Off Key Economy Won't Hit Sour Notes at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference & Festival

While everyone is talking about the economy and speculating on how it will effect business, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival will suspend the rules for one long weekend where nothing will mute the music. The ability to build a career with a little help from friends, acquaintances, and business associates that can be met at SXSW makes attending the event an essential part of the music industry calendar. Meeting the people now that can help in the future is an integral part of making the trip to Austin, Texas, Wednesday, March 18 through Sunday, March 22, 2009. The panels, mentor sessions, crash courses, exposure at gigs and social networking through my.sxsw.com will help with building a career, a following or whatever is needed to further your goals.

The 2009 SXSW Music Conference held at the Austin Convention Center will feature over 70 panel discussions, interviews, demo listening sessions and the SXSW mentor program and quickies sessions. The daytime program of educational, informative and entertaining presentations is a core component of the event which covers business and creative issues in music. Highlights will include: Quincy Jones' Keynote Address on Thursday, March 19 at 2:00 p.m.; SXSW Interviews on Thursday, March 19 featuring the Oak Ridge Boys at 3:30 p.m., and Devo at 5:00 p.m.; on Friday, March 20 with Little Steven at 11:00 a.m. and Carlene Carter at 2:00 p.m.; and on Saturday, March 21 with The Hold Steady at noon. Panels will include: 'BBQ The Texas Way;' 'Inside Michael Ochs Archives;' 'Woodstock: Untold Stories;' 'History of British Indies;' and a sneak peek at 'Neil Young Archives.' Wednesday, March 18 is a jam packed day with the "Green Track" designed to give an overview of how to be musically green by discussing 'Sustainability and Greening,' 'Making a Green Album,' and 'British Innovations.' In addition, five hour-long 'Crash Courses' will be offered on the following topics 'Recording,' 'Management,' 'Getting Gigs,' 'Online Resources' and 'Merchandising.' Rounding out the conference are Demo Listening sessions that offer registrants a chance to see how music is reviewed and reacted to by representatives from labels, venues, radio and the press, the Mentor Program that offers registrants ten minute meetings with panelists and industry pros and the Quickies which are small group meetings with advance online signup. For a complete list of panel topics, descriptions and speakers, access the SXSW website at http://sxsw.com/music/talks

The SXSW Trade Show Exhibition, also in the convention center, will host an array of events and exhibitors. The three day music trade show which will be held this year from Wednesday, March 18 - Friday, March 20 offers a unique opportunity for the performing bands and thousands of other industry professionals to meet in one-on-one scenarios and exchange information. Participating organizations from around the world including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, UK - England, UK - Scotland, Spain, and from every corner of the United States will be on hand to aid in broadening careers for both American and international bands and companies. The Indie Village makes it possible for you to network, meet with and learn about over 50 of the nation's finest Indie Labels. StudioSX, presented by Blue Microphones, is where high profile music industry professionals will be interviewed in front of an audience on the trade show floor. The South by Bookstore sponsored by Barnes & Noble Booksellers will feature notable SXSW registrants selling and signing books. The SESAC Day Stage Cafe runs Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and features acoustic sets from bands that will be playing at the nighttime music festival from Noon to 6:00 p.m. each day. A complete list of Exhibition participants with full web pages and direct links to each company is available at http://sxsw.com/music/trade_show. During the day, the Austin Convention Center is the centerpiece for networking and business activities for anyone working in the music industry.

Two attractions for all performing bands are the Showcasing Artist Lounge and the Artist Village. The Showcasing Artist Lounge, sponsored by LP33.tv and Whisky a Go Go Records is a great place in the convention center for conversation, a beverage or snack, massages, access to computers, and an outdoor patio. The other perk for showcasing artists is The Artist Village presented by The Recording Academy and Affliction Clothing and the Grammy Garage. After loading in at their showcase, the bands make a short drive to free parking and a tented area in Waterloo Park to enjoy food and drinks with a short walk to 6th Street or fifty cent shuttle ride to Auditorium Shores and South Congress.

