A little bit of work & a lot of live music

What a day!

Sure, there was a spate of copywriting work in the morning. I finished up a video script and sent it to my client. I then did a bit of project administration and housekeeping before shutting down the work week.

It was time to go play.

Off to Maria’s Taco Xpress and some live music, courtesy of Sin City Social Club. What a lineup! My wife and I arrived around 2:45 p.m. and The Record Company was on stage. What a wonderful band, and they just kept getting better as the afternoon gave way to the evening.

We stayed for six hours and saw the following performers:

2:45 The Record Co. (Los Angeles, CA)
3:15 Ken Stringfellow - (The Posies, Big Star and REM) - (Paris, FR)
3:45 Ponderosa (Atlanta, GA)
4:30 Deadman (Austin, TX)
5:15 Mike Farris (Nashville, TN)
5:45 Deadstring Brother (Nashville, TN)
6:15 Shurman (Austin, TX)
6:45 Mike Stinson (Houston, TX)
7:15 Jesse Dayton - (Austin, TX)
7:45 Two Hoots & A Holler (Austin, TX)
8:15 The Whiskey Sisters (Austin, TX)

It was a superb mix of musical styles delivered with tremendous verve and passion. I love live music and these bands and musicians only made me crave for more.

I have to admit, I was a bit distracted from 6:00 p.m. until Jesse Dayton finished his raucous set. I had one eye on my smartphone tracking my alma mater, Ohio University, in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Their first round opponent was Big Ten co-champion, Michigan Wolverines. The Ohio Bobcats, a so-called mid-major team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), pulled off the upset victory, 65-60.

A little bit of work. A lot of live music in Austin, Texas in the company of good friends. And my Ohio Bobcats knock of a Big Ten power in the NCAA Tournament.

As I expressed in the first sentence of this post…what a day!

del.icio.us Tags: Maria's Taco Xpress,Sin City Social Club,Ohio University,Ohio Bobcats,MAC,Big Ten,University of Michigan,Michigan Wolverines,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writer,ad copy,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging,blogger

Of news and nonsense at SXSW

It’s South by Southwest (SXSW) time in Austin. The events began on March 9 and runs through March 18. Film, Interactive and Music.

There’s so much noise coming out of downtown Austin, it’s difficult to filter the news from the nonsense.

If you are a communications professional for a brand at SXSW, how do you get noticed? Do you initiate a full-on social media assault, hold a special event, hire temporary staff to work the crowds throughout the SXSW venues or resort to gimmicks? Do you publish content each day during SXSW hoping to ride the coattails of others announcements adjacent to your market and product offerings?

All of the above…and more?

Other than pumping out useless dribble, most any article, blog, video or other observation piece will get some traction online.

An industry event like SXSW (or CES) carries so much cache that you should publish…often. Just make sure it’s strategic, interesting, insightful, unique, and worthy of your brand.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m headed downtown to take in some live music. If I see or hear anything of interest, perhaps I’ll blog about it here. Rest assured I’ll try to avoid the nonsense and not end up becoming part of the news.

del.icio.us Tags: South by Southwest,SXSW,interactive,film,music,Austin Texas,copywriter,precision in communication,ghost writer,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media,social media writer,blogger,blogging

Austin Texas welcomes you to South by Southwest

South by Southwest, a.k.a. SXSW, the international film, interactive and music conferences and festivals, kicked off its ten day run today. Unbelievably, Mother Nature decided to blow in a powerful cold front that dropped the temperature from a high of 82 yesterday to a high of 46 today. She also parked a low pressure system in New Mexico which has been pumping rain and thunderstorms into Austin since early this morning.

Nothing, however, will put a chill in the atmosphere or dampen the spirits of all who partake in the ten day extravaganza.

I will be seeking out some free interactive events this weekend and early next week. My favorite part of the show, though, is the music and it begins on Tuesday. I can’t wait.

Anyone who loves the arts owes it to himself or herself to make the trip to Austin, Texas at least once for SXSW. You’ll love the creativity, kinship, energy and the vibe that permeates every square inch of every event venue.

It will be the most memorable Spring Break of your life. Welcome to Austin Texas.

del.icio.us Tags: South by Southwest,SXSW,interactive,film,music,Austin Texas