AUSTIN (KXAN) — As South by Southwest in Austin involves an in depth Sunday, listed here are some highlights from this previous week.
Miss outdated Austin? Purchase memorabilia from this merchandising machine
A merchandising machine promoting outdated Austin relics opened this week within the Paramount Theatre foyer that goals to protect the historical past of the gentrified areas of the town, mentioned Carl Settles, the manager director of Austin nonprofit E4 Youth.
The LostIn merchandising machine contains objects from outdated Austin institutions like a t-shirt from the Victory Grill in east Austin or a piñata from the now-shuttered Jumpolin or a L.C. Anderson Excessive Faculty pencil case.
The machine will likely be positioned on the Paramount via the South by Southwest competition.
“Inventive and tech firms are a gentrifying drive, in that they’re bringing these folks to the town, they usually don’t actually perceive the historical past of the locations they inhabit, so this can be a means of reminding these of us,” Settles mentioned in regards to the SXSW timing.
Can’t make go to the merchandising machine throughout SXSW? Settles mentioned he hopes the machine will transfer to different areas just like the Austin airport or to Meta places of work.
How growth, campaigns are impacting Austin’s dwell music business
Throughout Texas, the music business has generated practically $11 billion in financial exercise in 2022, a current state report exhibits. Austin music tourism generates about $1.8 billion per yr, based on the Austin Music Motion nonprofit.
In a South by Southwest panel referred to as “The Financial Impression of Reside Leisure,” dwell music specialists talked about how leisure multiplies {dollars} spent domestically and the way the affect goes past the venues and artists themselves.
In 2022, the SXSW competition, which features a music competition, had a $280.7 million affect in Austin. Pre-pandemic years introduced extra money to the town together with $355.9 million in 2019.
SXSW musicians name out the competition for unfair pay, dub it ‘a foul deal for a decade’
On Thursday morning exterior of the Austin Conference Heart — the epicenter of the South By Southwest Convention & Festivals — dozens of musicians got here collectively to chant with indicators, drums and a megaphone.
However these musicians weren’t assembled for a SXSW-sponsored efficiency. As an alternative, they had been gathered to decry what they referred to as low and unfair compensation charges for showing and performing on the competition.
The Union of Musicians and Allied Employees launched a marketing campaign Feb. 7. UMAW requested competition producers to chop the appliance charge and enhance the compensation for a SXSW efficiency to a minimum of $750. Since final month, 2,500 artists signed the calls for letter, and on the finish of the rally, the latter was hand-delivered to competition officers.
SXSW Press and Publicity mentioned the next in regards to the rally:
“SXSW is honored to host over 1,400 showcasing acts each March. We’re dedicated to creating skilled alternatives by bringing rising artists along with media, the worldwide music business and influential audiences. We admire the suggestions from the UMAW and will likely be doing our coverage assessment after the occasion.”