SXSW Music 2009 major sponsors provide critical support for the event and include Miller Lite, Fuze Beverage, Sonicbids, ZonePerfect, Independent Film Channel, MLB Authentic Collection, Pepsi and founding sponsor the Austin Chronicle. Local electronic media sponsors include KLBJ-FM, KGSR, 101X and Hot 93.3.

The top attraction, though, is the music. The SXSW Music Festival, which spans five nights, will present 1900 musical acts on 88 stages in venues ranging from the most intimate clubs to the outdoor stage located at Auditorium Shores. The music starts on Wednesday, March 18 and runs through Sunday, March 22. A very small sampling of bands includes Bedouin Soundclash, New York Dolls, The So So Glos, Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, Invincible, Yarah Bravo, Complete, Choc Quib Town, Ximena Sarinana, The Sonics, Yelle, Amazing Baby, Bun B, Rick Ross, Dead Prez, Easy Star All-Stars, and Kingman and Jonah. The outdoor shows, at the Auditorium Shores Stage on Lady Bird Lake, are free to the public and take place for three days, Thursday, March 19 through Saturday, March 21. Thursday's show starts at 6:00 p.m. and includes Cold War Kids and M Ward; Friday's line-up also starting at 6:00 p.m. will be Bob Schneider, Raul Malo and The Arc Angels; Saturday's show will feature a full day with Jambo, Biscuit Brothers, Joe McDermott, Daddy a Go-Go, Beach House and Explosions in the Sky. Media sponsors for the outdoor stage are The CW Austin, KLBJ-FM, KGSR, 101X and Hot 93.3. The Auditorium Shores Stage concerts are sponsored by Cirrus Logic, Capital One Bank, and Unicorn Media.

Helping to kick off the SXSW Music Festival is the Twenty-seventh Annual Austin Music Awards at the Austin Music Hall on Wednesday, March 18 at 7:55 p.m. sharp. This year's show features Suzanna Choffel, Ruthie Foster, Carolyn Wonderland, Bob Schneider and Lonelyland with The Fireants, The Dicks with David Yow, Roky Erickson with the Black Angels and SDQ2: A Tribute to Doug Sahm with Shawn Sahm, Augie Meyers and Alejandro Escovedo. Registration badges and wristbands for SXSW include admission to the Austin Music Awards. The Music Awards are presented by The Austin Chronicle and SXSW and co-sponsored by 107.1 KGSR.

New this year is my.SXSW.com, the official social networking and scheduling tool for the 2009 conferences and festivals. Using my.SXSW, attendees can access the site to interact with one another, build their personalized conference schedules, join exclusive groups and form lasting relationships with other attendees. my.SXSW is powered by The Social Collective http://thesocialcollective.com

Also new this year, the You Tube SXSW Channel featuring film trailers and music videos from this year's participating filmmakers and performers, and interviews with heavyweights in the music, film and technology industries. SXSW will be constantly updating the channel during the event with new content, including band showcases, StudioSX interviews, panels and more. Check out the great videos that can't be found anywhere else at www.youtube.com/sxsw

For the third year in a row. DIRECTV's The 101 Network will be the exclusive television destination for DIRECTV SXSW Live 2009, airing on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on channel 101. Taping in HS and 5.1 surround in custom music venues, "The Bat Bar" and "Lonestar Lounge," SXSW Live 2009 will play host to the hottest up-and-coming acts and legendary artists the festival has to offer. The Tapings are free and open to the public. Line up to be released soon. Visit http://sxsw.com/music/shows/sxswlive. Check the pocket guide or the SXSW website for exact times and location. Admission will be available to all conference registrants and wristband-holders. Complimentary tickets for the general public are available, space permitting.

