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image: Jeff Picard

Austin is music industry magnetic zero this week. Bands, brands, managers, bloggers, photographers, label reps, DJs, journalists, hipsters, musicians, assistants, publicists, groupies, roadies, street teams, retailers, talent scouts and publishing houses are all represented by themselves or someone else in the Lone Star city right now. The 24th Annual South by Southwest Music Festival is underway in a big way.

I arrive later today.

Although I’ll only be in town for less than half a day (I’m flying to LA Saturday morning to pogo-stilt with Team Easy at Insomniac Events’ Beyond Wonderland), I’m hoping to catch a couple of the nearly 15 Colorado acts on the official festival roster (25 others, including myself, are taking the renegade route). Matt Morris and The Pirate Signal, artists we’re profiling in our upcoming May Music Issue, are among them. Denver’s own Beatport boys (and girls) will also be on hand. Their Beatport Lounge at Republic Live will feature Kaskade, Reid Speed and The Glitch Mob, among others. Pretty Lights’ (expected in our April Sex Issue) Saturday night show is obviously out of the question–unless I somehow spontaneously replicate–but photographer Jonathan Shoup and I just caught their Ogden Theatre sardine fest back in the good ol’ Mile High club. Turns out Pretty Lights’ moniker isn’t false advertising. They could probably give Pink Floyd a run for their money in the visuals department.

Just as important as the music?

Ironworks BBQ.