#sxsw

Sure, have your fun with Snoop Dogg and Perez, Raphael Saadiq, Jakob Dylan, and Muse.  Or, for that matter, enjoy another Broken Bells set.  Those stars are part of a SXSW ascendancy that now pumps about $100 million in the Austin economy every year (across the music, film, and interactive events).  And bigger crowds mean bigger audiences for the near-2,000 bands barding throughout the city.

Perhaps SXSW weathered the economic implosion the best, out of all the music conferences - industry, fan, or otherwise.  Bands in vans are a resilient bunch, and at its core, SXSW is a local affair. 

But clearly, people are making the long trip.  As SXSW approaches the weekend, early estimates call for a bigger crowd than last year, and more hotel bookings, packed pedicabs, and crowded restaurants than before.  That is great news for the city, and the reason why most Austinites take the traffic jams, parking problems, and their generally detoured lifestyles with a dose of philosophy.

And some of the bigger bands being buzzed about?  Wednesday fans were chatting Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, The Soft Pack, Lost In The Trees, Diplo, Spoon, Broken Social Scene, Surfer Blood, Family of the Year, and Japandroids.  Thursday offered glow to Toro Y Moi, Frightened Rabbit, Fanfarlo, Alpha Rev, Warpaint, and Those Darlins, just to pluck a few names from conversation.

Of course, Alex Chilton is also top-of-mind among many attendees, thanks to his relatively premature passing (at 59).  Big Star was slated to perform this Saturday, and Chilton may have been the most talked-about and tweeted artist on Thursday.

Also, some unexpected names will be floating around Friday.  That includes Newark-hailing rapper Redman, a 90s sensation slated to play Spill (212 E 6th St.) at 11. 

Actually, SXSW has never really been a hip-hop affair, and Austin is hardly a streets-and-beats playground.  But as SXSW continues to expand, more and more rappers are dropping by, and hip-hop showcases have always occurred.  This year, rap fans may want to drop by the Duck Down Records 15th Anniversary showcase, happening Friday at Scoot Inn (1308 E 4th St).  The shindig starts at 8 pm with DJ Evil Dee, and winds through rappers like Pharoahe Monch, Smif N Wessun, Sean Price and even B-Real (of Cypress Hill) before the night ends.

And what about Geeks?  No, not the SXSWi geeks already flying back.  The Tokyo-based Geeks, playing Friday night at midnight at Valhalla (710 Red River St.)  This thrashy, aggressive punk group might be worth a watch, but post-show conversation could be tough.  "We are the only very cool bands in the world," a Geeks description proclaims.  But the Valhalla showcase features acts from Russia, Israel, France, and Croatia, part of an increasingly international SXSW.

Report by Alexandra Osorio in Austin.  Publisher Paul Resnikoff collaborated from Los Angeles.