Ultimate guide to SXSW music 2024: What bands are playing? Who should I see? Can I get in?

“Is the juice worth the squeeze?” A buddy recently asked me about the South by Southwest Music Festival.

The post-COVID era of SXSW’s music weekend may lack the roaring excess of Lady Gaga performing on behalf of Doritos like she did a decade ago, but it’s a wonderful time to be a badge-less music fan. In most cases, you can pay a reasonable cover at the door and watch world-class talent in an intimate space without any credentials.

And the principle of SXSW Music endures: Most sets are a tidy 40 minutes, so watch at least 10 of them daily. You’ll leave with a year’s worth of playlists.

Here’s what to listen for as the industry camps in our town this week.

Where can I see Black Keys, Peso Pluma, Big Boi and other stars?

Mexican crossover idol Peso Pluma and Jack White’s least favorite blues rock duo the Black Keys are the most established names performing during SXSW Music. So can you actually get in?

The Black Keys perform their album “Delta Kream” Thursday at the Mohawk; without a badge, your chances of being there are slim because it’s a 1,000-capacity, mismatched venue for a band that could headline the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Their second show, Friday at Stubb’s, is a more realistic entry point: Their set kicks off at 12:30 a.m. With the bulk of SXSW’s star wattage focused on its opening weekend and the University of Texas campus dormant during spring break, Friday nights on Red River during weekend two of SXSW have become downright manageable. There will be considerably fewer badge patrons still in town. If you get in line early, there’s a good chance you’ll get in.

I’ve heard Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” spin during last call at East 6th club Mala Vida, and the crowd reliably erupts. The 24-year-old from Jalisco is the most-streamed Mexican artist ever. Although it's an official showcase and badge-holders will get priority entry, his Wednesday night concert at ACL Live is open to the public with an online RSVP. But party links do little but get you a newsletter these days. He performs at 10:55 p.m. and uncredentialed RSVP-holders will want to line up, realistically, at lunch.

A Hulu documentary about mid-’90s Atlanta party the Freaknik is a jumping-off point for southern hip-hop royalty to hold court: Killer Mike, Big Boi, Jermaine Dupri (fresh off a Super Bowl halftime cameo), DJ Drama, and 2 Live Crew’s Uncle Luke rock the Stubb’s stage Wednesday night.

Toronto R&B star PartyNextDoor performs Thursday at Waterloo Park. Tickets are $55, and even when Young Thug camped in this slot in 2022 at the height of his pre-arrest, “Pushin P” TikTok fame, the crowd was thin. Norteño fusion artist Christian Nodal ($65) plays the stage Friday and EDM act ILLENIUM ($85) closes the series on Saturday.

In addition to an appearance at a free Friday get down at Auditorium Shores, Parliament Funkadelic luminary Bootsy Collins performs 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Mohawk. He and wife Patti lead a jam with special guests including Henry Invisible, a local multi-instrumentalist you see pop up at Halloween parties. Noted hip-hop storyteller Slick Rick will be there, too.

In the “guitar rock from 20-plus years ago” category, the At the Drive-In guys will be doing spin-offs: Omar and Cedric will support Glaswegian post-rock legends Mogwai with a set by their dormant band DeFacto Monday at ACL Live (the duo is also premiering “If This Ever Gets Weird," a documentary about how Scientology fractured their friendship); Jim’s long-running band Sparta plays Empire Garage on March 16.

Who will this year’s SXSW breakout bands be?

(For official SXSW showcase times visit schedule.sxsw.com. Side party schedules are slipperier, but bands often post full gig rosters on their social media accounts.)

Let’s define a “breakout” as an act that could become a mid-flier festival performer by 2025. Teezo Touchdown opened for Travis Scott in November, so that’s an easy ask for the wildly creative rapper. He’s the flashiest entertainer from Beaumont, Texas since (‘90s Texas quarterback) James Brown.

Sony Music’s J Noa is an acclaimed rapper from the Dominican Republic who destroys reggaeton and rap beats alike. Flo Milli and Monaleo’s “We Not Humpin’” is a gnarly, generation-defining banger. Warner Records’ Forest Claudette has the chops, sincerity, and taste to propel his inward-gazing R&B as far as he wants.

