On Interactive
Interactive was the Tech/Geek section with lots of free drinks and app sponsored events and not as many skinny jeans.
I squealed when I met Latoya Peterson, Editor-in-Chief of Racialicious.
Molly Crabapple is a classic crotchety-old-genius-man-artist in a hot body surrounded by burlesque babes. Basically, Molly is everything.
Kim Boekbinder & Molly Crabapple talked about Hacking the Crowd: Artists as Entrepeneurs.
There were 3D printers that will probably take over the world.
Yes, geeks do things like make extra-large jenga.
When nerds take on tagging.
On Music
HOLY SHIT SO MUCH GAY MUSIC. Unlike Art Basel, where my search for gay fizzled, SXSW was too queer to handle. There’s more photos of Tegan & Sara because someone else from Autostraddle *cough* Taylor Hatmaker* got press access. Not that I’m jealous.
Music is like, what SXSW is famous for right? So here’s a roundup of queer music I got to see, so you can feel like you were right there sweating it out with me. Except you’d probably remember your earplugs.
Tegan & Sara: The new album is feelings-pop, but they had no stage presence.
Seriously, they used the word “great” three times in two sentences.
Venus X: NYC based female DJ (there’s not enough of them) who spins everything from underground rap to Turkish techno.
Abdu Ali: Banjee trap, Baltimore sounds, experimental ballroom gay-boy beats, sweetheart.
Mal Blum: Folk-y, Swoon-y, hella gay with a guitar.
Mykki Blanco: The queer punk drag queen of rap.
Cultfever: I didn’t even listen because I was drunk and she was pretty but I was dancing, so.
Brooke Candy: Watch this and make your own decision. NSFW, obvi.
Zebra Katz & Njena Reddd Foxxx: Fun fact- I used to go-go dance with Zebra Katz but now he’s a big deal and I really like his beats. Watch this, and you will too.
God Des & She: taught an entire rap showcase worth of hard looking men how to eat pussy.
Little Ruckus: “Oh my god, when I look in your eyes, I know there’s nothing more beautiful than our weird lives” Direct quote.
Queer Music Part II
Sissy Bounce, a call and response genre of New Orleans dance music with a gay emcee, gets it’s own section because due to my pervy nature & an open bar, I OD-ed on photos. I am utterly mesmerized by asses bouncing. Performers included Katy Red, Nicky Da B’s dancers, and DJ Rusty Lazer (who also closed out GayBiGayGay by inspiring the entire stage to jump on stage, bend over, and shake it.)
next: more music and the best day ever, aka gaybigaygay
Pages: 1 2 3 4See entire article on one page
Loving the follow up and as an Austinite I can safely say we are glad when everyone leaves. Also, check the Barton Springs reference, the place has been closed for renovations, looks to me like you are at Krause Springs which is indeed another magical and awesome place. Come back and see us sometime when shit isnt crazy, it’s better that way!
Krause Springs! That special brownie I ate en route made me forget to take note of where I was being whisked to. Oops! Gonzo journalism fail. Also, totes magical!
we don’t refer to it as South by So What for no reason and try to get the hell out of town…I’ve even known some judges that deliberately do not schedule a docket those last few days so that they don’t have to deal with the nonsense downtown.
It used to be a decent event, not unlike ACL-fest was once decent (last one of those I went to was the dust bowl of ’05- turned down station passes every year after)…but those days are long gone. The couple of truly good shows that might exist just are not worth the other hassles…
yep, I feel you. <3
i really liked South by San Jose this year… I’d do music again without a badge and just hang out on S. Congress — everyone plays there too. I had a platinum press pass this year and literally think I went to 1 show out of 20+ that was “official”
CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD TAYLOR LOOKS IN THOSE PHOTOS?!
like okay everyone is gorgeous and this photo essay made me really happy (also happy that i wasn’t there because let’s be real i would die in a crowded situation like this, i need to be at home on my sofa in my pajamas to truly be at ease) but taylor you look SO FLY. purple glitter omg.
thanks for doing the awesome festival traveling for us, najva, so us homebodies can marvel from afar!
Oh no big deal, you just relax for me so I can pretend that I don’t need to!
Also, Taylor did not really consent to those photos but I’m so glad they happened.
i really want to talk about taylor’s outfit.
You guys are tooo niceee. Credit for any and all good looks goes to the v. talented photographer!
It’s true that I tried to sneak off sans photo, but I hereby grant after-the-fact consent. Now we need a notary I think
Autostraddle bears witness. I’m pretty sure that’ll hold up in a court of law.
Agreed. The traffic this year almost killed me. My friend wore a shirt all week that said “Welcome to Austin. Please don’t move here. I hear Dallas is nice.” I’m thinking more of those shirts should be printed…
Hahah! Did you see this? http://notactuallymovingtoaustin.tumblr.com/
Bahah, this is fab. But not as perfect as this post.
