On, Wisconsin!
Man, SXSW sure gets crowded on Friday afternoon, when people who actually live in Austin get off work and join the festivities. A much-anticipated music-and-comedy showcase -- featuring, among other things, appearances by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross of HBO's brilliant but long-canceled Mr. Show -- was virtually impossible to get into, and (according to reports from those who did) a crowded nightmare upon entry. A Spin-sponsored party featuring The Buzzcocks and Kings of Leon was easier to get into, but the crowds were still pretty imposing. (As a bonus, though, I did get to meet Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat there. If someone can think of a way to say "I love your work" without feeling like a total goob, please do let me know.)
That said, the day's true highlight was a come-from-behind victory by the Wisconsin Badgers over the hated University of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. If UTAMCC had won that thing, I'd have had to cancel the blog due to sadness and rage -- the very things that fuel so much of my personal expression. Ironic!
Tonight? Terrific Norwegian singer-songwriter Thomas Dybdahl plays soon, followed by a punishing choice between Clem Snide and Adem (see below), not to mention a whole bunch of other stuff I'll figure out once I'm done freaking out over how close the Badgers came to becoming a national joke this afternoon. Whew!
7:14 PM ET | 03-16-2007 | permalink
Schedule of Live Shows