Day Three: In Which It Is Safe To Enter The Convention Center Once Again

noah | March 15, 2008 11:15 am

The 2008 installment of the South By Southwest Music conference passed the halfway mark, and yesterday’s torrid temperatures and ever-growing lines–thanks in part to the descending spring-break hordes–were only escapable in one place: the Austin Convention Center, which seems to have solved its rabies problem for now. (At least, I hope it did.) A rundown of the day after the jump.

DEPARTURE FROM HOTEL ROOM: Friday, 11:50 a.m. CT. RETURN TO HOTEL ROOM: Saturday, 1:14 a.m. CT. WEATHER REPORT: Gorgeous, hot, and cloud-free. BANDS SEEN*: Eight: Yeasayer, the Whigs, Chris Mills, Wye Oak, the Radar Bros., Takka Takka, Sleepercar, Limbeck. Running SXSW total: 24. BAND THAT WASN’T AS BAD AS I PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT: Takka Takka. BAND THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE DESCRIBED BY THE ALSO-APPROPRIATE-FOR-WINE ADJECTIVE “JAMMY”: Yeasayer. (Seriously, between them and Vampire Weekend, I’m starting to wonder if we aren’t living in a new age of “college rock.” BLOG-SPONSORED PARTIES ATTENDED: One. Running SXSW total: Two. PANELS ATTENDED: One. (Important clarifying note: I was on said panel, which probably helped encourage my attendance.) Running SXSW total: One. NUMBER OF TACOS CONSUMED: Zero. Insert frowny face here. BEST BAR DECORATION: The sign at Friends, which looks just enough like the logo for the super-annoying televised bellwehter of the ’90s to make me wonder if the two used the same font at different kerning. BEST CELEB SPOTTING: Robyn, who seemed to be everywhere I was. Alas, she was not wearing gigantic boxing gloves. BEST AMENITIES, NON-OPEN BAR VARIETY: Apparently if I fill out a form I’ll get a free pair of shoes from some hippie kicks manufacturer? Hmmm. BEST DISCOVERY, NON-MUSIC: Not getting sunburned despite standing in the sun for four hours. Thanks, shady patio at Emo’s! TOP “WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN AND WHY ARE WE HERE” MOMENT: I was too hungry to have any major existential-crisis moments, although looking at the pageviews for our other SXSW dispatches hasn’t been all that inspiring, to say the least. But whatever, today’s totally the Rachael Ray showcase! Woooooooo!

Idolator’s complete SXSW coverage

* Where “seen” = “caught two or more songs by.”

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