Have you ever been to SxSw? If not, forget it, you missed it. Don't go now. It's gotten way out of hand and has become Mardi Gras. 1300 bands. You can barely get into shows you want to see.
But I did manage to sqeak into a show or two so here is a partial list of what I saw:

Fatboy Slim (luckily a breeze to get in because everyone and their dog went to Queens of the Stone Age)
NY Dolls
Kasabian
PDHM (for fans of Pantera, Life of Agony, Slayer) (I'm not into this music, I went to support a friend who works with them. SUPER nice guys too and I hope they take over the hardcore metal world! )
The Bravery (recommended for fans of Franz!)
Nic Armstrong & the Thieves (recommended for fans of the Black Keys, which I call a cross between Hendrix and Muddy Waters)
The Donnas ( not my thing, very simple rock music but they seem to be adored)
Billy Idol (I have to say puts on a GREAT show)
Vallejo
Young Heart Attack (for fans of ACDC. High energy fun)
M.Ward
Pretty Girls Make Graves
Pedro the Lion
Matt Caws (from Nada Surf)
Robbers on High Street
Mavis Staples


what I missed OR couldn't get in to:
LCD Soundsystem
M.I.A.
The Juliana Theory
Muddy Waters
Robert Plant
Magnapop
Radio 4
VHS or Beta
The Go! Team
Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Bloc Party
Aqualung
West Indian Girl
Tegan & Sarah
Cut Copy
Bumblebeez 81
Idlewild
The Music

SEE? It's too overwhelming.

A highlight of the daytime conference:
Robert Plant being interviewed and telling a funny story about driving near Portland and listening to KBOO during their pledge drive... he was enjoying listening to some old,obscure blues they were playing, when the DJ came on and said, "If you want this station to continue, we need your support, call __ to pledge. And... we promise we will NEVER play 'Stairway to Heaven'."
Robert pulled over immediately and got out his credit card to pledge. When they asked his name, he said, "R. Plant, care of Ahmet Ertegun/Atlantic Records". So Ahmet got letters/progress reports from the station and even in their letters it said "We will never play Stairway to Heaven." He thought that was endlessly funny. He said, "Hey, it's a good song, but you know, I've heard it before".

His whole interview was very interesting. It makes you realize that practically with a shift of wind direction, Led Zeppelin may not have ever happened. I shudder at the thought!!

Low point of SxSw: Watching KU lose to Bucknell. I was wearing my KU t-shirt and got lots of sympathy as I walked around 6th Street.

Overall...If one more person tries to talk to me about their band or tells me to come see their band, I'm going to explain to them that is the equivalent of inviting the winner of the Annual 4th of July Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest to a weenie roast. I've just eaten 178 hotdogs in a period of 12 minutes and you want to offer me a hotdog. That's how I feel right now.