As always, South by Southwest is a game of numbers: 1,000-plus bands playing over four days and five nights. To this, add seven straight Chronicle Music sections dedicated to SXSW 02; “Picks to Click,” six local acts showcasing at this year’s conference, comes first — here, now. Next week, brings the 2001-02 Austin Music Awards preview, the week after, hundreds of “Picks & Sleepers” on SXSW attendees. Then there’s three daily issues of the Chronicle during the conference, and finally, the mop-up the week after. Looking over our past “Picks to Click” on the following page, here’s another number for you: a batting average of .730. That’s a lot of “Clicks” over 52 “Picks.” With six more sure things this year, bump that average up to .758. Great numbers.

This article appears in March 1 • 2002.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.