STEPH DEROSA: I MADE IT TO AUSTIN >>>

I arrived late last night in Austin, but was greeted warmly by my friends Allison and Matthew.  The only thing that kept me sane the en route to Austin was being able to kick the back of Matt Driscoll’s seat the entire flight.

Fortunately, Matthew and Allison live somewhat close by to the SXSW conference, and warmly opened their floor for me to crash on.  Let me just tell you: no amount of sleeping bag padding is soft enough to take the hardness out of a floor.  I ache, I’m tired, but hell yeah â€" I’m in Austin, baby!

Riding the Capitol Metro bus system here in Austin gave me much appreciation for Pierce County transit.  Luckily my dear friends had told me exactly what bus stop to go to and where to stand for me to make my way downtown, otherwise I would’ve gotten lost.  There are no maps at the bus stops, no directional keys, nothing.  You really have no idea where you’re going and in what direction.

So, I make it downtown, grab my badge, and learn that Matt Driscoll took the wrong bus.  So while I’m waiting for him to take his own personal tour of Austin, I go check out the vendors in the exhibit hall.

One of the first things that grabs my attention are the Pirates for the Preservation of New Orleans Music.  Arrrrrgh!

An awesome indie music production had one of the greatest marketing tools.

I ran into Juniper Jackson of Inner Child/Paul Rivers Bailey.  Inner Child does something that I can proudly support: they give back to the community by enlightening and inspiring youth in the streets.

I totally dug Uncensored Interview.  What a great sight, with great interviews.  You should check It out. 

Live from Daryl’s House had me so excited.  For 30 minutes Daryl Hall invites artists to jam with him, and it’s video fed via his website. They play a couple of Hall & Oates songs, a couple of the bands songs, then a few other covers.  It’s free, and I can’t wait to check it out.

If you’re a musician who wants to connect with other musicians from around the world, check out www.indabamusic.com

OK, I’m fucking starving, and Matt finally made it here, so we’re gonna go grab some of this amazing Austin food.