yeah, if these were bonafide con artists, then your point would be valid. are you certain the people putting this on are con artists? or is that just your opinion? from my perspective it's that they are guilty of being overly ambitious, maybe a little naive. but hey, just b/c you don't agree with it doesn't mean it can't be a good thing. simply being down at sxsw gives these bands a better chance at meeting the right people than if they didn't go.
what would you rather these bands do? stay in fucking columbus where there is no industry exposure and play at a half-empty bar full of apathetic people? if i were in a band i'd rather play in a half-empty bar in austin any day of the week.
the "pay to play" idea could be looked at from a variety of angles. you can look at it as a sham or as a risky investment or just a part of paying your dues. filmmakers have to pay to play all the time. festivals and contests charge entry fees. is it a sham? it could be argued, but then again a small percentage of filmmakers that pay to play have their investment pay off. so, who are you to tell these bands what they should spend their money on?
the punk rock way of being in a band isn't the only way to do it. i personally think it's dumb to live by the "scrape shit together" business model b/c i think living out of a shitty van and barely surviving is a horrible way to live. but that's just my opinion. for some bands it works out great. for a lot it's a horrible decision.
with all that said, it would be better if this unofficial showcase had a great lineup of bands instead of a mediocre lineup. does anyone know what bands are participating?
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