The South By Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival in Austin, Texas, has long been a destination for Japanese acts looking to get noticed in the U.S. market. This year's gathering, which runs March 12-18, presents more options than ever for Japanese acts to find their crowd.
In previous years, Japanese acts usually had one big show to count on at SXSW: Japan Nite. Founded in the mid 1990s, it served as the showcase event for Japan's visiting performers, ranging from major-label artists to more left-field performers. Japan Nite captured the original spirit of the Austin event perfectly — it was a chance for music industry folks and local fans to discover bands from the other side of the world.
In the late 2000s, though, SXSW's atmosphere changed. Brands and companies became omnipresent and many shows that were formerly about introducing artists turned into giant commercials. In an effort to stand out, said corporations started bringing more famous names to Austin. Those acts vacuumed up all the attention at the event and lesser-known bands that used SXSW as a stepping stone were left with dwindling audiences. I was there to witness this hyper-capitalist phase reach its peak as Lady Gaga danced in front of a stage shaped like a massive Doritos vending machine.