touring bands. Living the experience. Warm weather. An insane atmosphere. The chance that a career-altering event may happen. Expanding your audience. Making venue connections.

Just an aside here, but why do so few bands take the time to meet venue owners to book future dates? Total head-scratcher. Austin is a music-first city 365 days each year, not just during SXSW.

Further, Austin has a great indie radio scene. Before heading to Austin you should contact local radio stations to secure on-air interviews and studio appearances, and most of all, showcase promotion.

The bottom line is this: It's incredibly easy to get lost in a sea of 300,000 people and over 1,000 music showcases. Be realistic about your expectations. Everyone should experience SXSW once or twice. If you are continually participating on a yearly basis with nothing to show for your efforts, you should probably reconsider and make better use of your resources. It’s funny, too. SXSW has become an outdated buzzword, symbolic of it's excess and overindulgence. It almost feels like fighting a battle that has already been lost. Truth be told, it's actually too many people fighting that same battle at the same time. I played hockey for a number of years. In hockey parlance, it is akin to skating at the puck rather than skating at the player with the puck. By the time you get there, the puck is already gone.

THE HISTORIC 800TH COLUMN!



Break out the cake (I don't eat cake but I love cream cheese frosted cupcakes), light 800 candles (call the Fire Marshall in advance) and let's celebrate (read - beer & tequila for everyone):

This is my 800th post. I guess you could call it a milestone of sorts. Or not. As many a friend has said about me, "Michael has so many words.........."

Well, when you talk and nobody listens, you write and hope somebody reads: We are now closing in on 450,000 unique readers so maybe I should talk less and write more. Now I know where I stand.

And that begs the musical question and a bad play on words - Will you still need me, will you still read me, when I'm sixty-four?

Ouch. You saw what I did there, right?

A little perspective, historically speaking:

• In addition to celebrating our 800th column, today is also the three-year anniversary of the debut of The Monday Mix. Initially I wanted to name it Royale With Cheese, but there were some copyright and trademark issues. You can read the first Monday Mix right here and be forewarned, the format has changed considerably.
• My favorite Monday Mix of all time was this St. Patrick's Day Column from 2012.
• My favorite blogs are the album reviews, because it is then that I get to be a fan rather than a literary blowhard.
• My favorite album review of all time has been The Nghiems release The Pine Tree, The Mushroom & The End Of The World because I came up with this line: The best way to describe their sound is as a delicious ache.
• The Friday Flashback articles take me two days to write and I live in constant fear that I don't know as much about historical events and music history as I think I do.
• Heather Graham reads my blog religiously and corresponds with me often. Yes, THAT Heather Graham. She is in the running to be the future Mrs. Jivewired. Her and Liz Phair.
• The next most famous person to read my blog is you. You are in damn fine company.
• My favorite music discoveries through 800 blogs have been Jeff Campbell, Wally Dogger, We Were Astronauts and Lovebettie. Hands down.
• I could REALLY USE MORE SUBSCRIBERS *hint hint*
• My blog is much easier to read if you activate the Jivewired Radio Widget while reading. Otherwise this blog is akin to turning up the house lights at last call. Shockingly *ugh* and terribly underwhelming. Some would say, anyway.

(Borrowing from the template of Baseball Writer Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe)

• Apropos of Nothing: Blog writing doesn't pay very well. Actually it doesn't pay at all.
• Apropos of Something: I do get a lot of free music. Just like Philip Seymour Hoffman in his portrayal of Lester Bangs promised in Almost Famous.
• Apropos of Everything: I buy most of the music that we air on Jivewired Radio, and we pay royalties for airplay as well. In fact, over the course of 800 columns, 425,000+ unique readers and five years Jivewired has paid out $37,032 in royalties as a commercial broadcaster via our agreement as a professional broadcasting station.

Please feel free to offer well wishes in the comment section or on my Facebook Page. No skipping ahead though, you have to play through. Course rules and such. Besides, I need to give you my wish list of items I'd like to receive in honor of today's milestone.

- 100 new bands on Jivewired this week - mention this blog and get a 40% discount.
- Lunch with Heather Graham and Liz Phair
- That new Acura I saw advertised during yesterday's football games
- Much success for Jivewired, with one hundred times that success for the bands on Jivewired.com

One last thing: I want to thank everybody for reading and listening. I am humbled by the numbers. You have no idea how much that means to me and how much it motivates me.

STAFF SIX PACK


(Liah Alonso)

Six singles by Jivewired artists that we are digging on this week.

1. Set Me Free by Left On Red (featuring Liah Alonso)
2. Truck Stop Gospel by Parker Millsap
3. Like You Do by Jay Stolar
4. Millie Mae by Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
5. Knocked Up Cheerleader by Low Litas
6. Crash by Whitney Monge

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK

The Bomb Shelter Sessions by Vintage Trouble



Purchase:Amazon | iTunes

Must See TV Starring Vintage Trouble: Vintage Trouble performs tonight at halftime of the NCAA National Championship Game in support of nationally acclaimed performing artist Lenny Kravitz. You can catch the game and the showcase on ESPN starting at 8PM (Central Time Zone). The game pits Ohio State vs. Oregon, and how wonderfully appropriate that a Pac-12 team and Big Ten team are squaring off in the Rose Bowl for NCAA Football's inaugural National Championship Playoff Final. The convergence of sports and music is one of my favorite aspects of modern culture. Nice to see Vintage Trouble get a shot to play in front of what will be millions of television viewers. There is not a more deserving band in my opinion.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

And He Slayed Her by Liz Phair



ABOUT THE MONDAY MIX

Programming Note: Monday Mix Playlists now run for two consecutive weeks in an effort to double the exposure for our indie artists, and because we have had a number of requests for people who miss the show. Also, the Monday Mix will re-air at Midnight CST each Monday night.

