Northampton's indie Spirithouse label is sponsoring the "Northampton Comes to Austin" showcase at the Texas festival.
It is considered one of the biggest annual music and arts festivals in the country and the local music scene will be well-represented.
Northampton’s indie Spirithouse label is sponsoring the “Northampton Comes to Austin” showcase later this month at the Texas city’s famed South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival.
The showcase will be held at Maria Maria on Colorado Street on March 17 from 2 to 8 p.m.
The lineup will feature some of the very best Valley talent with bands like Winterpills (coming off last week’s sold out CD release show at the Iron Horse), The Sun Parade, Jamie Kent & The Options, Joshua Meltzer, Billy Keane, and Matt Hebert’s band Haunt.
SXSW began in Austin in 1987 with the goal of shining a light on that city’s music and arts scene. In 1994 the festival added a film component and since then has become a signature industry event.
The six-day festival includes symposiums, artist’s panels, and guest speakers on all facets of the music industry. There are also showcase music events with groups like Counting Crows, Built to Spill, and BoDeans. The Cult will use the festival to kick off their concert tour on March 17.
According to Jamie Kent the timing of this Northampton-based initiative couldn’t be better.
“We’ve got such a killer thing happening here in the Valley that it seemed like a perfect thing to put together for this year,” said Kent. “In my past experiences at SXSW, the best showcases I’ve seen were almost always regionally based.”
Danny Bernini, who operates Spirithouse with Paul McNamara agrees.
“Pretty much the whole music industry will be in Austin during SXSW, including The Sun Parade and Jamie Kent, both of whom just completed records at SpiritHouse Studios,” he said. “So when Jamie came to us with the idea it was a no-brainer for us to co- sponsor the event showcasing some of Northampton’s finest.”
Bernini said the event already has over 100 industry insiders confirmed and thinks it could be a great showcase for the Valley scene.
“Going to SXSW isn’t like going on The Voice, where a panel decides that your going to be stars overnight,” he cautioned. “It’s a steady uphill battle to break through all the noise in the music business and SXSW is the place to show all the players what you have on the table this year.”
There are also practical considerations whenever planning a major event like a showcase at SXSW.
“Today right after the Sun Parade’s rehearsal, we need to go buy a van that promises not to break down in Georgia somewhere and that gets awesome gas mileage,” Bernini said.