thenationofartists.com

First printed at www.movingpicturesnetwork.com

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival)

Directed by: Alan Berg
Featuring: Roland Swenson, Nick Barbaro, Michael Corcoran, Louis Black and Mojo Nixon

The opening words of “Outside Industry” speak volumes about the role SXSW has played in being defined by, and in turn defining, the culture of this one small part of the huge state of Texas: “The kernel of creativity that defines Austin today, that all goes back to music.”

From nothing but ego to headlines like “2,000 Acts” and “100,000 Fans” and “Sold Out” placards, SXSW has been making its mark on the music scene for a quarter century. That it also has become a showcase for film and interactive technology could not have remotely been forecast given the early ideas for the festival when a few kids borrowed $70,000 (and blew it in less than a year).

The story is as much about The Austin Chronicle newspaper as it is about the festival. The role of the media in making Austin its focal point as the base for big sound made a star out of Austin’s scene rather than any particular bands. For Austin, the sum of the energy inherent in the place itself seems greater than any of its individual parts.

While references are made to trade outs, barters and exchanges to make this happen, some specific examples could have been entertaining had they been enumerated. But it’s the energy of the beginnings of this bootstrap operation that makes this doc so captivating, and both lovers and haters of the fest should find something to admire about Alan Berg’s feature and his featured interviewees.

This is a fest for which buzz came quickly, filling a major void that wasn’t even known to have existed. With 800 bands wanting to play the fest without pay even in the early years and the subsequent attention from music labels wanting to get in on the ground floor of what’s new, growth came (too) quickly.

Billy Ray Cyrus, Hanson, the Fugees, the White Stripes, the Strokes and Beck all made their moves up the industry’s ladder from this southern conference. And the networking opportunities and contacts made at the fest by even smaller entities led to bands developing their touring circuits across the country.

Berg does well to highlight the bashing that came with the festival’s fame. Backlash is part of indie success, and with rejections going out to thousands of bands wanting to showcase their talent, the festival organizers, although being hammered publicly, were both smart and quick to cash in on “SXSWSUX” T-shirts they manufactured themselves.

As the outsiders became the inside institution, the organizers struggled to control the event’s teething problems, and the issue at the core of things remains still today: how to balance fan accessibility against the bands’ attempts to hold court with A&R executives. While the Chronicle office was set on fire, fire department officials enforced occupancy levels at clubs and club owners shot guns into their own ceilings, SXSW had become the Man. And just like Slamdance and X-Dance descended on Sundance’s territory, unofficial events (South by South First, South by South Lamar) set up all over Austin.

That Roland Swenson, Michael Corcoran, Louis Black and company could make something work in the music industry, institutionalize it within 10 years and draw attention to new (and label) acts (whether famously or infamously) must be considered a positive thing. SXSW is now both a beacon and a bastion, and with the support of the interactive and film industries, this is one party that will keep going, regardless of how hot things get.

Photo courtesy South by Southwest