What SXSW could mean to Madison

post | 3/11/2007 11:43 pm | outPost

We recently asked Ryan Matteson, who maintains the deservedly popular Muzzle of Bees, if he'd consider writing a little something to help us kick off a brand new feature here at Post -- a blog devoted entirely to what's being said elsewhere in the local blogosphere. As it happens, Ryan was just getting ready to head down to Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest, and the impending trip apparently got him thinking about not only what the annual festival means for the hundreds of bands who show up looking for their big break, but also what such an event -- smaller in scope, perhaps, but possibly bigger in both local impact and local import -- could mean to the Madison music scene.

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++ Contributed by Ryan Matteson of Muzzle of Bees ++

This week I plan on throwing a bunch of clothes in a bag, loading up my ipod, and driving to the airport -- my destination: South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. This trip marks my fourth time to the Lone Star state, and my second trip to Austin in the last few months. I spent, and enjoyed for the most part, the Austin City Limits Music Festival last September, but I certainly could have done without the late summer Texas heat! For those not familiar with SXSW, it is best described as five day aural experience showcasing hundreds of bands -- most on independent (or at least creatively trying to convey as much) labels trying to gain exposure by the throngs of writers, bloggers and media types that descend upon the scene each year. In addition to emerging artists, SXSW offers guest speakers, panels, roundtables, etc., all for those more interested in the behind the scenes music business aspects. For me, it's a perfect opportunity to hang out with friends, enjoy some excellent weather, gorge myself on Stubb's bar-b-q and see bands that don't often pass through Madison or even the Midwest.

We're fortunate to have hard working promoters who do a fantastic job of bringing high quality musicians from the far corners to play a small market like Madison. In addition, Madison includes a number of wonderful venues that are open to all varieties of music and continue to provide a place for people who love music in general to convene and enjoy rock and roll. Let's face it, live music matters, and being a small market sandwiched between the Twin Cities and Chicago, Madison easily can be overlooked even with all the advantages described above. But for what reason? And what are some solutions?

As many shows as I see every week in Madison, I also can't help but notice that from time to time, I leave town to attend festivals in other cities. In addition to my trek to Austin, this summer I'll be making at least two trips to Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival and Lollapalooza. I'm well aware that writing about music requires me to travel to see such festivals and live acts, but I think there is something that Madison can take away or develop as well. Perhaps it is time for Madison to take on a music festival of sorts? For the past few years the folks at WSUM have hosted Party in the Park, and more recently we had the very successful Madison Pop Festival. Both festivals have been extremely well received and offered a wonderful opportunity that I would love to see expanded on here in Madison.

If you take a step back and look at the opportunity, coordinating a multi-day festival spread across the fine venues in the city would, in my opinion, do wonders for the Madison music scene. I'm not naive enough to think (or even want) it to be anywhere near the scale of a large festival, but perhaps putting together couple of dates with an all inclusive ticket spread across a variety of venues in the city is an opportunity that the purveyors of music in Madison should sit down and discuss.

The end result would be beneficial to a variety of sources. The city of Madison and its may independently owned businesses would experience an influx of traffic. Promoters and venues would gain better visibility in helping bring future acts to the city for us to enjoy throughout the year. Ultimately, the two main benefactors from a Madison Music Festival would be the bands that play and people like you and me, the people who appreciate and enjoy live music. Madison has all the right pieces to put together a multi-day showcase throughout the city, it's now just a matter of how long before someone is brave enough to attempt such a feat.

blog entry tag reference

festivals | guestPost | madison | music | sxsw

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