The SXSW Freebies

I just wrote this wonderfully witty entry on all the freebies we got. I got disconnected from my server and it is all lost. I dont know I can recreate it, but I will try. Here goes . . .

Another side to SXSW is the freebies. We didnt try too hard to get too many as we very quickly got more then we could carry home. There are all kinds of tips and tricks out there for scoring as much free stuff as possible.

Right at the start when you pick up your badge you get a free totebag and directory. The totebag is chock full of stuff -- hangover cures, voodoo dolls, condoms, magazines -- including Relix, and a bunch of CDs. Some of the CDs are samplers of various artists, some are entire CDs of one artists. The samplers are interesting as you can love the first song and hate the next. FI on the Vibe Sampler I really like The Reason's "this is just the beginning" -- typical alternative. However I can so do without LCD Soundsystem "North American Scum." Actually the music I quite liked, it remind me of 80s punk, it was the lyrics I just coudnt stand. But hey that is me and I am getting old. lol

The CDs we got by a single artist include Public Enemy, Ugk and Ani DiFranco. We also got Eugene McGuiness and Liverpool Sound City, which has various artists, some we have all seen on In The Attic, when Cathy gave a band member 3 ciagrettes! lol I havent listened to any of them yet. I havent listened to many of the CDs at all. That is what I plan to do this week. Every artist also had their CD for sale, but back to the freebies.

At the trade show we probably could have garnered more free stuff if we had business cards or chatted it up with the reps. But as it was we got a boat load. T-shirts, mints, pens, beads, rubber bracelets, pins, more magazines and other stuff I am sure I am forgetting.

Every afternoon there we also free parties with free food and drink. You needed an invite or just to know where they were. We only made it to the one Rachel was playing as we tended to sleep into the early afternoon. But there was free mexican and margaritas.

I am now home and exhausted. I think I need to sleep for two days. lol Tomorrow I will post about the last of the artists we saw with links to their music.

Check out Cathy's blog www.cathywithc.blogspot.com for pics of us having fun.