Colorado bands hope to make some noise at SXSW

By Quentin Young

The Colorado contingent at South by Southwest this year plans to put itself at center stage and bang out a big ol’ power chord of Mile High music.

The state’s presence at the huge annual music showcase in Austin, Texas, has expanded in recent years. But 2015 will be a marquee year for Colorado musicians at SXSW.

For the third year, the Fort Collins-based music nonprofit SpokesBUZZ is organizing the Colorado Music Party, a showcase of artists connected to the state. Last year, the Music Party was a two-day event that featured about 30 bands. This year, the Music Party is a five-day affair that includes more than 120 artists at The 512 on Sixth Street — right in the heart of the festival.

Colorado’s presence will be felt at SXSW like never before.

The music portion of SXSW — the festival, officially named the South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals, includes film and interactive components — is scheduled for Tuesday through March 22 at various venues throughout downtown Austin.

Founded in 1987, the festival has become one of the largest and most influential annual music events in the world. Thousands of artists and industry professionals come to the festival looking for exposure and networking opportunities.

The official SXSW showcase this year includes six Colorado artists: Jeff Austin, Inner Oceans, Wheelchair Sports Camp, SPELLS, Son Lux and Publicist UK.

But much of the music to be heard in Austin during SXSW occurs at unofficial showcases, such as the Colorado Music Party.

After the success of last year’s Music Party, organizers talked about their experience with other music professionals back in Colorado, and received an enthusiastic response, said Julie Sutter, marketing director for SpokesBUZZ.

“The biggest response,” Sutter said, “was, ‘How do we get involved?’ Boulder was one of the first cities that came to us.”

After hearing about SpokesBUZZ’s work in Austin, Matt Chasansky, manager of Boulder’s Office of Arts & Culture, decided it would be worth investing in the Music Party on behalf of Boulder artists, he said.

“The city needs to support Boulder’s identity as a culture center,” Chasansky said, adding that the Colorado Music Party is a good platform from which to do that for emerging local musicians. “It seems like a slam dunk. The Colorado Music Party has proved its worth.”

His office put $7,000 behind the party, which this year will feature four bands — Rocktin Grove, The Railsplitters, The Sweet Lillies and Cold River City — during a Boulder-centric mini-showcase.

“I think the Colorado Music Party is a great opportunity to network,” said Will Viitanen, Rocktin Grove’s drummer. It will be the band’s first trip to SXSW. They plan to make the journey in a Chevy van whose make and year Viitanen was unsure of.

“It’s pretty beat up,” he said.

Bands in vans heading to SXSW is a trope of American music. The Fort Collins-based Slow Caves are heading to SXSW in a 1993 Ford Econoline van they recently bought for $1,500 from You Me & Apollo, a defunct Fort Collins band and SXSW veterans. It’ll be Slow Caves’ first trip out of state to perform, and they have more than a half-dozen shows lined up around SXSW, including a set at the Colorado Music Party.

“I think we’re mature enough as a group, and we’ve been a band long enough, and ready to go out there to make as many connections as possible,” singer Jakob Mueller said.

The Colorado Music Party lineup includes several acts that are not based in Colorado but have connections to the state, such as Residual Kid from Austin and NeW bEAt FUNd from Los Angeles.

“They’re kind of a bigger name and will bring people from outside the Colorado fan base,” Sutter said. “It’s a way to connect to the industry.”

The lineup also includes some of Colorado’s most promising acts, such as The Yawpers, In The Whale, Inner Oceans and Wheelchair Sports Camp.

Quentin Young: quentin@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/qpyoungnews