Since the South by Southwest day party action is almost too much to wrap my head around, my picks are from official showcases only. But the majority of the artists performing are playing elsewhere around town during the week so you’ll have a good chance of seeing who you want without a wristband or badge; but having a badge sure is nice. My list leans heavily on locals (When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, the Strange Boys), bigger names (Wu Tang Clan, TV on the Radio), and maybe a few you might not have heard of (YOB, Obits). Worst band name of the fest goes to Nid and Sancy.
Tuesday, March 15
Esben and the Witch, 10pm, Spill
ST 37, 11:30pm, Elysium
John Wesley Coleman, 12mid, BD Riley’s
Wednesday, March 16
Black Books, 8:30pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Dikes of Holland, 9pm, BD Riley’s
OFF!, 9:50pm, Emo’s Main Room
Ted Leo, 10pm, Swan Dive
Bad Brains, 10:40pm, Emo’s Main Room
Black Angels, 11pm, La Zona Rosa
Easy Action, 11pm, The Ale House
Low, 11pm, St. David’s Historic Sanctuary
Raphael Saadiq, 11:15pm. Stubb’s
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, 11:35pm, Headhunters
The Black Lips, 11:50pm, Emo’s Main Room
Tia Carrera, 12mid, Easy Tiger Patio
Queens of the Stone Age, 12:15am, La Zona Rosa
Curren$y, 12:20am, Mohawk Patio
Shit and Shine, 1am, Habana Bar
Talib Kweli, 1am, Emo’s Main Room
Thursday, March 17
White Denim, 5pm, Dot Com Day Stage ACC
The Strokes, 8pm, Auditorium Shores Stage
Tiny Tin Hearts, 8pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Big Freedia, 9pm, Beauty Bar Backyard
Butcher Bear and Charlie, 9pm, Mellow Johnny’s
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 9:30pm, ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Lupe Fiasco, 10:50pm, La Zona Rosa
The Black Lips, 11pm, Club De Ville
Wu Tang Clan, 11:45pm, Austin Music Hall
Cee Lo Green, 12mid, La Zona Rosa
Ignorance Park, 12:05am, Skinny’s Ballroom
Retribution Gospel Choir, 12:15am, Emo’s Jr.
TV on the Radio, 12:30am, Stubb’s
… Trail of Dead, 1am, Beauty Bar/Palm Door
Menomena, 1am, Red Eyed Fly
The Strange Boys, 1am, the Bat Bar
Thee Oh Sees, 1am, Red 7 Patio
YOB, 1am, Barbarella Patio
Friday, March 18
Literature, 8pm, Easy Tiger Patio
Black Joe Lewis, and the Honeybears, 8:05pm, ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Churchwood, 9pm, Karma Lounge
Eugene Mirman, 9:30pm, Esther’s Follies
Kylesa, 9:40pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Obits, 9:40pm, Red 7 Patio
Jeff the Brotherhood, 10pm, Kiss and Fly
Helmet, 11:30pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Lucinda Williams, ACL Live at the Moody Theater
J Mascis, 12:10am, Red 7 Patio
Saint Vitus, 12:30am, Dirty Dog Bar
EPMD, 12:40am, Venue 222
The Raveonettes, 12:50am, Rusty Spurs
Bun B, 1am, Kiss and Fly
Saturday, March 19
Kurt Vile and the Violators, 3:30pm, Auditorium Shores Stage
Mind Spiders, 8:45pm, Easy Tiger
Bad Sports, 9:30pm, Easy Tiger
Meat Puppets with Roky Erickson, 9:50, Austin Music Hall
Mother Falcon, 10:30pm, Austin Music Hall
Simple Circuit, 11pm. Speakeasy Kabaret
Aceyalone, 11:20pm, Fuze
Eyeheategod, 12mid, Scoot Inn
Graham Reynolds and the Golden Arm Trio, 12:30am, Elephant Room
Black Heart Procession, 1am, Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room
Pentagram, 1am, Scoot Inn
Sunday, March 20
DJ Jonathan Toubin, 11pm, Emo’s Jr.