Hahaha, no I had not seen that! I guess I’m a bit of an Austin snob because I grew up here, and it is the best city in the world, so there’s that.
Funny joke was also..
those saying don’t move here .. had probably moved here from somewhere else.
Forever a transplant.
Hey was Brooke Candy at Chain Drive? Or was that just a rainy street place? Did you happen to go to chain drive? You looked like you were having a blast at GBGG btw
I saw her at maggie mae’s? Whatever the Brooklyn Vegan showcase was. She was rad- she totally knows how to work a stage!
And I had such a blast at GBGG! Finally!
I just want to say that I really really really love your photography.
Seems like a pretty awesome event too.
Thanks so so so so so much. <3
No problem! I’m a photographer too. I really like your style and how you capture atmosphere so well. Must admit I’m a bit inspired ;)
the pictures are beautiful, i am so jealous, next year we celebrate sxsw in the land of israel. also once again TAYLOR.
TAYLOR FOREVER.
AMEN
OH MY GAWD, PERSIAN FOOD TRUCK, ALL MY DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE. (I am biased as well). There’s kookoo sabzi & salad shirazi in a take-out container, I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF. And it’s called WHOLLY KEBAB, it’s perfect!
Looking at these photos just solidifies my impression that I am no way cool enough to go to SXSW or any variation of.
ANOTHER PERSIAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE MAGIC!
Psh, yr probably too cool. Just sayin’.
HEY YO guess who is stupidly excited to find even the mere mention of persian food trucks and fellow queer persian ppl
hint it’s me i’ve got hearts in my eyes
Yo can I just say, ATx meetup? Also why isn’t there a gay picnic every month?????
Ferreal nice write up. My SXSW was so grody and ridic, it’s going to be even more disgusting next year I hope.
OMG trod on brave soldier!
1. This recap is awesome
2. These photos are so good eee
3. I feel sooo much better knowing that I’m not the only one still recovering from SXSW.
i also feel like Najva and I deserve some kind of medal of honor for actually living through both tech and music… GayBi was the Day 9 (10?!) finish line.
mercury in retrograde or what have you explains why my flight was also canceled, i lost my phone in the las vegas airport on the way there, i never found a wifi signal ever, and i think i got my period like twice
Can we have platinum laminated pink triangles on lanyards?
Also, we seem to have had similar problems. Blame retrograde.
PS- YOU BABE YOU
these photographs and this post are so beautiful
Thanks so much for making it happen with me!
Fantastic photography and commentary. Makes me simultaneously envious and relieved that I will probably never get to go to SXSW, even if I do end up moving to the Austin area. But maybe one day I’ll sneak into GBGG.
“Makes me simultaneously envious and relieved that I will probably never get to go to SXSW, even if I do end up moving to the Austin area.”
AMEN.
also now feeling like an embarrassing cliche because i keep threatening my gf that i’m gonna make us move to austin…and i’ve never even visited. but don’t worry texas, the likelihood of me leaving brooklyn (or, for that matter, my living room on some days) is very very very slim…but y’all make it look damn tempting.
I had the great fortune of visiting Austin back in the summer of ’06 and had friends that made it probably more awesome than it would have seemed had I been on my own.
Totally feel you about not leaving your living room some days. Hell, I’m accomplished if I put on real clothing and not pajamas.
Guys, I didn’t leave my house (in brooklyn) all day.
That’s what happens to me when I travel too much. Also started watching Bomb Girls ( I blame Autostraddle.)
But do go to GBGG if you ever have the opportunity. 100%
najva you’ve gotta come to the next autostraddle brooklyn meetup!
Great GBGG photos!!
Plenty of great genuine subjects to document there. I wish I wouldn’t have been so worn out from a week of crazy..next year GBGG..next year I will be better.
DO NOT MISS IT NEXT YEAR: go visit some springs, rejuvenate, and then gay all day.
I love seeing my pals look so awesome and have so much fun. Great photos and congrats on championing mercury!
I failed mercury, but I’m glad you think I championed.
BUT YEA, hella queerios having a dandy time!
so, so much fashion inspiration in this excellent (and super personally validating wrt festival experiences!) post. feel like i could make a tumblr dedicated solely to your trip to krause springs, in a non-creepy way. and then like, style my life after it and other related ephemera / songs / paint colors. i think this is totally normal.
That tumblr should probably happen.
I also shot this (http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2013/03/25/oddballs-best-style-sxsw) if you want more inspiration.
Your comment validates my experience.
