SXSW X 50: Tips for Getting the Most out of SXSW if You’re 50+

The week before my 54th birthday, I had dinner with my girlfriends. I could barely stay awake. I wasn’t bored - I love my friends and our dinners are always a treat - I was just exhausted. I’m usually the energetic one, but that night, I found myself looking at my watch to check the time. I was home at 9:15 p.m. and ready for bed. I thought to myself, “Is this the new me?”

One week later, I “woke up” in Austin at SXSW. Michael and I started off the week attending SXSW Interactive for our third straight year and, for the first time, extended our stay for three additional days to attend SXSW Music. I hadn’t been to a music festival since college and was envisioning SXSW Music as a huge, outdoor festival, where we would be surrounded by young, rowdy kids. What I discovered was a festival that had something for people of every age and musical taste. The experience was so much more than I imagined on a personal level. 

There’s so much free, live music everywhere. We loved seeing the 6th Street Cowboy, concerts at The San Jose Hotel, Auditorium Shores, Waterloo Records, which is owned by John Kunz, who happens to be an alum from St. Thomas High School here in Houston.

Michael Hoffman with John Kunz, the owner of Waterloo Records and an alum of Houston's St. Thomas High School.

Overall, we stayed away from the main part of Sixth Street and we really stuck to our favorite types of music – rock and roll and blues – which meant that we found low-key crowds and a comfortable, fun atmosphere. 

One of the highlights of our trip was the Austin Music Awards, which is part awards show and part concert, featuring Austin’s best musical artists. (Note: we got into the sold-out show with our wristbands but we later found out it was a fundraiser and tickets could have been purchased for $20.) The house band featuring guitarist Charlie Sexton were incredible as artist after artist came up to join them. A touching tribute to the late Ian McLagan was a highlight of the evening, along with a special guest appearance from Little Steven Van Zandt from Springsteen’s E Street Band; this was truly so exciting for me, as I’m a huge Springsteen fan.  

Another highlight of the trip was seeing Jimmy Kimmel Live. The day after my birthday was St. Patrick’s Day and we were lucky to get tickets, thanks to our friend Jane Dembski, Bellaire's former Director of Parks and Rec, and her sister Gayle, who works on the Kimmel show. Actress Julia Louis Dreyfus and film director Robert Rodriguez were guests, Austin blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. sat with Kimmel’s house band, Cleto and the Celtones and Austin’s very own Spoon was the musical guest, performing three songs.

As always, we met so many fascinating people throughout the entire SXSW experience, from two young women who help teach the blind at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center to a veteran reporter for the Chicago Tribune to former West U resident and judge, Mark Atkinson and his wife Vicki, who now live in Austin. 

At the end of the trip, we were so physically tired from the long, busy days but we felt mentally reenergized. We were relieved that the music portion of SXSW wasn’t, as I had feared, just for Millenials; we enjoyed every minute and highly recommend it to anyone of any age who enjoys music. The experience also inspired us to seek out live music more often in Houston; there are plenty of opportunities to see live music in our own hometown that we don’t take advantage of, and we plan to start doing so. It was such an invigorating experience and an excellent way to start off my 54th year. 

Enjoying the free shows at the South by San Jose. Pictured (from left) are Debbie Fincher, Vicki Atkinson, Karen and Jack Hooper. 

Tips and Tricks to SXSW
The key to SXSW is being flexible, open-minded and wearing comfortable shoes. Here are some other tips and suggestions, after our three years of enjoying the festival. 

• Be prepared during the day: I was prepared this year and bought a cross-body bag, big enough to hold everything I’d need in it for the day. At SXSW, the days are long and you don’t take time to go back to your hotel in between activities. Pack what you need and be sure you’ve got a comfortable bag (and, let me reemphasize, comfortable shoes!). 
• Park the car: Plan to take Uber or Lyft everywhere you need to go. We never once waited more than three minutes for a driver and didn’t have to worry about parking, which is a nightmare during SXSW. 
• Buying a badge: If you’re interested in the music industry, buying a badge to SXSW Music is worth it because they have artists running helpful sessions about getting into the industry. But if you’re going as a music fan, there’s so much free music everywhere, there’s most likely no need to purchase the badge. (See information about buying a badge and attending SXSW.) 
• Where to stay: We stayed at the AT & T Conference Center on the University of Texas campus; we got a reduced rate because we booked through SXSW. The UT campus was empty because, as always, SXSW took place over spring break. The hardest part about planning for SXSW is finding a place to stay, so be sure to book as early as possible. Or consider, if you know a student at UT, asking if you could stay at their place in exchange for some $$ for their spring break trip. (Tip: bring clean sheets and pay for maid service before and after. It’ll be worth it!)
• Favorite eateries and hangouts: Surprisingly, we didn’t have to wait long to eat at local favorite 24 Diner for breakfast, which is right next to Waterloo Records. Above all, our favorite hangout this year was the Patio Bar at Corner Restaurant at the JW Marriott, where we met so many fascinating people. We asked Mark Atkinson, former West U resident, who now lives in Austin, for his suggestions. He said the two best places for over-50s are SoCo (south Congress) and Sixth St. from the Driskill, west to Lamar. He also recommends The Continental Club for its free jalapeño pancake and music morning, Polvo’s Mexican Restaurant for breakfast, Threadgills' Sunday morning Gospel brunch, perfect for a variety of music in the back room, and he said that The Saxon Pub is “notable for crowds with graying hair.”  ​

Food for Thought about SXSW

A few interesting articles we came across this year about new features, trends, and more:

• Local artists honored at Austin Music Awards 
• Houston startups take top prizes at pitch competitions 
• Charities may apply for a $10,000 program grant from SXSW
• Buzzfeed says Twitter is more influential than you think
• Meet the healthcare company that won Mark Cuban's heart at SXSW

Read more about our experience from last year’s SXSW, including what it was like to hear from billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban. Did you attend SXSW this year? Let us know what your experience was like.