Austin & SxSW 2013

My good luck charm

My theme for 2013 is that every day has been kind of unbelievable. And for the first time in many years, I mean that in a really positive way. I had booked a trip out to Austin in March to visit my freshly transplanted parents, my brother and SIL, and my nieces, who were on spring break. I started telling people that I was going to be out there during South by Southwest, and before I knew it, an SVP friend over at Sundance/IFC comped me a wristband for the event. Who's going to scoff at that? I was completely elated.

Getting ready for some music

Sidenote: I'd attended this event about 8 years ago, and I remember pitching it to my former employer as something I'd love to cover for them. They told me "Nobody cares about that event. It's not mainstream enough." And I specifically remember telling them, "It won't be off-the-radar in a few years. It's going to be a big deal." Um yeah, so this year, I spotted about 10 satellite trucks and countless media set-ups as I was walking around downtown Austin. Ahem.

Josh Rouse at the Paste stage

This event was completely overwhelming to me this time around. Fortunately, I had a friend in town who had credentials and was tipping me off to the things I simply had to see, which was helpful. Otherwise, I was really out of sorts. I didn't have a game plan of any kind, and really, I had simply planned to spend some time with my family on this trip when good fortune came my way. I saw some good music - most of it bands I already knew about (Dawes, Josh Rouse, The Zombies, and I can't even remember what else. It was sensory overload out there.) Chvrches from Scotland was a really cool surprise at the SPIN stage. I overheard Zak Waters while walking by a venue and went in and enjoyed their set. 

Robyn Hitchcock show w/ special guests

My big miss from this year's SxSW was the Green Day show. It was the first public performance since Billy Joe got out of rehab, and I naturally assumed it would be a mob scene (like most of the other venues had been up to that point.) So I opted out of waiting in a long line and not getting in, and I heard later that it would've been easy to get into with my wristband. Oh well... next time. 

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

I also bumped into the film crew that had worked on Friday Night Lights as I was walking back to my car one day. I recognized the sign in the truck as one that hangs in the Dillon Panthers' locker room, and I couldn't help myself but to stop and chat with the people in the truck. Turns out they were setting up a filming for a new ABC pilot, and they couldn't have been nicer people. They told me how nice the whole cast and creative team were. Working on that show was clearly a highlight for them also. 

Dawes (in shadow) at Waterloo's outdoor stage

My niece Annika is in high school now, and she and her friends had a blast going to all the free shows that SxSW offers during the day. I took her and her friends to one club the first day, and then they were on their own from there. It was exciting to see her so enthusiastic about seeing new music and finding creative ways to express herself. (It also explains why I don't have any pics of her from this trip. I wasn't exactly Johnny-on-the-spot with the camera either.) 

Anirban & his awesome creme brulee

My cousin Anirban and his wife Ekta graciously invited my whole family over for dinner one night. They made delicious veggie lasagna, salad, and creme brulee! Plus they had lots of wine. It was a good thing. My other cousin, Sumi, made yummy garlic bread, and we basically had fun feasting and hanging out at their cozy place. Austin is so much fun whenever I visit because all these cool people live there!

My grandmother passed away in February this year, and my parents had been in India for a few weeks taking care of the funeral services and whatnot. They returned to Austin in the middle of my visit, so I got to spend a little time with them also. We had a nice outing at IKEA one day while the kids were at school and my brother/SIL were at work. My brother & SIL took me out to lunch at this fabulous sushi place another day while the kids were at school. Ekta, Anirban and I shared some pints on St. Pat's Day, and Sumi got dragged all over downtown with me on the last day of SxSW. So I managed to get in some quality time with everyone, which was fantastic.


While Annika was out with her friends and the other adults were working, I was able to spend a lot of time with her sister, Saira. We did a little shopping, talked viola (hooray!!!), made jewelry, drank tea, and got pedis together. 

Morning tea time

One night, the girls and I watched Pretty In Pink together in my brother's fabulous media room. It was really quite fun seeing that particular movie with them. Surprising to me - THEY LIKED IT! I mean, I like it, but it reminds me of a fun time in my life. I honestly expected them to think it was super lame, and by the end of the movie, we were all swooning over Blaine, hating Steph, and loving Duckie. And we all three unanimously loathed the dress that Andie makes for the prom. That is universal, I think.