South By Southwest

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual music, film and interactive media conference that takes place in Austin, Texas. Originally called the Austin Battle of the Bands, the festival quickly grew both in the scope of its coverage and the amount of attendees. SXSW remains primarily a music festival, one of the largest of its kind in the U.S.

For 2010, SXSW begins March 12th and runs through March 21st.

The internet radio and music catalog website last.fm has reported that bands playing at the 2010 SXSW include: Sum 41, Spoon, Broken Social Scene, We Are Scientists, Stone Temple Pilots, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Band of Horses, The Crystal Method, Hole, Rogue Wave, Minus the Bear, Cheap Trick, The View, Chamillionaire, The Magic Numbers, Kimya Dawson, !!!, She Wants Revenge, Eisley, Azure Ray, Circa Survive, and The Rocket Summer.2010 SXSW Band Schedule: last.fm

This event typically attracts many popular and upcoming bands. Some of the bands that performed at the 2009 SXSW included: The Decemberists, Explosions In The Sky, Lady Sovereign, No Age, Ra Ra Riot and Primal Scream. The opening night film is I Love You Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.

Beyond Music

The film and interactive media components of the festival are largely separate from the music component and each other, taking place at different locations and different dates. Even so, SXSW has become a major conference in technology circles, showcasing new and cutting-edge technologies and services every year.

Previous SXSW Performers

Although SXSW has always been a showcase for up-and-coming musical acts, many well-known performers and bands have played there over the course of its existence. In 2007 and 2008 such acts as Amy Winehouse, Chromeo, and Del The Funky Homosapien have played the festival.