SXSW: Tacos, Beer, & Cupcakes. Oh, is there music here, too?

It's been a couple weeks since I got back from SXSW. Epic - the only word to even come close to describing it. Since I suck and forgot to pack a travel journal, my tweets from the trip will have to do. Instead of trying to write it all out narrative-like, I present to you the timeline of my tweets below. They don't do the trip justice, but it's all I've got to commemorate it. (Additional commentary follows)

No one cares, but I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve today. My insides are jumping up & down. Leave for SXSW tomorrow. I heart my life! 11:13 AM Mar 16th via web

Holy shit. This SXSW stuff is overwhelming. Will never, ever see it all. Must have strategy meeting tonight. 4:47 PM Mar 16th via web  

I give up. Scheduling SXSW is impossible. Just going to let it happen. Now I'm going to drink w/friends before leaving. Then pack. Obvs. :) 9:05 PM Mar 16th via web (Typical Niki form: I stayed up til like 1-1:30am, didn't pack until the next morning. I think I have mad-rush packing down to an artform. About 30 mins flat and I'm good to go.)
 

St. Pat's day, 70s and gorgeous, on my way to Austin and Federer lost last night. I love my life! 2:10 PM Mar 17th via txt

Fuck yes. Irish pub in layover airport playing rafa! 6:12 PM Mar 17th via txt   (Seriously. I was beside myself with glee. Found a seat a table right near the match. Crazy dude playing a keyboard? guitar? something. Was a bustling little Irish pub. Oh, and an $8 Harp. WTF? It wasn't even green. I didn't care. It was a perfect moment. Another perfect moment: most beautiful, vibrant sunset from the airplane. It was almost a perfect color spectrum. Glorious.)

Isner looks like he's wearing Umbros circa 1991. 6:32 PM Mar 17th via txt (Rafa was playing John Isner, North Carolina native, UGA alum and tennis champ. His shorts totally looked like the Umbros we wore in 6th grade, you know, black with white piping. Hee. I realize I probably should've been cheering for the hometown boy, but ya'll know Rafa is my boo.)


Goddamn. Sensory mother fuckin overload. Austin is like Athens on steroids right now. 1:59 AM Mar 18th via txt (Seriously. It was CRAY-Z. Hipsters everywhere. Bars all over the place. St. Patrick's Day made SXSW blow the fuck up. Was awesome, awesome people watching like I haven't seen since last Halloween at West Palm Beach's Moonfest.)


I heart breakfast tacos! Do not heart saddle creek and merge records doing showcases at same time at diff venues. Austin rocks. 12:46 PM Mar 18th via txt



Mini golf while drinking. Austin just keeps getting better. 1:30 PM Mar 18th via txt (For real. More places should have mini-golf where you can bring your own beer. So. Much. Fun. I got sunburned, but whatevs. Also, my terrible streak at mini-golf continues. I suck. Hard.)

Sugar Mama's cupcakes in Austin, TX. Highly recommend. My butt will be Texas-sized by the time I leave here. 4:40 PM Mar 18th via txt (Mmmm. Mouth watering for that cupcake right now. Damn it. Was some sort of Oreo, chocolate, cream cheese concoction. Shawn had carrot cake. The icing. . .to.die.for.)


Heading out sans cell phone bc don't want to lug purse. Slightly scary. Sad. Good times ahead though. 7:09 PM Mar 18th via txt (We went to the "free" show at Austin Auditorium Shores first. Saw Bajafango followed by Ozomatli. I'd seen Ozo about 10 yrs ago at Glastonbury, in the UK. They rocked and I've been wanting to see them again ever since. They rocked again at SXSW. We then tried to go to Merge party to see She & Him. Line was crazy, plus only letting in "official" SXSW badges. I didn't have one of those - they cost like $500+. Then tried to go to Saddle Creek showcase, the record label Conor founded. No line but only "official" badges. Boo! We decided to head back to the car, but I refused to give up on the night. Because of my positive attitude, we lucked up and the restaurant/bar near where we'd parked - several blocks away from the "main" action - had an awesome show with Bob Schneider, an Austin favorite. So much fun. So. much. fun.)


