amy goodman

by Amy Bugbee

Time and time again big business takes the joy out of art for the artist and the enthusiast, it becomes a product and a commodity, SXSW is a case in point. SXSW has been around a long time, 2012 makes year 26, and certainly back when it all began it was an amazing collection of bands from punk rock to singer-songwriters, and all points in between! It's first year it attracted over 700 attendees, and many great regional bands, today it is a music festival, a film festival and an interactive conference, which is now the largest segment of the 10 day barrage on the city of Austin, growing larger than the music festival that bore it. 

Not that Austin is complaining, even as the "Live Music Capital of America" it is the largest event the city has, and last year alone it raised some $167 million in revenues for local restaurants, hotels, and other businesses. It is now visited by nearly 30,000 attendees, vendors, panelists and performers. It is a sacred cow for the city of Austin.

I have been lucky enough to see SXSW from a few different angles, of course I have never been an official attendee - I mean who has $1000 to spend on a badge? Not me, but apparently thousands of others do, yes. Most of the official festivities happen downtown at the convention center and along 6th street, where thousands of music and media industry types do what most people do at conventions, they "network", and then get wasted and act like fools. 

New York, January 8, 2010--Despite the bitter cold and fierce wind, relatives, friends, fellow artists, media activists and co-workers packed the Brecht Forum to celebrate the 70th birthday of the incomparable Dee Dee Halleck, who has played a seminal role in the creation of community media; a great friend for whom instant response, media critique and direct action are synonymous; someone who gets things going and gets them done. Impromptu tributes a bit more anecdotal and detailed than the above, a vigorous sampling of half a century's worth of documentary film and independent television projects, and a sumptuous Paper Tiger-iced poppyseed cake baked by Tamar, were highlights of the proceedings. Photos, political posters and memorabilia, as well as Dee Dee's early paintings (one made in Cuba while DD lived there as a teenager) hung on the walls. Sax by Fred Ho and Georgian choral singing by Ezra, Tamar and Laura provided music. But above all the event radiated the warmth and conviviality that often comes from shared work and shared values. Kudos to Molly Kovel as chief organizer!For other documentation of this event and to keep in touch with Dee Dee's current activities, go to www.deedeehalleck.blogspot.com or to www.gracepaleylegacy.blogspot.com