SXSW Schedule: Still Much To Do On Last Full Day

AUSTIN, TX -- Just because it’s the last full day of SXSW doesn’t mean there’s not an interesting assortment of events. In fact, the schedule is rather jam-packed.

There is a range of music-related informative sessions at the Austin Convention Center, ranging from “Are Programmers Real Musicians? boldly asking the question that few of us have the temerity to ask aloud to “Why Recording Studios Still Matter,” detailing recording methods in an age of tightened industry budgets.

The latter will be moderated by Chris Bell, who’s worked with a series of artists ranging from Erykah Badu to The Eagles. His talk is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. while the former is at 2 p.m.

In between, there are other compelling subjects to be covered at other gatherings. A talk at 5 p.m. details the challenges of becoming an indie game developer. Four game developers “...of varying success…” will share their stories while offering true-to-life advice on surviving indie game development.

Celebrities also will be on hand. Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter and actress Kelly Rowland will discuss her artistic trajectory -- from being a member of Destiny’s Child to her solo career. Her talk was scheduled at 2 p.m.

The late, great David Bowie also looms large. A discussion among the collaborators who worked on Bowie’s final album will be on hand to discuss creation of a new, original-content series now airing on Instagram. Artwork designer Jonathan Barnbrook and two others will premiere the full Unbound Miniseries video, benefited from the insiders' access they had in working on the album.

There’s many, many more panels. Check out the SXSW full schedule here. SXSW picks here.

SXSW organizers also have a Twitter page providing useful updates and suggestions on events.They offer a quick glance at some of the remaining key events here.

If your taste runs more to film, there are a number of documentaries being screened on Day 9 of SXSW -- the last day for the massive gathering.

"It’s bittersweet, but at least we still have 30+ screenings to enjoy before we part ways," SXSW organizers write with palpable ennui. Some highlights, with organizers' descriptions:

• At 1:15 p.m., Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru is screened. "Renowned documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger delivers an intimate behind-the-scenes experience with best-selling author Tony Robbins."
• At 2 p.m, Tower is screened, the documentary feature grand jury winner. "Crowned with the top documentary feature prize at Tuesday’s SXSW Film Awards Presented by Panasonic, see an encore screening of TOWER tonight."
• Music videos will be screened beginning at 4:15. "Big screen, loud speakers. Come hang and watch a range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture."
• At 5 p.m., The Arbalest, the narrative feature grand prize winner, is screened. "Taking home top honors at the SXSW Film Awards Presented by Panasonic, this is the last chance to catch a screening of The Arbalest."
• By early evening come the SXSW Audience Award screenings. It's a long affair not unlike the length of time used to broadcast the Oscars, from 7 p.m. to just past midnight. "The jury made their selections on Tuesday, but today we reveal your favorites. Keep an eye on sxsw.com to see the winners and screening schedule of all our Audience Award winners."

Tonight also marks the end of SXSW Gaming. "The best way to send it off (and the whole SXSW Festival, for that matter) is with the third-annual SXSW Gaming Awards," organizers write.

The ceremony will be hosted at the Hilton Austin Downtown at 8 p.m. Saturday by Esports icon Rachel “Seltzer” Quirico and popular YouTube personality Sean “JackSepticEye” William McLoughlin.

The festival comes to an official end tomorrow, Sunday, with a closing party at the Palm Door on 6th Street. It’s a free event that will feature a dance-off where people can compete for a cash prize.

If it's music that soothes your soul, there is still a smattering of bands throughout the city for your listening pleasure. Many of these musicians travel from far and wide to gain exposure at SXSW, an arduous journey for some but an essential trip in attempts to garner new fans to their listening base.

Earlier this week, Austin Patch opted to take public transportation to check out the downtown scene and came across three such artists on the way back home. They boarded the bus knowing it was headed in the general direction of their destination, but were unsure exactly where they were going.

As it happened, members of the band Folks -- traveling all the way from Rio de Janeiro -- had the same stop as this Patch correspondent, and they were given precise directions to their ultimate destination. In a long-ranging conversation, they spoke of their hopes and aspirations in making the hard trek to SXSW -- their baggage from the trip still in tow.

We spoke of their struggles in Rio, one of the world's most dangerous cities; of the many times they've been mugged on the streets as they marveled at Austin's hospitality; of our different upbringings in different parts of the world; even about the unique political dynamics of this year's U.S. presidential campaigns that have engrossed observers worldwide.

But, through it all, a thread of optimism. The Folks were excited to be here, eager to showcase their talents to potential new fans.

And so, a special shout-out to the Brazilian band Folks. Judging from their Instagram account, they had a nice time before their Saturday gig.

In many ways, the band members (one accompanied by his charming girlfriend offering assistance and moral support) represent the essence of SXSW -- a vast collection of artists of all stripes, from all corners of the world, descending upon Austin this time of year in the hopes of finding new fans. Check out some of their work here.

For all its madness and mayhem -- for all the anxiety of negotiating around the crush of humanity downtown (did this one day on 6th Street to get a true feel of the experience, and will never be the same again), for all the traffic congestion -- it's sad to see SXSW go for another year.

It was quite a ride, even attended by no less a figure than Barack Obama -- the first sitting president to visit, for his SXSW Interactive presentation on the tactics of civic engagement. For good measure, First Lady Michelle Obama dropped by a week after her husband to promote the enrollment of girls into school worldwide as part of a personal initiative.

For those experiencing withdrawal pains, SXSW has nicely assembled a photo gallery featuring some of this year's performers and panel guests. Check out the compelling images -- including a Ghost Mariachi shot (above) that would make for cool wall art -- right here, and stroll down memory lane with us here at Patch.

And start getting ready for SXSW 2017. Surely, even while weary SXSW organizers pack up this year's festival, planning for next year's has already begun.