This is the first of a few insider looks at what went down in Austin, Texas at SXSW. If you’d like to submit your story and recap of the event shoot me an email at dan@thedroponline.com

SXSW ’07 was the high school prom I never went to. I even brought the Andy Zipf yearbook for people to sign. By the end of the week, David Fricke (Rollingstone), Matt Pinfield (ex-MTV), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) and Albert Hammond Jr. (The Strokes) had all told me to stay cool over the summer.

My manager, Shawn Matthews, and I had been to the festival two years in a row, before venturing again to Austin last week. Though we made some great contacts for booking, press and other sundries on those trips, I did not have any shows. This year was different. Through Disc Revolt, I won a spot at the Paste Magazine party on Friday, March 16. I was also asked to play a showcase for Muzak that same night. So, there was a lot to look forward to.

We planned to get to SXSW by March 13, but because of a last minute glitch in the matrix, we had to find backline for my showcase at the Paste party. It only took us a day and a half to come up with a bass amp (Springfield, Mo), drums (Dallas, Tx) and a brand new VOX AC 15(my friend’s credit card). So, on Wednesday March 14, Shawn and I rolled into town.

It’s always kind of weird to see so many hipsters populating the same relatively small area. When we would walk by each other on the street, it was almost like that movie The Highlander. I was waiting for somebody to say, “There can be only one.” Then, pull out their sword and have a quickening, leaving the less worthy rock star headless.

I am pretty DIY when it comes to the biz, so I didn’t necessarily come to the festival to play that game. I came to meet like minded people, and to build on the foundation I’ve created for the past couple of years. The music industry is in a huge shift right now. It was evident in the titles of many music panels, like David Byrne’s - “Record Companies: Who Needs Them?” I tend to agree. I also met a lot of other artists, managers, promoters, booking agents and even label people that believe we are in a state of flux and we need to adapt. I think it’s an exciting time for independent music.

Thursday night and Friday morning, I rehearsed for the Paste show with my band. Because I tour solo and I don’t have a permanent group of guys that play with me, I put together an all star cast. My friend Matt flew in from L.A. to play drums, Nathaniel drove from Missouri to play keys and my manager Shawn played bass. Rehearsals went smooth, and we were all stoked to play Friday afternoon at Maggie Mae’s for Paste.

We loaded in during Cold War Kid’s set around 2:30 pm. The room was packed, so it was a bit difficult negotiating through the crowd with all of our gear. I only heard a couple songs, coming in and out of the club, but I thought they were cool. I’d like to see them live again. After a quick sound check, we got up and began our 30 minute set. I had a blast. It was liberating not to worry about what the “industry” people thought. All I cared about was that Disc Revolt, Paste Magazine and the people there that still believe in music (I guess that includes some industry people) enjoyed the show. They did and I did, so I was happy. The first and second time I came to SXSW, I went to the Paste party and wished I could’ve played it, so being a part of it this year was a real pleasure.

We lent our borrowed gear to Sondre Lerche, so I didn’t have to worry about loading out right away. The Muzak event was in an hour and I made my way to the North by tent next to the downtown Hilton. That place was buzzing. My photographer friend, Brad Wolf (you can see some of his shots at www.myspace.com/andyzipf ), had just flown in from D.C. to document the trip, so we met up there and got some much needed drinks. I played a short set for the kind folks at Muzak, met a bunch of people there and made some allies. Muzak has gone under a re-branding in the last couple of years. I’m glad to be on board with them. They are the type of company that will help me to continue to do what I love. A lady from www.indiemeltdown.com in the UK interviewed me right after my set. We spoke about the brit pop bands that my older brother got me into and a possible show in London when I make my way over there. Here’s to making that happen.

Other than the two shows on Friday, March 16, my time at SXSW consisted of hanging out and working it. “Making miracles happen”, my manager likes to say. I think we did make some happen, and I can’t wait to go back again next year for another week of fantastic, sleep deprived madness.

It’s been about a week since the 2007 South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) has ended and we’re still getting reports on all the activity. The blogosphere and podcasters nationwide have been releasing how the music festival, interactive panels, and film festival went. But what about you? How did it go? Would you like to tell your story to a larger audience? Here at THE DROP we got so much feedback on Coury’s take on all that he experienced in Austin, that we thought it would be cool for you to get the same chance.

So how do we get your story posted?

Put your story to paper (digital paper works too) and send it to me via an email to dan@thedroponline.com along with a photo of you at the fest or your best headshot (we want the world to see you). Then I’ll get it on the site super quick.

