Mark R. Collins

Now in its 26th year, SXSW has overcome many of the awkward growing pains that were evident in recent iterations. Event organizers finally figured out people don't like waiting in line and learned how to cap RSVP lists. Rumor mongering about special guests was kept to a minimum. The price...

There are two factions of people at SXSW: those interested in seeing as much music as possible and those attempting to acquire as much free stuff as possible. Of course, there are subsects of both groups, but all species of SXSW music participants can trace their evolution back to these...

South by Southwest is more than just a festival. It's a choose your own adventure with live music as the central theme. The plot takes you from show to show, gathering free beer and swag along the way. A week filled with concerts and parties awaits.

Restaurants

The biggies...

Envision Miami and you probably see white sandy beaches, guys with a boombox on their shoulder blasting reggaeton, voluptuous women in thong bikinis, fancy cars, extravagant night clubs filled with cocaine and a man who chokes at the end of basketball games. But that's not all the magic city has...

It is late in the summer of 2011 and there is a light drizzle in downtown Austin. Something must be wrong.

Twelve hours from now Fleet Foxes will perform onstage at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater, more than 1,500 fans will sing along to "Mykonos" and...

For three days and nights Austin belonged to Fun Fun Fun Fest. The little festival that could outdid itself once again bringing together a combination of indie up-and-comers with industry giants. From half pipes to the El Camino lounge, FFF6 was all about entertaining. Everywhere you looked there was something...

This weekend, November 4-6, Austin will play host to Fun Fun Fun Fest, the city's "other" music festival. In only its sixth year, Fun Fun Fun has emerged as one of the most forward-thinking festivals in the country, combining rock, comedy, metal, hip-hop and more into one easy to digest...

Of the four members in The Kingston Springs, only drummer Matt DeMaio has ever actually caught a catfish. But that doesn't stop the band from going down to the Harpeth River every day to wet a line and relax on the shore.

It must be hard, being the youngest...

Sameer Gadhia is famous. And how do I know? Because he is a pro at handling the media. During our interview he had a camera swooping in and around his face, random fans stopping by to say hello and as soon as we finished he immediately started another interview. Not...

As a Wisconsin native, Yellow Ostrich front man Alex Schaaf is confident the Milwaukee Brewers can make it to the World Series. Bassist Jon Natchez thinks his childhood team, the Red Sox, have a chance of going all the way as well. "There won't be a band after that," says...

My father told me not to be a journalist.

He told me I'd work long hours, never make any money and experience hopelessness in general. And he was completely right. Sometimes being a journalist is miserable.

Fear not journalism students. There is hope. A land exists where journalists are...

Early is a relative term at Austin City Limits. After 10 hours of bearing the heat, walking from stage to stage and paying $8 for warm beer, a festivalgoer is bound to be pretty tuckered out. Tendency is to stay at home in the air conditioning, casually enjoy breakfast and...

Let's discuss festival etiquette.

1. If you're trying to meet up with your friend, don't call them on the phone. There is loud music everywhere and you aren't going to be able to hear each other anyways. Send a text message instead.
2. Text messages should include a specific time and place...

Shortly before going live in Studio 1A the trio of Peter, Bjorn and John send their tour manager out to a local coffee shop. Much can be discerned from what the band orders; drummer John Erikkson is a self-admitted tea-aholic, Bjorn Yttling (bass, vocals) does the rock star bit and...

David Dennis is yelling into his cell phone, trying to tell the interviewer that the band is headed into the Holland Tunnel and he will call right back when they reach the other side of the Hudson River but the connection is already dead. Dropped calls are one of the...

With so many bands in Austin during SXSW it is easy to get them confused. Or maybe you had a few too many Lone Stars and just plain can't remember which band was which. This handy reference sheet is a certifiable source if you're in a jam and need to...

Brett Spigelman and his band, I love Monsters, would love to be performing at SXSW, but without being backed by a major record label there is no chance of his Brooklyn-based fourtet being able to get in.

Wait. What!?

That's not the South by Southwest we've all come...

Awesome New Republic (ANR)
Much hype is being made about TV on the Radio playing a bunch of shows throughout the week, which is cool, but that's not what SXSW is all about. It's discovering the next TVOTR before they're famous. ANR is that band. With so many boastful...

As if his nickname wasn't already ridiculous enough, Lebron James went ahead and abandoned his kingdom and any right he ever had to call himself a King.

For seven years we wondered what James considered to be his kingdom. He certainly wasn't the king of the NBA, as his ringless...

Did you know MGMT used to be an indie band? It's true.

Originally known as 'The Management,' the band recorded its first album, Climbing to New Lows, as a demo that was never meant for public consumption. The 10-song...