The Austin Chronicle has a PDF file with information about wristbands.
Luckily, SXSW Baby has transcribed the entire PDF to a more humane text version. Here’s a highlight:
The first 2000 wristbands will be sold at last year’s lowest price ($130) and only sold to people with proof of an Austin address. Texas Driver’s Licenses, UT IDs, utility bills, or car insurance certificates matching a photo ID will be accepted. (Maximum two per person; cash or credit card only.)
When the first 2000 $130 wristbands sell out, the price for the next 2000 will change to $160. These will not require proof of residency. (Maximum two per person; cash or credit card only.) (full story)
What about Cedar Park? I’m pretty much panicking now, since my husband and I live like 2 seconds outside of Austin in Cedar Park. I’m just wondering if Cedar Park would still be considered a part of Austin. Does anybody know? Thank you in advance.
Well, when I shop in Cedar Park, my taxes go to the city of Cedar Park, not the City of Austin. What does this mean? I have no idea.
I like that the organizers have attempted to let Austinites have the guaranteed first shot at wristbands. Even though I write as a resident of Houston, Texas, I just think its a poorly conceived solution, based on an overreaction to last year’s hullabaloo about wristband sales, and a line.
What the organizers have done now is given every UT student the opportunity to make some money as long as they’ve got a $260.00 available balance. Now, with the students having all the free time they are going to snap up all the wristbands and promptly put many on eBay, especially since the new policy has driven up the wristband’s value. I mean, you are either a real music fan and you make a commitment to get them; you either take off work or school to go to Waterloo and buy wristbands, or you don’t get them. It took until 6pm last year to sell out of 4000 wristbands. There wasn’t even a line after 2pm. I fail to see how this demand requires these measures. After all, Austin is no small town and residents had ample time to secure their wristbands.
I’ve driven up from Houston and my other friends from Dallas, to get the wristbands before, and it would seem that since Austinites, having an ample headstart, would have secured their wristbands, had they really wanted them. The real music fans in other parts of Texas who make the commitment, take off work or school and come down to get a wristband, deserve at least a fair chance to get a discounted entry to SXSW. After all, we are sacrificing plenty, when laissez faire Austinites are taking wristband access for granted.
I can afford a badge. I don’t need to get a wristband. But we have to sacrifice and pay for the privilege of a wristband in other ways, by taking time off from work, the gas it takes to drive to Austin and our patronage of Austin establishments while there. In fact, after securing wristbands last year, friends from Dallas and I proceeded to spend many blissful hours on 6th street, drunk with the knowledge that we were able to obtain wristbands. Not to mention that Texans who know about SXSW do not live in caves, metaphorically speaking, and usually have long standing ties to Austin. I lived there as a child, my best friend went to UT, I have been visiting Austin multiple times every year since I can remember.
Now, organizers have probably created a black market economy at the expense of true music fans of Texas. The organizers have failed to ensure that even one more Austinite will get a wristband, actually I believe they’ve ensured that even less will attend.
Congratulations
Obviously yall missed that interview by TCB…SXSW is for the industry people, not the fans. Sucks to be true, but thats what it is.
I called the SXSW office and asked the receptionist if I would be able to get a wristband even though I live in Cedar Park. She said that indeed I could and that they were hoping to release information to say so. She said that those in the Austin area (Travis County and/or the 512 area code) would be able to purchase wristbands as long as they could prove that they lived in the area.
the_birds, you’re missing Dalyn’s point entirely. I believe most of us understand SXSW is for the industry, but the wristbands clearly are for fans… those in the ‘biz’ certainly aren’t the ones buying them. So, if the wristbands are for true music fans, they should be a little more easily available than this years plan. But, it is what it is and those that don’t live in/around Austin will more than likely be hitting Ebay hard over the next month. Well, at least those UT students will be able to eat a little better in the spring…
How is there going to be anymore available? Did the organizers say there were going to be anymore available? How does black market make them more available? And you’re okay with SXSW Wristbands becoming a Student cottage industry? This ‘solution’ doesn’t truly address any of the orgainzers’ concerns. I love rock music, this is my friends’ and my 6th SXSW in a row. My friends are in bands, and we go to loads of shows every year. I thought wristbands were for the true fans?
I don’t think you made one solitary point, Scott. I’m not trying to be mean.
Next year, I’ll just buy a badge, but my point is this no ‘solution.’ I’m from Texas; I know B.S. when I see it.
If it’s any consolation, from my experience not many students buy wristbands. Most seem oblivious to the whole thing and/or too lazy to go through the process to procure wristbands (it is a pain in the ass, after all, and requires one to wake up early, which we all know is not something college kids aren’t wont to do, in order to get them relatively cheap). In the past when I stood in line to buy mine, I was the youngest person there, surrounded by 30-somethings who called in sick to work.
“which we all know is not something college kids aren’t wont to do”
And by this I mean “which we all know is not something college kids are wont to do.”
Damn double-negatives.
So anyone want to start guessing when wristbands are going to go on sale? if history dictates anything, it should be this Thursday. THoughts?