SXSW 2013 Showcases Megastars, Unknown Artists

March 29, 2013

Iron & Wine's Sam Beam performs with his new band at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas, March 13, 2013.

This month saw the 27th annual South By Southwest Music Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, where more than 2,000 acts from 49 countries played on over 100 stages around town.

SXSW started out as a way to promote unknown and unsigned artists. But these days, more and more megastars are grabbing the headlines.

Prince and Justin Timberlake were arguably the hottest tickets this year. Unlike the standard showcases, their closing night “secret” shows were not open to all conference attendees who could squeeze into a club. Instead, they were events produced with corporate sponsorships and tickets were available to a select group of attendees and customers of the brands by lottery.

Hip-hop legends LL Cool J, Ice Cube, and Public Enemy were also onboard for events sponsored by a snack food company. That’s something you didn’t see at SXSW a few years ago: famous faces fronting big production shows with corporate tie-ins.

The event began in 1987 as a way to bring attention to bands from Texas, and only 700 music industry professionals attended. This year, 19,000 people were registered for the conference and they - along with the bands - came from around the world.

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs at the SXSW Music Festival, March 15, 2013.