All week I’ve been saying that SXSW 2018 was my 10th SXSW.
This morning, after a good night’s sleep, I awoke realizing that this was actually my 11th SXSW. Good to know that my stellar math skills are still in check.
I guess I should’ve realized it when LAST year was Rachael Ray’s 10th anniversary and I’ve been attending as long as she has. But, alas, that fact didn’t quite compute.
But, I digress. Let’s get back to the subject at hand, the best of SXSW 2018.
What a year! There was absolutely no where near enough time to get to all the events I’d have liked to attend. However, I did get to experience quite a few things and be inspired by many.
Here are the top 10 best of SXSW 2018.
SXSWestworld
This one should be no surprise. I already posted that the Sweetwater setup is the best SXSW installation I’ve ever seen. I stand by that statement. Even 10 days later, I’m still in awe.
The Ultimate Roseanne Experience
Had Roseanne not been one of my favorite shows as a teen, would I still have loved this experience as much?
Who cares!? Roseanne WAS one of my favorite shows as a teen. And meeting OG Becky and DJ in real life was totally rad.
More info on the experience and my chat with the stars will be posted closer to the new season premiere (happening on March 27).
Ready Player One Installation
Though I haven’t read the book, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the Ready Player One set up. What child of the 80s wouldn’t be excited about posing with a Delorean? I did not make it to the premiere, but luckily, there were plenty of pics of the great Stephen Spielberg posted on Instagram.
This Is Us Panel
Milo! Mandy! Justin! Need I say more?
Project Underground
The Merrell twins are legit You Tube stars with over three million subscribers (you may also recognize them from the CW’s Jane the Virgin). At SXSW to premiere their digital series Project Upgrade at the Google Fiber Space, we were impressed and inspired by their intelligence and maturity.
In the six episode series, the twins set out to design, code, and build a new consumer product with the help of brilliant female coders, builders, engineers, and a group of successful female mentors from companies across STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
Rachael Ray’s Feedback House and Party
11 years of Rachael Ray’s Feedback and I’m still psyched to see who she brings to town each year.
This year, it was Girl Talk and Salt N Pepa that had me most excited. Plus, her Feedback House had great drinks, food, tunes and PUPPIES!
On Saturday evening, as RR arrived, she greeted fans by shaking hands, giving hugs and posing for dozens of selfies.
The Supper Suite
The highlight of every SXSW for me is the Supper Suite. Presented by A-List Communications and sponsored by Foster Grant Sunglasses (among others), the suite hosts pre and post screening parties for some of the festival’s biggest films. More photos coming soon, but here’s one of my faves with Jim Gaffigan, who premiered You Can Choose Your Family at the fest.
A Fireside Chat with Dan Rather at Fast Company Grill
Talk about inspiring… I’ve always loved Dan Rather. But even more so since I witnessed his journalistic mastery up close and personal at the Fast Company Grill. I will post much more about what he had to say regarding the state of journalism and politics in the world today, but here’s one little clip to tide you over. This entire discussion brought tears to my eyes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bggky18jz48/?taken-by=atxgossip
All the Celebs I Missed
Of course, with so many celebs in town (you saw our master list, right?), there was no way for me to catch them all. TGFI = thank goodness for Instagram.
Now, we have the power to see pics and videos of every event without waiting for the media outlets to post highlights. I added some of my favorite fan posts on the ATXgossip Instagram account. Here’s just one of those pics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgWH3OKDwWs/?taken-by=atxgossip
All the New Music
Since I’m no music aficianado, I don’t usually go into the fest with a list of bands I plan to hustle to see. That means I see whomever is playing a party or event I attend. That also means I see some completely new artists I would not have seen otherwise.
Some of my faves from this year’s fest are: Larkin Poe (at BMI’s Howdy Texas Party), Frank Turner (at Blackheart’s Pledge House), Olivia Noelle/ Jade Bird (at Vevo), Salt Cathedral/ Harry Hudson/ Pale Waves (at Pandora), Naked Giant (at Rachael Ray), among others.
And though I did recognize a Walker Hayes song from the radio, he’s still relatively new to me.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgWFzDbDN3n/?taken-by=atxgossip
And there you have it. My top 10 hits from SXSW 2018.
Of course, that’s not all that went down. Keep checking back for more recaps and check out my Insta story that highlights much more.
