Mar 19, 2013 — SXSW is a festival that you can curate to your own taste: quick hits, big names, unknowns, or some of everything. But no matter what kind of festival you have, there will be moments when a band just cuts through the noise. Here are a handful of the most transporting moments from this year's festival.
n p r n e w s
on:
NCPR is supported by:
This is a Visitor-Supported website.
More from NPR
May 17, 2013 — Of all the current Washington scandals, the one involving the IRS appears to have the most staying power. It rolls into one package an agency many love to hate, partisan suspicions and the American appetite for conspiracies.
May 18, 2013 — Afghanistan is believed to be home to world-class mineral deposits, valued at up to $3 trillion and offering hope for the country's economic future. But in the current environment of uncertainty, investors are nervous and it could be many years before Afghanistan strikes pay dirt.
May 18, 2013 — Atmospheric scientist Ira Leifer installed special air sensors on a camper, then drove from Florida to California, measuring methane levels all along the way. More than 6,000 readings later, he found some noticeable spikes, especially around petrochemical plants and urban areas like Los Angeles.
May 18, 2013 — Research shows that prime-time television isn't a bad place to find portrayals of working women. Working moms and working women over 40 are another story.
May 18, 2013 — Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.
Guards play at Empire Control Room during SXSW 2013. (NPR)
Bob Boilen's 15 Essential Moments From SXSW 2013
by Bob Boilen
Mar 19, 2013 — SXSW is a festival that you can curate to your own taste: quick hits, big names, unknowns, or some of everything. But no matter what kind of festival you have, there will be moments when a band just cuts through the noise. Here are a handful of the most transporting moments from this year's festival.
Unlike any other festival, South by Southwest is unique to everyone who attends. And I love that about this festival. With over 2,200 bands spread out over 100 venues and five days of music, everyone sees something different and walks away with different joys and discoveries. You could go to a Brooklyn Vegan showcase and spend the whole day in one place. You could search out only Latino bands, or metal bands, hip hop or blues. In fact, when the All Songs crew gathers to record our late night dispatches on the streets of Austin, Texas, we all share completely different joys.
Personally, I tend to graze, to show hop all day. I saw 80 bands during this week, a bit more than the 66 I saw last year. Frankly, most were pretty good (some of that is due to my methodical, maybe over-the-top planning, which includes listening to 1,500 plus songs and rating each one), though not every good show was transporting and not every transporting moment at SXSW happens when someone's playing music, as you'll see below. Here are my top moments of SXSW 2013 in chronological order, because ranking old favorites with new discoveries and listening to lectures and interviews seemed nuts. (You can see some of what's listed below — and lots more — at our SXSW hub, and listen to a playlist of songs by Bob's favorite SXSW bands at Spotify.)
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.9(MDAxNzgwMTg5MDEyMTQ4Nzc4MjdiNWVmMw004))
Missing some content? Check the source: NPR
Copyright(c) 2013, NPR
