The 24th annual South by Southwest music conference recently took place in Austin and, by all accounts, it was a great success. In fact, this conference is just one more reason why Austin is referred to as the “live music capital of America.”

Since it was first launched, the South by Southwest music conference has grown into the country’s largest annual music conference for introducing new musicians. During the day, the conference serves as more of a trade fair, but the real action takes place at the more than 80 music venues located two blocks away on and around Sixth Street. In fact, during this exciting time of the year, every restaurant, bar, garden, rooftop, car park and basement becomes a music venue offering more than 1,000 different shows over a five day period and up to 100 bands playing in any given hour.

Of course, the South by Southwest music conference isn’t just exciting because of the music acts that are introduced to the world, it is also an essential piece of the capital city’s economy. With registration fees of up to $1,200, the Austin Business Journal estimates that the festival provides about $110 million to the local economy.

As might be expected from an event that brings in so much money to the local economy, the South by Southwest music conference features more than just up-and-coming musicians. In fact, a number of established artists also perform at the event. This year, for example, Motown legend Smokey Robinson performed at the Austin Music Hall. Ray Davies, who is the singer for the Kinks, also performed at La Zona Rosa, which is a converted car park located Kamagra in the capital city. Courtney Love and her band, Hole, also kicked off her US comeback at the conference. Unfortunately, the show was not as great as many had anticipated, with Love reportedly even saying it was the “worst show of my life.”

A number of British musical acts were also part of the festival, including Marina and the Diamonds and Motorhead. In fact, in honor of the “British invasion” that took place at the festival, the Latitude 30 club renamed itself the British Embassy and promoted a number of bands from the area, ranging from those in Yorkshire and Liverpool to cheapest viagra in uk those in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Of all of the British bands, however, Muse was the one that created the greatest interest. Although their Friday night performance was supposed to be a secret, news spread quickly and more than 2,000 people gathered at the Stubb’s Bar-B-Q outdoor terrace to watch the performance.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the conference and festival was its conclusion, as the festival ended with a tribute to Alex Chiton. 59-year-old Chilton, who was a cult record producer and songwriter, died of a heart attack in New Orleans just as the festival was opening. Chilton had been slated to play with his band, Big Star, at the festival on Saturday. But, instead, artists gathered together to put on a performance in his honor.

Author Bio: Ryan Lynch runs the marketing department for a company Viagra Jelly specializing in Austin real estate and luxury homes. They also help buyers and sellers with Steiner Ranch listings including lakeside properties and golf course homes.

Category: Recreation and Leisure/Entertainment
Keywords: austin,texas,sxsw,festivals,outdoors,entertainment,concerts