A featured attraction also in the Austin Convention Center is The Flatstock Concert Poster Exhibition and Collectors Show sponsored by Onitsuka Tiger and presented by SXSW and the American Poster Institute (API) on Thursday through Sunday, March 19 - 22 from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Over 100 poster artists representing decades of styles, colors and techniques will be selling and displaying their posters.

Yet another new event for 2009, SXSW presents the Austin Record Convention and Texas Guitar Show on Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22 in the Austin Convention Center. All under one roof, it's South Buy Sell Trade! The largest show of its kind and more than 30 years strong, the Austin Record Convention brings together dealers and buyers from around the world. With titles from as far back as the 1930's, you'll find countless 78s, 45s, LPs, CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks, posters and collectibles. Also garnering 30 years of respect and success, the Texas Guitar Show is a true buy-sell-trade event. Bring your musical instruments to sell, trade, or have appraised. Buyers will find everything from guitars, amps, banjos, mandolins, effects, memorabilia, sound gear, parts, drums, violins, books and accessories.

The 2009 SXSW Golf Tournament will take place at Circle C Golf Club on Wednesday, March 18 at 12:00 p.m. (Shotgun Start). The format will be Four-Person "Texas" Scramble. This year it benefits The Folk Alliance. Sponsored by ASCAP & SXSW. For more information, please call 901/522-1170 or email fa@folk.org.

The annual SXSW Barbecue & Softball Tournament gets underway Sunday, March 22, at Monroe "Lefty" Krieg Fields. Player warm-up begins at noon, with the first game starting at 1:00 pm sharp. For those who prefer to socialize rather than exercise, there's authentic Texas Barbecue with all the trimmings prepared by Ruby's Barbecue (with all natural, free-range beef). Vegetarians need not despair though, Ruby's does great vegetarian options, also. It's a great opportunity for that last meet up while being thoroughly entertained by the antics on the playing field. This event is for SXSW Music and Platinum registrants only and is a great opportunity for that final one-on-one conversation.

SXSW Music Conference is co-sponsored by a network of 41 regional arts and entertainment magazines from across the United States and Canada. SXSW 2009 welcomes Baltimore Citypaper (Baltimore, MD), Black & White (Birmingham, AL), Boston's Weekly Dig (Boston, MA), Cincinnati CityBeat (Cincinnati, OH), City Pages (Minneapolis, MN), Creative Loafing (Tampa, FL), Creative Loafing (Atlanta, GA), Dallas Observer (Dallas, TX), Denver Westword (Denver, CO), Flagpole Magazine (Athens, GA), Ft. Worth Weekly (Fort Worth, TX), Houston Press (Houston, TX), Inland Empire Weekly (Corona, CA), The Independent Weekly (Durham, NC), LA Weekly (Los Angeles, CA), Las Vegas City Life, (Las Vegas, NV), Memphis Flyer (Memphis, TN), Metro Times Detroit (Detroit, MI), Miami New Times (Miami, FL), Nashville Scene (Nashville, TN), New Times Broward Palm Beach (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), Nightflying (Little Rock, AR), NOW Magazine (Toronto, ON), OC Weekly (Santa Ana, CA), OffBeat Magazine (New Orleans, LA), Orlando Weekly (Orlando, FL), Phoenix New Times (Phoenix, AZ), The Pitch (Kansas City, MO), Portland Mercury (Portland, OR), The Reader (Omaha, NE), Riverfront Times (St. Louis, MO), Salt Lake City Weekly (Salt Lake City, UT), San Antonio Current (San Antonio, TX), San Diego CityBeat (San Diego, CA), Seattle Weekly (Seattle, WA), SF Weekly (San Francisco, CA), Tucson Weekly (Tucson, AZ), Urban Tulsa Weekly (Tulsa, OK), Village Voice (New York, NY), Weekly Alibi (Albuquerque, NM), Weekly Volcano (Lakewood, WA). SXSW co-sponsors provide support for promotional activities and musical events in connection with the conference.

For more information, access our website at http://sxsw.com/music or email us at sxsw@sxsw.com.