Personally, I've got a raging case of "Don't let the barn door hit you in the bassoon" on hearing this (Karen caught the beginning of it a couple days ago), but that's just me versus the Jew-haters.
So what's happening is, there's this big festival thingie in Austin all the "with-it" types like to go to every year called the South by Southwest (better known as SXSW) Music Festival. And it is big - I read somewhere they had around 340,000 people come in for it last year. So I imagine it's quite a deal to get an invite to perform, and part of the appeal for festivalgoers is that it's not just bands. They also have conferences, film openings - I mean it's this whole sort of "buzzy," cultural happening - with all sorts of parties in between if you pay enough to attend all the extras.
Get ready to celebrate the 2024 SXSW Music Festival with its Opening and Closing Parties!
The SXSW Music Opening Party has become a cornerstone of the annual festival. This year, it takes place on Tuesday, March 12 at Palm Door on Sixth and Palm Door on Sixth Patio from 6-9PM sponsored by ~Pourri. Come help us kick off the 2024 SXSW Music Festival with complimentary beverages and a stacked 2-stage showcase of artists from around the globe.
This year’s lineup is a buzzy affair with South Korea's TENGGER, Ninja Tune artist (and renowned ethnomusicologist) Nabihah Iqbal, The Beatbox Collective joining Mexico City’s 80’s Japanese city pop-embracing Juanpalitoschinos, Texas’ own Dende, and internet sensation Pedal Steel Noah.
🏷️ The SXSW Music Opening Party is open to Music and Platinum Badges.
After at the end of the week, wrap up the festivities at the SXSW Music Closing Party sponsored by Dyson Zone on Saturday, March 16 at Palm Door on Sixth & Palm Door on Sixth Patio from 8PM-2AM.
See? Nine days of non-stop whoever these people are (Showing my age, right?). I'm guessing it's Burning Man without the mud, and an air-conditioned hotel room thrown in for good measure. Sounds like it could be fun if you were into that sort of thing.
Besides music and films, you can attend all sorts of SXSW "sessions" on any number of topics. They had one yesterday with tech entrepreneur Michael Dell.
Michael Dell, founder of Round Rock-based Dell Technologies, views himself as technology optimist, and has had a front row seat to technology changes for the past 40 years since founding his company.
"It's all just the preview for what's to come," Michael Dell said. "When I think about the future role that technology will play in the world, I think about the incredible innovations that we're already starting to see in healthcare driven by technology ... there's never been a better time to be alive."
During South by Southwest, he said these hopeful views also extend to Central Texas.
I'd imagine the variety of offerings probably boosts attendance significantly and probably helps the city out with income, too, from all the bed and visitor taxes, etc., on those hotel rooms and meals.
As you'd suppose, something of this scale takes major corporate sponsorship, and that's where this year's unpleasantness has its roots. At the bottom of the page I linked to are the big sponsors' logos, and damned if that last one doesn't have some of these virtue signaling musical types' knickers in a twist.
Pretty innocuous, no? Particularly as there are technology elements to the SXSW sessions, the Army sponsoring, as well as other TX-based defense contractors, is kind of a no-brainer.
Well, actually, here, certain parties found it to be pretty obnoxious and pitched themselves a fit. You might characterize them as the "usual suspects" aka "The Austin for Palestine Coalition."
After noticing the Army sponsorship, the terrorist supporters took a break from their incessant haranguing of the Austin City Council...
Members of the Austin for Palestine Coalition once again rallied outside City Hall and addressed city council members during Thursday’s meeting, asking for a ceasefire resolution.
Coalition members have attended every regular city council meeting since Nov. 30.
"You remain unresponsive and indignant," said one speaker during the public comment period. "The moral apathy and displacement of responsibility felt from the majority of the members on this dais is an all too recognizable phenomenon."
...and organized a boycott.
...The protest began in February when the organization Austin for Palestine Coalition called for a protest and boycott of SXSW based on its ties to the U.S. military and weapons manufacturing companies that have, the group claimed, supplied weapons to the Israeli military.
"SXSW must disinvite Raytheon (RTX), its subsidiary Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems to the conference and festivals in the city of Austin," an Instagram post from the activist group read. "Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems have direct ties to the arming of Israel, supporting their violent oppression of the Palestinian people. Raytheon manufactures missiles, bombs, and other weapon systems for the Israeli military to use against Palestinians."
So far, the vile trolls have gotten about 100 bands to bite and bail, and they are so proud of themselves.
Our movement has reached over 100 artists. Check out our IG posts from a few weeks ago that started the movement. #sxsw #SXSW2024 pic.twitter.com/8Ktfl2Coxl
— Austin For Palestine Coalition (@A4PCoalition) March 14, 2024
I'm sure these losses are devastating for festivalgoers...
...The artists include Squirrel Flower (the stage name of Ella Williams), Shalom, Mamalarky, TC Superstar and Eliza McLamb. Ella Williams apparently inspired others to drop SXSW with an Instagram post announcing the decision.
In the Monday post, Williams wrote: "I have decided to pull out of my official SXSW showcases in protest of SXSW’s ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people. There are many ways SXSW is harmful to working musicians, but I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival.
...Other artists who said they are dropping their showcases include Proper, Greg Freeman, The Curls and Merce Lemon.
Austin-based group Big Bill, said it didn't apply to SXSW due to a previous pay increase protest but chimed in on Instagram about the current boycott: "But propping up a festival that embraces war profiteers that are actively aiding in a current genocide? That’s something we could never do." The band said it's doing a series of "ANTI-SXSW" shows.
...but they can always purchase and download the music as consolation.
Oh, signal, thy virtue is strong.
At first SXSW had their noses knocked severely out of joint by the pro-Hamas hissy fit, and attempted a smackback at the coalition. But then they did some furious back-pedaling after Governor Greg Abbott weighed in on the tempest, literally telling the boycotting bands "Bye."
Lefty voices must have been howling at SXSW HQ because organizers came out with a "diverse voices" argle-bargle statement that also tried to rationalize the Army and defense contractors' involvement. Talk about splitting the baby.
...“SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott,” the festival responded in a statement posted to Instagram. “We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.”
The post also explained SXSW’s connections to the defense industry, saying that the festival’s focus on the future made the companies a natural though minor fit.
“These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives,” the statement said. “The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world.”
The festival concluded with a comment referring to the Israel-Hamas war: “We have and will continue to support human rights for all. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”
With over 2000 bands scheduled on top of everything else the event offers, this shouldn't even be a story. Barely a 20th of the participants have pulled out, and the thing is damn near over. And it wouldn't be a story, except that the national media does love their Palestinian genocide narrative and will promote anything that further complicates the Israelis annihilating Hamas. Or helps to give the impression the whole world is against their efforts.
The Sad Irony is the @USArmy is the greatest force for freedom the world has ever seen. Though not perfect, our soldiers provide freedom of speech for songwriters without consequence, including the ignorant & despicable mantra of "Palestinian Genocide" which only empowers Hamas. https://t.co/nW8Jda4rMf
— John Ondrasik (@johnondrasik) March 15, 2024
Once everything wraps up tomorrow, the Hamas wing in TX can go back to screeching at the Austin City Council about ceasefires.
Bands no one ever heard of will still be bands no one ever heard of who can say they did something that was totally worthless for a truly despicable reason.
Put that in your Squirrel Flower and smoke it.
BYE
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