The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

Related Content

• SXSW Day Five
• SXSW Day Three
• SXSW Day Two
• First Night of SXSW
• SXSW Day Four

Sunday was all about getting home. It's always bittersweet leaving Austin. It really is such a unique and interesting town. So as we drive away from the skyline and part of me fantasizes about sleeping in my own bed, another part of me can't help but look back an extra time and take it all in.

Here, I present my overall musings about the trip:

• The first thing that strikes you walking the streets and standing at bars is the sameness of everyone. In any normal day, in any other town, most of the hipsters descending on Austin's streets might seem unique and cutting edge. But here mod haircuts, skinny jeans, horn-rimmed glasses, beards, vintage-esque clothes, leggings, Vans, and white belts are the norm, and suddenly, no one looks different. It's an odd feeling I experience at every music festival I go to. Christian called it "different the same." I like that.
  
• I'm frightened to see plaid and flannel coming back as an ironic fashion choice. Black and red plaid is just not hip. And I'm old enough to remember it the first time around. It's basically the last original trend there was, way back in the early '90s. I just didn't think it looked good the first time around. Are we going lumberjacking? Plus, this is it; nothing people come up with to recycle will be original anymore after that. It's recycled recycling from here on out.
• People like free booze and will wait in excruciatingly long lines to get it, even when they don't have a clue what bands they'll be listening to inside.
  
• Feet are not meant for this kind of punishment.
• Texas knows chips and salsa. They always taste better down there.
• The sound at venues during festivals is sub-par no matter how much the band complains about it (which they always do) or how much they compliment the sound guy (which I saw for the first time this year... didn't help. It was feedback galore even after that!)
• Value is always on the menu at Luby's.
• Waking up to an alarm clock blasting Norteño music is jarring. Especially when the person closest to the clock can't get it to turn off.
• Texting is a necessary evil at SXSW.
• There is something refreshing about being out of touch with current events for a few days. Waiting at the airport and seeing even CNN resorting to sensationalized tabloid-style presentation of the news is very sad.
• Sonic. We need Sonic up here.
• Inside jokes are just a natural occurrence when people spend that much time together... hairsuit.
• I love my job.