Yes, it's THAT time of year again. RSVP links are hitting Twitter, inboxes are filling up with releases from PR companies you've never heard of and wistful
think pieces are beginning to crop up all over the web. It's the week before SXSW and if you're a fan of music (or popular culture in general), you've been hearing about the year's biggest music orgy with increasing regularity for the past two months. Hopefully you've made up your mind about whether or not you'll be heading down to Austin, TX next week (if not, you better hurry up and request a few days off from work, and a few more to recover from the resulting hangover).
This year marks my third trip down south and, as usual, I'm heading into the city-spanning festival without an official badge or wristband. Unless you're an industry type who needs access to every single showcase or want to see Justin Timberlake perform an intimate show in an abandoned tortilla factory, you simply don't need those exorbitantly priced credentials. And get this: even if you do pony up for one, you'll probably still have to wait in some lines (which will transform you into one of the grumpiest assholes in all of Austin).
