SXSW Draws Record Attendance Numbers

Despite a decrease in attendance in the recession-riddled 2009, this year’s South By Southwest music and film festival in Austin, TX is being touted as a complete success – if only for the fact that it drew record numbers in 2010.  According to Reuters, “a record 13,022 music industry professionals registered” to attend the fest (along with an estimated 100,000 other music fans), consume copious amounts of barbeque, and ensure that the 2010/ 2011 liver transplant registry will remain awfully busy.

Despite a shaky economy, faltering music industry, and near-freezing temperatures by the festival’s end, 2010’s SXSW played host to nearly 2,000 bands and six times as many journalists, and acted as the tour launch points for 1990’s hotshots Hole (a.k.a. Courtney Love and whoever will tolerate her for just this one tour before breaking up again) and Stone Temple Pilots, as well as playing host to buzzbands like James Mercer and Danger Mouse’s Broken Bells, the-inspiration-for-Twilight rockers Muse (there… there are no words), and countless lesser-known acts playing to either grow beyond blogger hype or simply to earn it.

The fest also paid an all alt-star tribute to Alex Chilton, the recently deceased frontman for Big Star and the Box Tops, who was scheduled to perform on Saturday night before dying of a heart attack on Wednesday the 17th.

So what does it all mean?  Well, while the industry itself may not be willing or able to carry music into the 21st Century, the bands and fans are ready to do the legwork.  Also?  Courtney Love still sucks.  Just sayin’.

What do you think?  Will you be attending SXSW in 2011?