South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference & Festival -- A Unique Experience

The 2005 edition of the SXSW Music Conference and Festival, one of the most highly anticipated entertainment industry events of the year, takes place Wednesday, March 16 through Sunday, March 20, 2005 in Austin, Texas. Internationally prominent musicians and music industry professionals will showcase their talents, share their business expertise, and exhibit their products. For the large, diverse and highly engaged group of participants, it's an experience that can only be found in the unique atmosphere known as South By Southwest.

The 2005 SXSW Music Conference held at the Austin Convention Center will feature over 60 panel discussions, interviews, demo listening sessions and workshops with 235 panelists sharing wisdom and encouragement with conference participants. Highlights will include: Robert Plant's keynote speech on Thursday and SXSW Interviews featuring Elvis Costello on Wednesday, Shawn Fanning and Mavis Staples on Friday, and Erykah Badu on Saturday. Panels will include Young and Over the Hill: A&R After 30, Ringtones as an Income Stream, and Brian Wilson's Smile Project. Wednesday's Crash Courses offer basic information and cover topics of interest to working musicians and aspiring music professionals alike.

The SXSW Trade Show Exhibition, also in the convention center will host an array of events and exhibitors. The three-day music trade show offers a unique opportunity for thousands of industry professionals to meet and exchange information. Participating organizations from around the world including Australia, France, Japan, Canada, Great Britain and from every corner of the US will be on hand to aid in broadening careers for both American and international bands and companies.

But the focal point of everyone's attention is the music. The SXSW Music Festival, which spans five nights, will present 1200 musical performers with genres ranging from hip-hop to alt country on 59 stages in venues ranging from the most intimate clubs to Auditorium Shores. The music starts on Wednesday, March 16 and runs through Sunday, March 20. A very small sampling of bands includes Against Me! (Gainesville, FL), The Be Good Tanyas (Vancouver, BC), Bloc Party (London, UK), The Bravery (New York, NY), Elvis Costello and the Imposters (New York, NY), Devin the Dude (Houston, TX), Fatboy Slim (Brighton, UK), Hot Hot Heat (Victoria, BC), Billy Idol (Los Angeles, CA), ISIS (Los Angeles, CA), Mike Jones (Houston, TX), LCD Soundsystem (New York, NY), Aimee Mann (Los Angeles, CA), Neville Brothers (New Orleans, LA), Ojos De Brujo (Barcelona, Spain), Robert Plant (UK), Sleater-Kinney (Portland, OR), Mavis Staples (Chicago, IL), Pam Tillis (Nashville, TN) and Visionaries (Los Angeles, CA).

SXSW Music walk-up registration fee is $545. For more information, access our website at www.sxsw.com or email us at sxsw@sxsw.com.

South by Southwest Music and Media Conference, in its nineteenth year, is sponsored by Miller Lite, TalentMatch, Lincoln, The Austin Chronicle, KLBJ-FM and Blender Magazine and is co-sponsored by a network of 38 regional arts and entertainment.

For more information, contact: Elizabeth Derczo 512/467-7979, ext. 209