This article originally appeared on Boston Band Crush ).
Boston’s post-punk darlings, Televandals, give us the scoop on SXSW. Also, check out Mike’s on-the-spot interview here.
SXSW Interview Questions:
1. Where did you play at SXSW?
We played The Bayou Lounge on Wednesday, March 18th as part of Platform One Entertainment’s unofficial showcase. And then the following night we were invited back to play a headlining slot at the Bayou.
2. How did you get your SXSW gig?
Platform One Entertainment held a contest on their web site for the artists involved in their Campus Music Invasion campaign that allowed fans to vote for the band they felt most deserving to attend SXSW. The three bands with the most votes got a spot
in the showcase and we were one of them. We were invited to play our second gig by The Bayou Lounge itself. After seeing our Wednesday set the promoters invited us to headline the following night.
3. Is this your first time at SXSW?
Yes, and we promise that it won’t be our last!
4. How important do you think it is to have an “official” showcase?
Official showcases are great for the networking opportunities and subsequent press. Being chosen by SXSW to play is a huge milestone for any band. That being said, festival attendees come to Austin to see great music regardless of the nature of the showcase. Plus, anyone can attend unofficial showcases. In that regard, unofficial
showcases can attract just as many people and give bands the opportunity to reach an even greater audience.
5. What do you hope to achieve by playing at SXSW?
The fact that we played during such a massive festival in another part of the country and gained increased exposure was perhaps our most important accomplishment. This is the farthest we’ve played from home to date, and being able to perform in Austin and win over a whole new crowd was in of itself quite an achievement. Playing
at SXSW has certainly helped us raise the stakes regarding what we can accomplish in the future. Besides, it’s an amazing feeling to take part in an event of this magnitude. It made us feel like we belong.
6. How do you plan to use the conference to promote yourself?
First off, playing SXSW ended up getting us booking guarantees that will allow us to play Austin again in the near future. Aside from that, we’ll be releasing some entertaining photo blogs and videos of the trip for our fans back home. So many people supported us and put us here in the first place that we want to give as much
back to them as we possibly can. Also, as a relatively new band, being able to say we’ve played SXSW has a way of legitimizing our efforts. It demonstrates that we’ve begun to establish ourselves and that there are no limits to what we can accomplish.
7. Were you able to catch any other shows?
We were able to check out a couple of official showcases while we were there. Le Castle Vania spun a killer DJ set and we got turned on to The Delta Fiasco, Woodhands, and The Golden Filter, who all gave incredible performances.
8. Do you think that Boston had a strong showing this year?
Yes, we saw several Boston bands here and were running into quite a few Boston acts on the street. Specifically, we were able to catch sets by The Motion Sick, Static of the Gods and To The Masquerade while we were there. Our city was represented quite well.
Photo above of Televandals in Austin at SXSW.
