The 5 Best South By Southwest Keynotes
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Once upon a time, there was a music conference in Austin, Texas. It was called South By Southwest (or SXSW for short), it was a little weird like its host city, and musicians would flock from around the world to crawl Congress Street clubs, discover new bands, and eat some BBQ. The word “interactive” was only used to describe crowd-surfing. During its first year, 700 registrants came to see 172 bands. Last year, nearly 28,000 people came to see more than 2,000 acts.
The centerpiece of the SXSW Music Conference has always been the keynote — a not-so-formal address to the music faithful by a respected elder. Huey Meaux gave the first SXSW keynote in 1987. “Who is Huey Beaux,” you ask? He was the “Crazy Cajun,” a record producer behind hit songs like “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and “Talk to Me.” (Never heard ‘em? Find ‘em on Spotify now. You’ll dig ‘em). He was also behind a child-porn charge in 1996.
SXSW keynote bookings have improved since. Lou Reed, Robert Plant, Quincy Jones, and Roseanne Cash are some of the 29 keynotes. Next week, Snoop Dogg becomes the 30th to dispense wisdom (and maybe weed? just kidding!) to the SXSW flock convened at the Austin Convention Center. And while the music portion of SXSW now lives in the shadow of SXSW Interactive insanity, I will always have a soft spot for the musicians who sit bleary-eyed at 11am to pay it forward and tell it like it is.
Here are my favorite SXSW highlights from days of yore.
1. Dave Grohl (2013)
The Foo Fighter showed up in support of his Sound City documentary. Donning his spectacles (“bought at a drug store”), Professor Growl gave the first of what would become many passionate pleas for playing real music on real instruments — warts and all. He demonstrated how he made early bedroom demos as a 12-year-old, reminded us that “the musician comes first,” and reminded us why he is the guardian of rock’s soul.
2. Lou Reed (2008)
This was technically not a keynote, but a Q&A with the great maestro (and good friend) Hal Willner. The ground covered was vast — from the Velvet Underground to “Dirty Blvd.” It’s a must-see for anyone who cares about rock history. It’s a also contains this priceless piece of advice for anyone who aims to be creative: “The thing I got going for me is instinct. I can feel it. I try not to think. Thinking won’t get me where I want to go… Instinct makes the music”
3. Bruce Springsteen (2012)
Predictably, the Boss set the bar high for SXSW keynotes. He brilliantly framed the fractured, oversaturated musical landscape in which we live. He also offered a glimpse at the musical world in which he grew up. Springsteen is a natural historian, has a quick comedian’s wit, and cares more about rock ‘n’ roll than anyone on crowding streets of Austin. His encyclopedic knowledge his mind-boggling. Study this. You will be graded.
4. Johnny Cash (1994)
The Man in Black was enjoying a resurgence in ’94 thanks to his comeback album, American Recordings. He gave a roomful of young hipsters (he greeted them as his “grandchildren”) a lesson in country music, the power of storytelling, and humility. Watching this makes me miss him all over again.
5. Smokey Robinson (2010)
The Motown legend came to Austin for a Q&A with music writer Dave Marsh. What transpired was a heartfelt motivational speech geared towards musicians desperate for a break. He warned against taking oneself too seriously. “You didn’t start this and you aren’t gonna finish it.” The greatest legends are always the most humble. Smokey is a prime lesson in staying grounded.
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