Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/461140
illustration by daniel o'leary It always starts before the holidays, as wave after wave of announce- ments build to the February crescendo of big-name keynote speakers, must-see bands, buzzed-about filmmakers, unexpected icons, and curi- osities (looking at you, Grumpy Cat). Most people know it as FOMO (fear of missing out), but the anxiety caused by Festival FOMO can make SXSW veterans like myself (15 years, thank you) act in some really strange (some might call it maniacal) ways. At its most basic, FOMO happens when there's a movie, panelist, or band you really want to see: You study the capacity of the venue, find out if there's a Disney-like fast pass available, estimate traffic time (allowing approximately one hour per quarter mile by car), and figure out the nearest food truck you can eat from while in line. If all goes well, four hours later, you'll be bragging to your friends (and people you don't know but who enjoy your brunch photos on Instagram) that you were there to see the hot band they haven't heard of. See? It's all worth it. But the kind of FOMO that makes me most anxious—and I see it hap- pening all around, so I know I'm not alone—is feeling that even though you're having a great time, someone is having a better time somewhere else; you just made the wrong choice. You talked and finagled your way into the private Justin Timberlake show that thousands of people are trying to get into, but after two songs you realize, Wait, I don't even really like Justin Timberlake. You look at your cell and find two friends tweeting about how they're standing in line with your favorite musi- cians, waiting for the Prince show at La Zona Rosa; suddenly you're purple with envy, because you're not one of the 300 chosen ones. Last year, through some strategic planning and pew jumping, I ended up in the second row at Central Presbyterian Church for a 1 am show- case by Real Estate, a band I was excited to see. But just after they took the stage, my husband texted me to declare he was at one of the best shows of the Fest, hands down. Unable to help myself, I snuck out of the sanctuary and pedicabbed ("Sir, it's an emergency!") to the Speakeasy. I was able to find my husband in the throng—just as the singer wiped his brow and said, "Well, that's it for us! See you next time, Austin!" And they were gone—as was my chance to see Real Estate in a church. With the thousands of bands, actors, and newsmakers who con- verge on the city for 10 days, however, the odds are in your favor that you'll be at the right place at the right time more than just once during SXSW. You'll breeze into the Austin Music Hall and walk up to the stage as an unannounced Bruce Springsteen joins Alejandro Escovedo for a cover of "Beast of Burden." You'll sneak out of work on a Thursday afternoon, pick a random club, and realize Sean Lennon, Peter Buck, Glen Hansard, or Emmylou Harris is playing a few feet away. You'll take a break at your favorite watering hole only to find yourself sitting next to a movie star who is in a buoyant "I love Austin! Drinks are on me!" kind of mood. ( We love those moods.) Enjoy those FOMO-free moments. Tweet, Instagram, Facebook, and take ill-advised selfies, if you must. And try not to think about what might be happening at the club around the corner. AW Diagnosis: FoMo Curing the offiCial syndrome of sXsW requires a speCial set of festival superpoWers. by KATHy bLACKWELL 120 AUSTINWAY.com And FinAlly... Spring 2015