The Monday Mix airs from Noon to 5:30PM CDT each Monday and is designed to help you get through that brutal after-lunch, energy-sucking span that kicks off every work week. This particular show will be a mix of old, deep album cuts and new indie music with a lot of genre crossover. No Adele. Sorry.

What else does The Monday Mix do? Well, it helps you discover new indie music by combining some really great under the radar tracks with more established songs that were, once in fact, under the radar as well. The hope here is that the culture shock of discovering your next favorite band won't be so enormously imposing if we surround the new stuff with some of your old, familiar friends.

Jivewired supports independent musicians by paying royalties for airplay on Jivewired Radio. Please help us support indie artists by listening to our station and by purchasing indie music. Thank you. The links on the radio player will give you download options if you really dig on the music and some of the songs are offered for free.

To listen, just press play on the following radio widget or use this link to open in a new window that will allow you to listen when you navigate away from this page:

Launch Jivewired Radio



MONDAY MIX PLAYLIST FOR 12 JANUARY 2015

1. Hold On by Alabama Shakes
2. Like You Do by Jay Stolar
3. Nobody's Home by Caroline Pennell
4. The One Who Loves You The Most by Brett Dennen
5. Bones Live Forever by Megan Slankard
6. All 149 by Crass Mammoth
7. Hold That Thought by Ben Folds Five
8. Dark Doo Wop by MS MR
9. San Francisco by Foxygen
10. Black Eyes by The Quick & Easy Boys
11. Hold Yr Ground by Sleepy Kitty
12. Say My name by Odesza (feat. Zyra)
13. Run Outta You by Vintage Trouble
14. Truck Stop Gospel by Parker Millsap
15. Wrapped Around Her Finger by Mikey Ohlin
16. Elephant by Tame Impala
17. Cecilia & The Satellite by Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness
18. Stolen Dance by Milky Chance
19. Crash by Whitney Monge
20. Set Me Free by Left On Red
21. Down & Dirty Way by Tae Phoenix
22. Wildest Moments by Jessie Ware
23. Yellow Flicker Beat by Lorde
24. Digital Witness by St. Vincent
25. I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li
26. Good Luck by Lenachka
27. Dangerous Mood by Joe Coker & B.B. King
28. Millie Mae by Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
29. She Wants It by The Nick Moss Band
30. She by The Bloody Nerve
31. Lost In The Light by Bahamas
32. Skinny Love by Bon Iver
33. Where Not To Look For Freedom by The Belle Brigade
34. Good Change by The Big O Trio
35. Open Season by High Highs
36. Electromagnetic Force by The Wanton Looks
37. Sink/Swim by Charlie Siren
38. Don't Know Where The Line Is by Bad Mary
39. Chosen One by Second Player Score
40. Nothing Left To Burn by Hip Kitty
41. Just One Drink by Jack White
42. Sirens by Pearl Jam
43. Calm Before The Storm by The Bats
44. Cranes & Buildings by Antiques
45. Drinkin' by Holly Williams
46. Little Bit Of Somethin' by Emma Lane
47. Some Rivers by Munk Duane Band
48. In The Dark by The Iveys
49. Shiver Shiver by Walk The Moon
50. Digital Love by Bronze Radio Return
51. Spilt Milk Milkshake by Black Before Red
52. Letters From The Sky by Civil Twilight
53. Not On Drugs by Tove Lo
54. Man by Neko Case
55. Lost Together by Megan Slankard
56. Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
57. Push (Get It All Mix) by SPC ECO
58. Seasons (Waiting On You) by Future Islands
59. Sorry About Last Night by Wally Dogger
60. Ex's and Oh's by Elle King
61. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
62. Yellow Red Sparks by Yellow Red Sparks
63. Mouthful Of Diamonds by Phantogram
64. Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie
65. Tell Her You Love Me by Echosmith
66. Don't Save Me by HAIM
67. If You Love Me by Van Morrison & B.B. King
68. Let Me Be by Star Anna
69. Steal Your Car by Jeff Campbell
70. Ghost by Halsey
71. Oh Sailor by Mr. Little Jeans
72. The Fall by Rhye
73. Four Walls by Broods
74. Nothing But Our Love by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
75. Cool Kids by Echosmith
76. Open by Rhye
77. Hold On We're Coming Home by ASTR
78. Knocked Up Cheerleader by Low Litas
79. Beggin' For Thread by Banks
80. Don't Worry 'bout Us by Julia Massey & Five Finger Discount
81. Wine Lips by Lydia Loveless
82. Hollywood by We Were Astronauts
83. East Of Eden by Zella Day
84. 1901 by Phoenix