I am so sorry that you were at that Tegan and Sara/ Macklemore concert. I was there and the crowd (*cough*cough*itwasprettymuchjustMacklemorefans*cough*)was the most horrifying display of entitled white kids with more money and weed than they know what to do with that I have ever seen. Ugh! I know that not everyone is a Tegan and Sara fan, but jumping on unsuspecting fans pretending to “crowd surf” because you’re bored is NOT funny. And that venue was WAY too small to push. And if you’re going to smoke weed at a free concert, do it before you get in, or at least before everyone is packed in like sardines so that you aren’t blowing it rudely and directly into others’ faces. I had a friend tell me “that’s just concerts,” but I don’t care. In my opinion, if you are pushing people towards the stage, jumping on people, blowing smoke in other people’s faces, or engaging in any other unsafe behavior, you should be REMOVED from the concert. So. Many. Feelings. But Tegan walked RIGHT by me on her way to the signing and I almost DIED. *swoon*
This article is very attractive.
This comment is very attractive.
1) Ah, it was nice to read a SXSW write-up from a queer lady perspective. All the ones I’ve read thus far have been annoying post-ironic dudebro accounts, and that shit gets old fast.
2) Maybe I’ll make next year the year I’ll finally give in and go. It just seems so overwhelming. But as this post proves, perhaps if you just stick closer to the queer spaces the experience is more tolerable. Plus there’s a Midcoast Takeover stage every year where bands from my city play, so I could go support them I guess.
3) Everyone in these photos is attractive to the point of being offensive and I’m afraid I would just walk around feeling invisible around them. :| Ah well, I’ve got a year to step up my game!
DUDE-BRO FREE ZONE!
Psh. Everyone felt invisible. But bring yr A game fer sure, because it’s fun to be your best for a few days, yeah?
I’ve been to SXSW three times for the interactive portion of the festival, and it’s gotten very hard to navigate. Busy, crowded and not much fun. The last time I was there I caught a cold on the plane going to, and by the end of the festival had walking pneumonia. It was pretty awful. I felt like I didn’t get much out of it.
Amen.
Music festivals almost always end up being a lot more chaotic than you expect them to be (in the best and worst ways possible).
Your photographs are beautiful!!
AH! So true.
And thanks, doll.
Dang. Love the pictures! Krause Springs is so awesome, but your photographs make it look even more magical! P.S. Is that Salt Lick BBQ?
And kudos to you for waking up and getting to GBGG at a decent hour! I felt like superman all week without a hangover and then I woke up Sunday and thought I was going to die.
This was my third SXSW and honestly, I don’t think I’m going to do it again next year. But then again…I think I said that last year too.
Ah, right. Never again, except if xyz. I hear ya.
also “decent hour” is negotiable.
Also, I’m pretty sure the spot is Opie’s BBQ (eat the brownies. really) http://www.opiesbarbecue.com/
So many wonderful people. So many wonderful colors. So many wonderful words.
Wonder of wonders!
This article was fascinating/crazy/so pretty looking. I loved reading it. My main take away from it though is that SXSW sounds like my personal hell.
Probably a safe takeaway.
Pretty looking & crazy, my favorite type of article!
AUSTIN AND SXSW ON AUTOSTRADDLE! I feel like I’ve won the lottery.
A weird, Texan, Austin-centric, gay lottery.
That’s obviously because you ARE the winner. Obvi.
so sad i just got to this now because this was like one of the sexiest articles of all time.
That’s the beauty of articles, they can stay sexy no matter when you get around to ’em xo
This was one of those things that makes me I wish I could read a whole book full of your words and pictures. Also, this introduced me to Mal Blum. Cutie + cute music to the max.
Oh my gosh, Mal Blum is the most amazing! Her songs encapsulate all the feelings, but actually. I found out about her 3 years ago and I’m single-handedly trying to make her famous by making all my friends listen to her.
Ok, I’ll stop fan-girling now…
The photos are beautiful! Look at all those fine people in my town!
This recap makes me a little sad, tho. It was my first SXSW (I moved here right after 2012) and for me it was fucking magical. The city had this amazing energy and there were so many beautiful, smart, curious people everywhere you looked. I made new friends and found new bands and had a lot of drunken adventures and generally had a great experience. Yeah the traffic sucked, but it’s just one week a year. Doesn’t seem like a huge trade-off to me. I’d rather be grateful for the unique experience that shows up at my doorstep once a year and the chance to step out of my routine.
Also, I was wondering why Autostraddle didn’t have an official thing at all? I know everyoneisgay did a panel, I’m sure y’all have something to share, too…
No idea why there wasn’t an official thing! *nudges autostraddle folks* but yea, there’s so much beauty in all the chaos! Glad you had a grand ole’ time! xo
can you tell me what camera do you have?
you have made wonderful pics with it :)
thank you for this. i’ll soon be braving my first sxsw, and now i have sxsw-anxiety…