It was a feast for the eyes more than the ears - a sea of emo kids and rockers past their prime - glammed up guys and half dressed girls. There was an undeserved confidence in the air - no one out of uniform. The steady flow of tight legged jeans and boys with eyeliner seemed almost as important as the music itself. The streets were lined with hopefuls ready to expose their concoction of “the next big thing” - and there we were – excited, hoping to catch the scent of something new and inspiring. From door to door the sounds of tired new wave and post punk littered 6th street. Apart from the signed acts that filled the late night circuit, an onslaught of vapid, unsigned bands put their spin on everything from 80’s pop to hard core and rock. We spent most of Friday night sampling what Austin had to offer - taking in ANNUALs, THE CUBICLE and a few other forgettable bands before returning to our hotel around 1am.

Saturday began early, as load in for our 2:45pm show was at 10am and we were supplying the backline. The venue was The Six Lounge on 4th street. A modern bar that on any other night more than likely contained a trendy set of professional twenty-somethings. This was a far cry from the other dives we had experienced the night before. The stage was an interesting space of width not length, placed directly in front of the bar. The above balcony supplied lounge seating and a birds-eye view of the stage below. After a quick load in, the wait began for our chance at a sound check. Gordo (the sound engineer) and his assistant Chris worked for several hours putting the pieces of the puzzle together. As luck would have it, all sound checks had to be cancelled and by 1:15 Gordo & Chris were working at a feverish pace just to insure an “on time” start - These were two of the nicest guys we have had the pleasure of working with. What most “fans” don’t realize is that the process of sounding good (sonically) is almost completely out of the band’s control. They are at the mercy of a soundman, who more times than not, has been abused by other “difficult” bands and has no interest in helping you (the current band he is engineering) achieve a good stage or house mix. Lucky for us this was not the case. Though a sound check was out of the question, Gordo went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of.

The show consisted of five acts. We worried that lynden would be the only full band represented but when the second act, LIAM & ME, took the stage – all worry disappeared. From the first note of the opener, ZACK HEXUM, we knew the bar had been raised. He reminded me of a more focused JEFF BUCKLEY. Solid songs and a great set of pipes rounded out a nine-song set.

LIAM & ME were up next. Without missing a beat they launched into what seemed to be a mix of Maroon5 and The Killers - Hooky songs that played in vein with the current trends of popular music. It seemed to be the fluid theme of this year’s sound. The 80’s had returned but most bands didn’t realize 2003 had already yielded all we wanted from this category. I am by no means trashing Liam. The band performed their songs with great precision and there were elements of their sound I truly enjoyed.

After a seven-song duration it was lynden’s turn. We quickly took the stage and made sure Matt was ready to go. He arrived only thirty minutes earlier and was in a mad frenzy to line-check his keyboard and cello. Within minutes Chris (our drummer) counted in the first song and we were off. Though sloppy in some sections (mostly turnarounds and outros) our seven-song set flew by without much incident. Upon completion we quickly said our “thank yous” and left the stage. The response was great and in one fell swoop the pressure that had been building for several weeks dissipated. We did the required schmoozing and settled in for the next act.

NICO STAI took the stage with an acoustic guitar and a handful of gravel voiced songs. I enjoyed his cover of the 80’s R&B classic “Rumors” but with few arrangement variations the set soon turned into a blur of predictable ballads.

From there the show prepared for the “star” - our “headliner” of sorts – Mr. CARY BROTHERS. If you are unfamiliar with Cary’s work, you probably have not seen a recent Zack Braff film or kept up with the new breed of singer-songwriters that are making a welcomed resurgence. Cary started the show with a bang – he did something surprising - something taboo by most managers, publicists and record label standards. This acoustic guitar wielding new “it kid” began his set with the one song that had garnered him his current commercial success – “Ride”. I found it ballsy and refreshing to see someone who seemed unfazed by the “rules” of the industry. It was obvious that he cared more about the introduction of new material than relying on his “one hit” to define who he is as a musician. The set followed with one acoustic rocker to the next and was done with great ease.

As the show wrapped we quickly packed our gear and loaded the van we had traveled thirteen hours in – what seemed like moments before. The ordeal of SXSW had been an interesting journey for us. With travel issues, last minute financial glitches and half of our management stuck in a blizzard - at one point I wondered if this adventure would prove worthwhile. But as great as the struggles were, the rewards were that much greater. We left Austin with some new friends and a bevy of life experiences we will not soon forget.

This weeks episode music editor Matt Benson and Dan catch up with Polyvinyl recording artists, Headlights at The Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar in Charlottesville, Virginia. Download the episode to check out how break dance fighting is still being utilized by the band. We thought this was a great wy to lead off the SXSW week of fun down in Austin. Headlights will be playing with indie darlings Page France 3 times at SXSW this week, it’s a breif stopping point on their massive spring tour. Check out the rest of the available dates at the site headlightsmusic.com