Wolves of Glendale are a comedy band who’ve opened for Tenacious D and sing about the malaise of being disappointing modern men who can’t change a tire. I’ve listened to “The Gym” more than any SXSW single this winter and can’t get it out of my head. It’s about  two minutes too long but the joke is great: Signing up for the gym in January is a losing game. Sultan Stevenson is a heralded jazz pianist from London. Kneecap is a politically charged rap group from Northern Ireland and its music is charismatic and sharp. You know how British rappers generally sound funny and bad to Americans because we’re fiercely protective about hip-hop? Kneecap is not instantly cringe.

Cumgirl8’s performance art has rendered a buzzy new EP on 4AD Records; more importantly, two different experts have recommended them to me in recent weeks. Locals the Tiarras have a killer cover of 1930s Cuban song “La Negra Tomasa,” a certified classic interpreted by generations of Latinx artists over the past century. They pass the litmus test.

Two wildcards: German experimental pop duo ATNA have a looming debut album and “Remission” is a haunting breakup ballad that shatters the psyche because it’s performed by non-native English speakers who are interpreting the language with arresting new imagery. Norwegian soul man Beharie put out a beautiful record in October.

Are there some under-the-radar artists I should see?

Of course. And this is the best part. You’ll enjoy memorable, intimate shows and then you’ll hear the songs all around area coffee shops for the next decade. Here are some of my favorite pseudo-genres of music that reliably flourish during SXSW.

Go deep in your feelings with SXSW's sad girls

“Woman” is not a genre of music, to be clear. I mean soul-searching, downtempo rock music brimming with existential dread because society hates women and gender non-conforming people. And ever since Boygenius performed at the airport last year, this strain of bud has been dominant.

Faye Webster (Atlanta) has a decade’s worth of underrated album cycles. Austin’s formerly anonymous Fuvk have perfected the craft. Bubble Tea and Cigarettes (Brooklyn, New York) sing about getting empanadas at 5am with someone special and later longing for the feeling. Bloomsday have that sweet dual-vocal punch that recalls contemporaries like Girlpool. Sorry Girls’ “Waking Up” (Montreal) features a rollickingly infectious chorus. Georgia Gets By (Nelson, New Zealand) empowers listeners to ditch relationships in neutral with gems like “Easier to Run.” Marem Ladsen (Galicia, Spain) writes sad lyrics in English and Spanish. There are only two members of SXSW veterans Hinds (Madrid, Spain) now but they have this new song “Y Como?” about what they’ll possibly do now that their person is out of the picture, and it crushes spirits. Maura Weaver  (Cincinnati, Ohio) on “Crush on You Pt. 2” expertly sums up the sad girl wave: It’s really about stumbling backward into your subconscious.

Put a tear in your beer with melancholy country

Sure, I guess country music is spiritually about longing for lost opportunities on a barstool. But two twang-friendly songwriters to shout-out: Brennan Wedl (Nashville) has one tightly woven missive after another featured on her Spotify page (and she leads a “queercore” Boston band on the side, too); Edan Archer (Gainesville, Florida) grew up singing Appalachian music as a child and her storytelling is lived-in and wry.

Don't forget the home team: Austin at SXSW

I used to think: “Why would I ever see A Giant Dog perform live during SX when I can catch them next month at a brewery?” But then you never make it out. And there is a ton of Austin music in bloom, including AGD which released its sixth A+ rock album in August.

Pedal Steel Noah has a viral Instagram where he posts guitar videos with his dog. Peelander Z — a Japanese punk band that apparently liked Austin so much, after a few SXSWs they just moved here permanently — always erupts live. Schatzi is a power-pop band from 20 years ago. I remember because my childhood dresser has one of their stickers on it. Voxtrot took inspiration from Belle and Sebastian (aristocratic lyrics, whisper-singing) and the hipster class of 2007 swore by its artfully curated mp3 files. The beloved blog band is back. Fugitive is among the heaviest bands in Texas, emerging from the ashes of Power Trip after the tragic fentanyl death of its former frontman.

Font makes dance rock with aplomb, live instrumentation in the key of LCD Soundsystem. Katy, Texas’ Dende is a powerful new R&B voice. Daiistar’s psych rock was released on English label Fuzz Club and hits all the cool revivalist notes. So does Being Dead but with more wit in its lyrics. Ben Aqua’s production got him an Apple “Shot on iPhone” drop.

Lastly, lots of mainstays such as Vallejo and Bob Schneider are coming together to celebrate defunct club Steamboat more than 20 years after it left Sixth Street at a free show at Auditorium Shores on Thursday.