FYI: it is entirely possible to live off tacos, beer, and cupcakes. Life. Is. Good. 2:14 AM Mar 19th via txt


Free drinks at free concert. Goodbye sobriety, hello bloody mary! 1:55 PM Mar 19th via txt
(Note the time: 1:55PM, barely after the morning. I think I'd already had one at this point. Turns out only my first bloody mary was free, but 16oz Lone Stars were free. We were at the Birmingham show to see Taylor Hollingsworth, one of the Mystic Valley Band that plays with Conor. Taylor is from Birmingham, Alabama. He tried to eat lunch with me outside on the patio, but his brother tried to sit in my friend's seat while my friend was on beer run. Tried to get them a different chair, but they switched tables. :(  Later on introduced myself to Taylor and got a picture which is now my phone wallpaper. Such a sweetie. Also played a good set!)

Lol. Drunk at three o'clock. Did i mention i love my life? 4:20 PM Mar 19th via txt

I love boys. 5:46 PM Mar 19th via txt (Absolutely NO recollection of this tweet. None. No idea what it refers to, but suffice it to say, that's pretty much 100% Niki no matter what.)

(Sometime in between the previous tweet and the next tweet I began drunk dialing almost everyone I know. At least, that's what I found out later on, the next morning, and over the next few days as people started telling me about our conversations. Yeah. NO recollection. ZERO.)

Fuck this vegetarian shit. That dog's bbq looked awesome! Sxsw is so. Much. Fun! 8:55 PM Mar 19th txt via (No recollection of this either.) 

Omg. Bbq is delicious. 9:30 PM Mar 19th via txt (Yeah. Ya'll read that right. I ate some fucking BBQ. In my defense, a) Had been drinking since 1:30ish, b) Had not eaten, c) Could not find anything else to eat, d) Was super drunk, e) It's mother-fuckin' Texas. I had to experience the local "culture," right? Will not tell you how many times I made Shawn go buy us a sandwich to split, but uh, yeah, it was more than one. Per Tempe, I apparently called her after this and said it was "life-changing" BBQ.)

Just found out rafa and marc in dubs finals and rada in semis today. Can't watch or otherwise follow. Vamos! 3:03 PM Mar 20th via txt (Yeah. I'm having the time of my life and still force my friend to let me check the tennis scores on his computer. Whatever. Rafa ended up winning doubles title and losing in the semi-finals of that tournament. Important stuff, you guys.)

I am the anti- hipster. Pink shirt, girlie t, blonde hair. 3:16 PM Mar 20th via txt (Sweet Jesus. Hipters HATE mother fuckin' color. They must be allergic to any fabric that isn't black.)



40 Watt free party rocks.Athens music is the best. Listen to Futurebirds! 4:11 PM Mar 20th via txt (Futurebirds is a really good band. Check them out. Band I saw before them was also really good. No recollection of their names, but the bloody mary I had while watching them also stellar.)

Venice is Sinking. Best band so far. Check them out! 5:22 PM Mar 20th via txt (Love, love, love Venice is Sinking. Go to a show if you're in Athens! BTW, I've listened to a little bit of them on the internet and let me say this: it's good, but live is far, far better. Trust.)


Just saw bathroom graffiti that said 'miri is hotter than smoking.' @nadalnews 7:24 PM Mar 20th via txt (Was at The Broken Spoke. They have filmed part of Friday Night Lights the TV show there. Met a cowboy. Borrowed his hat for a photo. Another awesome day. Oh, and Miri is the name used by the creator of Nadal News, so that's why I was tweeting her. On another note, she lives in Austin, ergo, could've been about her :)

Thank goddess i don't live in texas. The mexican food is killing me. Must've gained ten pounds in 3 days. 8:18 PM Mar 20th via txt (Mexican food really did change my life. I'm addicted.)

