2008 April | Uh Huh Her

Article: SXSW Music Festival (AfterEllen)

Posted by green in Camila Grey, Leisha Hailey, News on Apr 8th, 2008 | No Comments

When the internet left town, the music industry finished busting up Austin during SXSW Music. Any commercial space that had so much as two milk crates to push together hosted shows.

And while Interactive had the city bursting at the seams, the music fest was at least five times worse. Walking through the streets of Austin during the music fest is like listening to several radio stations that change every block. As soon as your ear recognizes the sound of one band, it’s quickly replaced by the echo of another.

The line for passes to get into the festival depressed me — until I realized that I could also watch the bands check in. Genderqueerness was in full effect as hordes of skinny, pasty boys in tight girls’ jeans pressed shoulder to shoulder with skinny, pasty girls in tight girls’ jeans. In the clear light of day — without the shelter of low lighting to take the edge off their overdone makeup or hair sculpted with far too much “product” — they all looked out of place.
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