South By Southwest Slog

As conveyed by country music legend Willie Nelson, often the best defense is an aggressive offense. For example, you are unfortunate enough to step out of the car beneath a riled flock of seagulls. Run!  Or, you receive a late night phone call from your ex-boyfriend. Voicemail! The case is no different when navigating the plethora of sessions at SXSW. If you want to get your money’s worth and have a great time doing it, you need to know when to fold ‘em” when you find yourself in a lame, misfit or otherwise uninspiring session.

So what if you arranged the whole day to go to the session because it was a perfect ten on paper? The SXSW panel picker isn’t perfect and, sometimes, even if the description is accurate, people just don’t relate. If you find yourself in this situation, better opportunities await. Take a deep breath and think of Willie. For type As, it’s not a bad idea to have a contingency plan if several sessions appeal to you during the same time slot either. Knowing what you are missing will help keep it real. Remember: SXSW is short—and Chicken shit bingo starts at 5:00 sharp.