SXSW will again be in a Colorado state of mind.
More than 120 bands representing the state will be at the Colorado Music Party in Austin next month, with five days and nights of live performances on Sixth Street starting March 17. Founded by Fort Collins-based music organization SpokesBUZZ, the unofficial SXSW showcase allows local musicians to market themselves at the famed music fest.
While dreams of being discovered are inevitable, SpokesBUZZ founder Dani Grant said that's not the real goal.
"You know, many of these bands are like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm playing at South By!' and that in itself is wonderful, but we want to make sure that their expectations are correct," said Grant at a recent SpokesBUZZ session aimed at preparing Colorado first-time SXSW attendees. "It's a huge investment that they're making, and we want them to get as much out of it as possible."
As she prepares to make her first trek to SXSW, Fort Collins hip-hop artist Kalhie Quinones, known onstage as Qbala, said attending the festival isn't about finally getting her big break.
"I'm really just trying to get out of Colorado more, get out of this region, and keep going, keep traveling," she said. "I really think that something like SXSW is a breeding ground for that and if you play your cards right and you network with people… you can make it through that week and come back and be successful."
Much of the networking that goes on during the festival is on a statewide and regional basis, SpokesBUZZ's Grant said. While big breaks happen, bands are much more likely to make connections that land gigs and partnerships closer to home.
The unofficial SXSW showcase will not only feature artists hailing from Colorado, but national acts with a state connection as well. In 2014, crowds were treated to a special performance by breakout singer-songwriter Shakey Graves, who hails from Austin but whose manager is based in Denver.
http://youtu.be/oBF98VgtazA
Shakey Graves & Esme Patterson @ SXSW 2014 Colorado Music Party
The first wave of acts in the 2015 Colorado Music Party lineup include:
Dave Arcari
In The Whale
Inner Oceans
Kitty Crimes
Publicist UK
Residual Kid
Robert Cline Jr.
Rubedo
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
SPELLS
The Yawpers
Wheelchair Sports Camp
Additional acts include: 3Two, Albny, Altas, AMZY, Andy Sydow, Aspen Hourglass, Babah Fly, Ben Marshal, Better Than Bacon, Birch Street, Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir, Bonnie and the Beard, Branded Bandits, Brett Jarnagin, Bud Bronson & The Good Timers, Calder's Revolvers, Caramel Carmela, Carson Block, Cobary Jam, Cold River City, Cōvergeist, CRL CRRLL, Dirty Few, Disguise the Silence, DOUBLEWIDE, Dr. Death + Mr. Vile, Dragondeer, Edison, Eldren, Elise Wunder, Facing West, Filthy T, From Thin Air, Grim&Darling, High Five Hip Hop, Indigenous Robot, iZCALLi, Jack+Jill, Jesse Manley and His Band, Jilly.fm, JiM ChieF, Jordan Igoe, Kind Dub, Lisa Bell Band, Lissa Hanner, Matt Mahern and Constitution, Maxwell Hughes (formerly of The Lumineers), Montoneros, No Fair Fights, OKO TYGRA, Open Space, Palace Brands, Poor Me, Post Paradise, Professor Fox's One Man Band, Qbala, Red Fox Run, RipRats, Rob Drabkin, Rocktin Grove, Rootbeer & Mermentau, Rumours Follow, Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts, Sarah & the Meanies, SarCa$t*, Sexy Ester, Shaley Scott Band, Shatterproof, Shelby Britton, Slow Caves, Sound of Ceres, Steele & Colfax, Stella Luce, Stephen Langstaff, Strawberry Runners, The 14ers, the B.A.B.E.S., The Covz, The Cumberland Collective, The Echo Chamber, The FAMM, The Left Ready, The Lindsey Saunders Band, The LoLos, The Patti Fiasco, The Railsplitters, The Rayo Brothers, The Robby Wicks Band, The Royal, The Seers, The Sweet Lillies, The Wendy Woo Band, Thunderthief, Tight Thump, Tommy Metz, Travellers Music, Von Stomper, Wandering Monks, Wasteland Hop, We Are Not a Glum Lot, Wild Wombat, Wiredogs and Write Minded.
