It’s the first day of SX Interactive, and we’re seeing so many sites posting their guides for the ultimate visit to Austin & the festival highlighting the can’t miss places to eat, drink, sleep, and see shows. From How to Sleep Like Oprah to must have apps to these tips for making the most of SXSWi from a 7-year vet attendee – it’s not difficult to find a guide to the fest.
While you probably should have to be told to eat or watch your booze intake, we had a few last minute suggestions on make the fest fun:
1) Bring that cash.
Yes, many parties are about the FREE, FREE, FREE drinks & tacos. @SoutbyFreeNoms has a collection of such events to check out, but we believe in always tipping your bartender. You might not have to pay for the tallboy itself, but you should always be tipping the bar staff serving it & thanking them for their hard work during the fest. It’s not easy dealing with demanding drinkers — be chill & remember that lines are always a part of the festival experience.
2) You’re probably not going to have phone service & should always have a back-up charger.
We made our SX calendar so that you can sync with iCal because you’re probably not going to have great cell service. While more towers are added before SX begins, thousands and thousands of people packed in less than 5 square miles means it’s doubtful that your phone will always be in working order. Deal with it by talking to those around you about what parties to check out & try not to get too bothered when you can’t tweet. Losing battery life is another major concern (HOW WILL YOU INSTAGRAM?!) – we’re big fans of the Mophie charger for iPhone as a back-up battery.
3) Go with the flow.
RSVPster isn’t an all-access SX pass – we can’t control if you get into a party or how the party operates, and even if you’re not using our site to RSVP to unofficial events, it’s always important to keep in mind that if you don’t get into a certain event, go see something else! Don’t get yourself worried about staying on a schedule or stressed by meeting up with a giant group of friends. Sometimes, you’ll have the better time exploring on your own or checking out a new band while your friends stay all day at the Fader Fort. Be flexible, you’ll have more fun! PS Telling a door person, “But I used RSVPSTER!” isn’t going to work, we’re just a way to make planning easier, we can’t control if you get into an event or not.
4) Be nice, get social.
Meet people in line. Thank a volunteer. Never be terrible or demanding to a door person/bartender. Make friends with strangers.
5) SXLockers.
New this year, but much needed. They’re $25 a day, but include a phone charger, and it’s a way not to worry about your stuff while bouncing around downtown.
6) Eat.
One really can live on BBQ and tacos alone. We like this guide for Austin restaurants to try while in town. The Wall Street Journal had a bunch of people tweet favorite spots. We’re also fans of Thrillist Austin for finding the newest spots to try, and Foursquare has both a BBQ and taco guide.
7) Calendar
Here’s the RSVPster Google cal link. Here’s the iCal link. Or, if you want to make a calendar where you can search by bands, try out SXShhh.
8) Who to follow on Twitter/Keep up with #hashtags.
We like this Austin Chronicle list to start. Also add in @omarg (for all things SXSWi), @mxdwn (music blog keeping up w/ unofficial parties), @sxswunderaged for those under 21 trying to find events, and @SXSWPartyzzzzz, which is by far the best parody account. Tags: #SXSW, #SXSWTIPS, #SXSWRUMORS. We also have searches up for ‘SXSW Party’ & ‘SXSW RSVP’ – make a list, it’s super helpful.
Out and about? So are we – send us a message @RSVPster & let us about the best parties, panels, and people of SX.
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