Even if you didn’t make it out to SXSW — and trust me, you might be better off — there’s still plenty of ways to experience all the live performances that went down in Austin this year thanks to the one and only internet. Truthfully, checking out clips of the shows from the comfort of your own home might be lowkey better than dragging your ass around the hot, dusty and crowded streets of Texas, only to be told at the door that the event is at capacity and you’re not important enough to supersede that. (No, I’m not at all speaking from experience, why do you ask?)
From my vantage point in sunny LA, it looks like rap absolutely dominated SXSW this year, thanks in large part to the curation at Fader Fort, which routinely turns out some of the best and most exciting performances down south. Looking through some of the pics they sent through for recaps brought me a lot of joy, and in fact, instead of feeling the FOMO aka Fear Of Missing Out since I wasn’t down there this year, I felt something else: I felt like getting to see these moments highlighted after the fact was a gift.
Some of these are performance pics on the Fader Fort stage, and some are from the Dream Hotels artist lounge that was set up backstage to help create more mingling between acts etc. A personal favorite? Mike Will Made It and Mase posing together. Check out some of the best photos below and see if it doesn’t make your day a little brighter.