(Saw She & Him this night. Was fucking cold. Didn't care. M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel were awesome, awesome. God, I love them. Buy their cd. Now. You'll thank me later.)

I'm a little too excited about the o.g. Whole foods. 5:17 PM Mar 21st via txt ($5 organic avocados. W.T.F? But seriously, it was heaven. *sigh* I miss having a Whole Foods in my life.)


At something called chicken shit bingo. Um...i love my life? 8:33 PM Mar 21st via txt (Shawn forced me to go to chicken shit bingo. In my mind it was this godawful, unsanitary hell on earth. Like the bingo scene in My Girl - a room full of long rows of tables - with chickens running around pooping on slightly-bigger-than average bingo cards, and lots of rednecks looking at us like we didn't belong. In reality, was a dive bar with a chicken coop on top of a board on top of the pool table. Numbers in a grid on the board. You buy a numbered ticket. They put the chicken in. You + hipsters + locals watch and wait to see if chicken poops on your number. If so, you win $100! Also, there is a band and people dance.)

Apparently it can take this chicken up to 1hr 45mins to poop on a number and declare a winner. I'm gonna need another beer. 9:30 PM Mar 21st via txt
(Umm. . .had WAAAY more than just another beer. We did not win despite having #38 and also the line. Still tons of fun.)


Best night ever. Met a guy who could flip me while dancing. We might get married. Heh. 1:08 AM Mar 22nd via txt
(If you haven't been flipped while swing dancing, you haven't lived. That's all I'll say about that. Oh, and he really did propose to me. :)

Migas tacos are my new fave food. Great ending to a great SXSW. Thanks, Austin. Definitely coming back! 10:41 AM Mar 22nd via txt

Hartsfield, I got nothin but love for you but would it be too much to ask for some people movers if you have to run from north to south ... 4:40 PM Mar 22nd via txt
(Dude. I had like 30mins to get from one end of the terminal to the exact opposite end. . .lugging my giant backpack. Was not fun, but I made it. Thanks plane being delayed!)

@nadalnews Just got your tweets from when I was in TX. Have ghetto phone. Was totally going to do Hey Cupcake compare but not enough time! about 3 hours ago via web in reply to nadalnews
 (Hey Cupcake is another cupcake institution in Austin. Apparently they have a rivalry w/Sugar Mama's and I'd been told to try them both, do taste test for myself. And obviously this was not 3 hrs ago. This was some point on Tuesday when I FINALLY trudged into the office. Thanks sinus infection. See below.) 


Brought home wicked sinus infection/cold from SXSW. Just got to work. Suffice it to say I'd rather be in Austin. about 3 hours ago via web (Yeah, soooo. . .this was around 2:22PM Mar 22)
 
@julesdc It's already on my calendar next yr. Mark yours. We'll make it a date! about 3 hours ago via web in reply to julesdc
(Definitely going next year. SXSW is the best. The. Best.)


@nadalnews And yes, it was totally Peter Pan. That place alone is enough to make me want to move to Austin! Good times. Am envious of you! about 3 hours ago via web in reply to nadalnews
(Peter Pan = mini golf place w/scary cartoon character statutes and BYOB policy. Oh, and I'm totally moving to Austin. In. Love.)

@julesdc Chose Merge, but long-ass line + needed "official" badge. Went to Saddle Creek, also needed badge. Ended up at random free fun show about 3 hours ago via web in reply to julesdc
(This is incorrect. Wasn't free, was $22, but was still really, really fun. But which show wasn't? They were all fun.)
 
@nadalnews So true-grass is always greener. My Peter Pan experience was followed by tacos & cupcake-best beginning to SXSW ever! about 3 hours ago via web in reply to nadalnews 
(Seriously. Drunk mini-golf + tacos + cupcakes - and that was only the beginning. Never went downhill after that. One of the best experiences of my life. I love my friend Shawn for putting up with me. I love Austin for being so quirky and fantastic. I love Texas for being so close to Mexico. I love bands for rocking out. SXSW - Just do it.)