VOA常速英语2008年-2008 SXSW Music Conference Continues to Grow, A

By Katherine Cole
Washington
31 March 2008

The official motto of Austin, Texas, is "Live Music Capital of the World." That's certainly true for 10 days in mid-March each year, when the annual South By Southwest (SXSW) music, film and interactive¹-arts festivals attract thousands of visitors to the capital of Texas. VOA's Katherine Cole attended the 2008 edition of the South By Southwest Music Conference, and filed this report.

More than 8,000 bands and artists applied² to perform one 45-minute set at one of the 72 Austin venues³ hosting showcases during SXSW 2008. Out of that group, only 1,580 performers, or fewer than 20 percent, were accepted. One of them was San Diego California's Steve Poltz. Poltz came to Austin to spread the word about his new CD, Traveling, home to 11 original songs, including "Rain" and describes a typical day at SXSW life.

 

"Five shows a day. We started at ME Television, which is the Austin Music Network, and we rocked hard,' he said. "Then we came here, where we are now, at Mother Eagan's, and played here. Then we're going across the street to Opal Divine's to play. It's fun, I love it! I like playing. This is what I wanted to do since I was a kid, so I can't complain."

When the first South By Southwest took place in 1987, only 700 music industry professionals attended the event. Twenty-two years later, more than 13,000 were registered for the four-day "South By," conference and tradeshow, with several thousand more purchasing wristbands that gave them access only to the evening music events.

The success of the South By Southwest Music Conference has spawned⁵ both a film and interactive media festival, and their economic impact on the Texas town is immense. In 2007, the three events were directly and indirectly⁶ responsible for injecting nearly $95 million into the local economy. That figure includes the money spent by conference attendees, who spent more than $77 million in the city's restaurants, hotels, and merchants, including local record stores.

Former Austin resident Caroline Herring was back in Austin for SXSW this year. Her new CD, Lantana was released the week before the conference began. She had a busy schedule during "South By." What were some of her priorities?

"To talk with different press agency and then to market myself to talent buyers nationwide and in North America," she said.

Cole: "You've got a new record out this year. Is it more fun to come to something when you have a new album?"

 

Herring: "It's more fun to do anything in the music business when you've got a new record out. My record is called "Lantana", and yes, there's already a buzz created here for me because of publicists and the things that record labels do. And so it is fun to be here, and have people know who I am and want to hear me play because of that record."

 

Cole: "Now, in your normal touring life, you go up on stage once a night usually, maybe twice, and do a set for an hour or maybe a little bit longer. It's not like that here, is it?"

 

Herring: "Oh no … 30 minutes, if you're lucky. And you do have to be 'on,' and really you're performing the entire time you're here [in Austin] because talent buyers and press and the whole system is watching you."

 

Cole: "How do you get someone's attention with only a four or five-song set?"

 

Herring: "I guess it's the same concept that openers [opening acts] use when they put themselves out in front of bigger audiences and do those openers. It doesn't take much to have people hear your voice and your song. And you pick your best songs and put together a varied⁷ group of songs. I think it works just fine."

When "South By" began, it was intended as a way for unknown bands from the American southwest to get a bit of national exposure. The focus has changed a bit since then. This year, SXSW hosted many established acts including R.E.M., Van Morrison, X and Ice Cube. The keynote speech opening the business conference was given by rock icon⁸ Lou Reed.

 

Regardless of their profile, all the musical acts participating in "South By" receive the same compensation: A choice of a $225 performance fee or access to the conference, tradeshow and music showcases.

 

The big advantage gained by performing at SXSW is the exposure that a "South By" showcase brings. Being connected to the hip⁹ conference has been known to give a career boost and some new "street cred" to acts trying to revive a career.

 

The artists performed all types of popular music from pop and hip-hop, to country, bluegrass and blues¹⁰.

 

But no matter what they play, every performer is very aware that making a good first impression at SXSW is imperative¹¹. After all, despite all the rave⁴ reviews 23-year-old Welsh singer Duffy brought from the U.K., the fact music was being performed at 72 different venues each evening meant she might just have one song's worth of time to impress the potential managers, booking agents, radio presenters¹², critics, and other music industry folks checking out her first ever U.S. show. Duffy later said she was taken aback by the Austin heat (35 degrees Celsius), but never faltered¹³ during her six-song set, which ended with "Mercy", the Number One song in the U.K. at the time of her performance.

1 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

4 rave   

vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬

参考例句：

• The drunkard began to rave again.这酒鬼又开始胡言乱语了。
• Now I understand why readers rave about this book.我现明白读者为何对这本书赞不绝口了。

5 spawned   

（鱼、蛙等）大量产（卵）( spawn的过去式和过去分词 )； 大量生产

参考例句：

• The band's album spawned a string of hit singles. 这支乐队的专辑繁衍出一连串走红的单曲唱片。
• The computer industry has spawned a lot of new companies. 由于电脑工业的发展，许多新公司纷纷成立。

6 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

7 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

8 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

9 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

10 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

11 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

12 presenters   

n.节目主持人，演播员( presenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Each week presenters would put the case for their favourite candidate. 每个星期主持人推出他们最喜欢的候选人。 来自互联网
• Karaoke was set up to allowed presenters to sing on the stage. 宴会设有歌唱舞台，可让出席者大演唱功。 来自互联网

13 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”