The mayor just gave a big, wet, slobbery smooch to South by Southwest. Let’s report it, so I can, in the eloquent words of one commenter, wax that my “boss is so great, I’d eat the peanuts outta his shit!!!”
In a waiver of fees for SXSW events, Will Wynn also clarified that the city was becoming an official sponsor of the Festival. “We don’t do this lightly. … We co-sponsor five or six big events that occur in town each year,” he said, including the MLK Day parade, and Cinco de Mayo events. “It’s the biggest event that occurs each year, a spectacular success now. … Frankly, it’s become so successful it’s become difficult for South by Southwest as an organization to maintain some logistical control; by having the city step up as a partner … we think we can aid in the coordination of a very big, very challenging series of logistics.” So Louis Black was right – 1,700 bands just decided to show up one day!
Mayor Pro Tem Betty Dunkerley chimed in that the popular series of morbid travel books 1,000 Things to Do Before You Die highlighted SXSW. “It should include coming to a City Council meeting in Austin, Texas,” said the mayor.
Well, maybe not.
This article appears in March 2 • 2007.