John Vanderslice
It's 2004, and S.F. indie-folk figurehead John Vanderslice is midway through a set at the Parish in downtown Austin, trying to make sense of the mayhemic music carnival that is South by Southwest. "It's pretty overwhelming," he said, according to Paste Magazine. "It's like when you take a bunch of acid and realize it's a lot stronger than you thought it was: Whoa, I've got 12 more hours of this?" The festival is indeed an endurance test, but nobody has sturdier legs than Vanderslice, now 11 years into his solo career. He's touring now in support of his latest album, the lush, orchestral White Wilderness; the SXSW shows will be the first of his nationwide tour. Chris Trenchard
Details
South by Southwest Music and Media Conference
March 15-20 at various Austin, Texas, locations; www.swsw.com/music.
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