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SXSW
Old Austin Grouch coverage of SXSW badge inflation, brand invasions, free-stuff decline, and how locals survive the annual takeover.
5 posts in this topic cluster.
Posts About SXSW
Every relevant gripe, memory, and local complaint gathered onto one page.
The SXSW Corporate Takeover Tracker: Block by Block, Brand by Brand
We mapped every corporate activation zone in downtown Austin during SXSW. It took three days and most of our will to live.
The SXSW Free Stuff Quality Index: A Decline Measured in Koozies
The free stuff used to be good. Then it was fine. Now it's a QR code printed on a napkin.
The SXSW Porta-Potty Census: What 1,200 Plastic Toilets Say About Late Capitalism
We counted the porta-potties so you don't have to. The findings are damning and poorly ventilated.
The SXSW Local Survival Guide: Or, How to Live in Your Own City for Two Weeks
A tactical guide for Austinites who want to survive SXSW by doing the only sane thing: avoiding it completely.
SXSW Badge Price Timeline: A Brief History of Financial Ruin
From $50 wristbands to $1,900 platinum passes — a love story between Austin and your empty wallet.
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