The Off Beat: The Four Horsemen of the SXSW Music-pocalypse

Did you hear that? As globe-trotting suits confirm their hotel reservations, Austin’s most music-loving, hard-partying locals let out a collective, temple-rubbing sigh.

For all the stress South by Southwest guarantees, the world’s biggest musical convergence offers a plethora of free, and badge only, musical riches. It’s a lot to pore over (see this week’s special insert), so with what feels like a trillion showcases and day parties confirmed over the next eight days, we turn to four personifications of SXSW success. From college go-getters to old head Austin natives, this quartet of townie archetypes respectively seeks musical newcomers, tried-and-true classics, city escapism, or big-name stars.

Meet the Four Horsemen of the SXSW Music-pocalypse, and surf their schedules below.

The Cutting-Edge Trendcaster

“You probably haven’t heard of it” incarnate, this lineup close-reader turns to savvy showcase presenters in search of the next big thing.

Pulling acts from a college radio DJ’s playlist, Australian publication Monster Children takes over Empire Garage on Wednesday, March 13, with a stacked bill of buzzy indie rock acts, including synth rock trio Automatic, enigmatic British post-punks bar italia, and Chicago act Deeper. The next day, Lustre Pearl’s Rainey Street Revival gets weirder, tapping industrial rap duo Ho99o9, Mexican punks Los Cogelones, and genre-bending pop pair Kiss Bang. Thursday evening, this septum-pierced Dr. Martens-wearer will hit the Creek and the Cave’s Snake Charmer display, featuring the likes of shoegaze revivalists Horse Jumper of Love, Austin-launched psych band Mamalarky, Dallas-based slowcore band Teethe, and indie sleaze survivor STRFKR, offering a DJ set.

Space Agency and the Nothing Song log a final-Friday contender at hipster headquarters, Hotel Vegas and Volstead, March 15. Beginning at 7pm with Arielle Soucy’s folk stylings and Le Couleur’s take on disco, the bill gets heavier over time. This industry fortune teller’s most excited for Hong Kong shoegazers Arches and Seattle artist MØAA, whose darkwave discography could certainly transfix a future Levitation audience. Also on the Eastside, Marshall sets up at Parish, March 13-15, for a free-with-RSVP indie rock carnival featuring heavy lifters Frank Turner, the Black Angels, and Therapy?

The “If It Ain’t Broke” Nostalgist

This quintessential Old Austin defender remembers when a one-bedroom apartment rented for $300/month – coincidentally, likely the same time SXSW began throwing free-to-the-public concerts at Lady Bird Lake. Though they’ll grumble about the city’s heightening skyline while heading to Auditorium Shores, they’ll likely quiet down when scene veterans Joe “King” Carrasco, Patrice Pike, Ian Moore, Vallejo, and Bob Schneider hit the stage in a March 14 tribute to Steamboat 1874 Austin, the Sixth Street venue that shuttered at the turn of the century. As long as Peepaw doesn’t break a hip the next day, busting a move during Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins’ set with fellow funk icons Zapp, he might bring his grandkids to the park on March 16, when Sabrina Ellis and Andrew Cashen from A Giant Dog lead KUTX’s kid-friendly Rock the Shores show.

Across the highway, nonprofit EQ Austin joins SX’s free community festivities at the Grackle, where two nights of local programming include EXOTIC FRUITICA, Stephanie Bergara, Kalu James, and Como Las Movies. This penny-pinching nostalgist also pencils in South by San José, the “always and forever free” concert series returning for its 25th year between the South Congress Jo’s Coffee and Hotel San José. Day lineups aren’t out yet, but the March 13 to 17 day dates feature Austin punk Alejandro Escovedo, local disco/funk/Afrobeat collective Golden Dawn Arkestra, and Stephenville country rock band Giovannie & the Hired Guns.

Otherwise, the Austin old-timer might be confused by a new official venue, the Backyard at the Downright Hotel. Home to high-profile presenters the British Music Embassy, the 701 E. Eleventh address routes to the old Sheraton, in the midst of a rebrand.

The South Austin Homebody

For every hundred bar crawlers, there’s one South Austin suburbanite who wants to drive to a beer garden, hang out all day, and avoid the downtown chaos. On March 10, they’ll set up shop at the Far Out Lounge, where Midnight in the Garden presents Sound Wine Fest, a combination of wine tasting, vintage markets, food vendors, and live music that extends from 3pm to midnight. Milling around the outdoor space to the sounds of locals the Bright Light Social Hour and Star Parks, plus Colombian psychedelic funk group Balthvs and singer-songwriter Vlad Holiday, this festival black sheep will revel in a relatively quiet Sunday Funday.

Paid-parking avoiders also score huge this year with Radio/East, the Radio Coffee & Beer offshoot that brought in music photographer Pooneh Ghana to book her own concert series. This SXSW, Ghana schedules two free-with-RSVP parties on March 14 and 15. Day one features local acts A Giant Dog and Big Bill, plus Nashville punks Snper, Levitation favorites Shannon & the Clams, and Atlanta Sub Pop signees Omni. The next day packs UK post-punks Dry Cleaning, Spanish indie rock band Hinds, buzzy Brooklyn act Bodega, glam duo Faux Real, and local jam band Font.

The Hot 100 Rockstar Hunter

This SXSW attendee wastes no time on the festival’s fine print; they lock in around February, when the conference reveals which A-list celebrities are headed to town. In recent years, legacy media publications have done much of this heavy lifting. Rolling Stone returns with its second open-to-the-public Future of Music showcase, March 12 to 15 at ACL Live. The magazine pulls hip-hop acts Teezo Touchdown, Flo Milli, and Flyana Boss; überpopular Mexican singer Peso Pluma; hardcore punks Scowl; and Gen Z-beloved singer-songwriter Faye Webster. Though its separately ticketed events aren’t technically SXSW affiliated, SPIN touches down in Austin with hometown hero Gary Clark Jr. at Emo’s on March 13 and emo godfathers Sunny Day Real Estate at Stubb’s on March 16.

Keynotes also provide prime celeb selfie opportunities. On the musician front this year, there's Selena Gomez, Danny Brown, Chuck D, John Oates, and more. In further search of name recognition, this pop lover might attend Paste magazine's free East Austin Block Party for X Ambassadors, whose single "Renegades" appeared in myriad 2015 commercials. Upon arrival at the Coral Snake, however, they might get turned on to some almost famous acts like country singer Britti, whose debut album Hello, I’m Britti arrives via Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound, and Pylon Reenactment Society, a reworking of Eighties New Wavers Pylon.