As heard on TikTok: Viral stars swarm SXSW

A TikTok band is effectively anyone who hits a viral home run. The social media platform is in a tier with Spotify, Soundcloud, and Myspace when it comes to digital discovery. A rapper like Key Flippin (Raleigh, North Carolina) can reach a mass audience by cleverly making a rhyme with the phrase “TikTok” in it. It’s likewise super common for “hyperpop,” be it an original song by a leading genre producer like Chinese songwriter Alice Longyu Gao (New York City) or a sped-up chunk of a Dua Lipa song, to pinball through the platform. Budding pop star Ivoris (Melbourne); mental health advocate and songwriter Robert Grace (Kilkenny, Ireland); bedroom producer Iris Jean (Alkaar, Netherlands); and rapper Erica Banks (Dallas) will all be performing... and boast enormous TikTok hits.

Blazin’ hip-hop and R&B

A continual SXSW treat is the treasure of CDs you’ll swap with aspiring rappers who pull up to Sixth and make themselves seen. And then you can usually snag a giant City Girls poster off a light post for the office. It’s a whole parade.

As far as the official showcases go, we have household names with giant songs like Gorilla Zoe (Atlanta), superproducer Just Blaze (Paterson, New Jersey) who soundtracked Jay-Z at his peak powers, and Kirko Bangz (Houston). I’m excited to watch DJ Rosegold (Mississauga, Ontario), star rapper Saweetie’s touring partner who is riding a hot streak of standout singles.

The #CarefreeBlackGirl Cookout on Saturday features more than 10 performers. Prowess the Testament  (Washington, D.C.) writes tongue-twisters about her love for “Sailor Moon.” So does Talia Goddess (Brooklyn, New York), but she also flirts with R&B on singles such as last month’s polished “10.25.”

From West Africa, with love

This sound is getting too omnipresent to ignore, but let’s define it: As my editor recently put it, Afrobeats is effectively the dancehall version of Fela Kuti. Afrobeat, singular, is a vastly influential Nigerian sound that combines American funk, jazz, and traditional Western African instrumentation. Afrobeats (with the s) is all the fun, hip-hop-tinged stuff that Drake gets a pass on for ripping off because he’s cool with Wizkid. Given Texas’ multi-faceted immigrant population (more than 100,000 Nigerians live in Houston, according to World Population Review), these sounds should feel familiar.

SXSW features sets by Afrobeats artists Bisa Kdei  (Accra, Ghana); BM Casso (Lagos, Nigeria); Kelvyn Boy (Kumasi, Ghana); and Yung D3mz (Accra, Ghana). All have released absolute missiles that I’ve personally taste-tested on Spotify for freshness.

Unique international SXSW moments

SXSW has built relationships with global tourism boards that regularly send cultural ambassadors. It makes for special, unique music programming.

Nhac Gay is a DJ collective known for ragers (Saigon, Vietnam). Band of five literal brothers Los Cogelones (Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico) ascend into the ancestral plane for richly flavored rock. Lair (Jatiwangi, Indonesia) plays funk. New wave band La Securite (Montreal) is my pick of the bunch from the always-on Pop Montreal showcase at Swan Dive. Venesti (Cali, Colombia) has one of those giant Latin singles in tow (“No Es Normal”) with “spin at Mexican weddings where the waiters bring out flaming bottles of Smirnoff forever” upside. Marcelo D2 is a veteran Brazilian rapper with a cult following (Rio de Janeiro), Majin makes Afrobeats by way of Taipei, Taiwan and Jazzbois (Budapest) churn dank and experimental genre fare ripe with hip-hop references.

Dudes rock

OK but guys can rock, too. We’re talking blazed fans of T. Rex who play chunky riffs with fat fingers full of Doritos dust. It soundtracks the skatepark, bachelor party, and is made for the door guy who got fired because he slept-in and couldn’t make a 7 p.m. shift.

Hot Garbage (Toronto) performs moody, cavernous psych rock. Gurrierrs (Dublin) chant-sing like the band Idles about working-class despair. Heffner (Athens, Georgia) has an anthemic slacker jam “Truck,” from the band’s curiously titled new album “Super Bowl LXIX,” that will make you want to rip the pen at work. Two years ago, hardcore band Fade ‘Em All (Houston) braved a late-night set without a guitar player.

Hopefully he can make it this year.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Who is performing on SXSW 2024 lineup? Can you get in without a badge?