10:00 AM-12:00 PM
The plan--take the train one stop to Plaza Saltillo and walk a few blocks to a Kids Rock Show on East 5th St.
The reality--Larkin had a rough evening last night, so she and her mom didn't wake up in time to get ready, eat breakfast, catch the train, and walk to the concert before it would have been more than half over. And, as it turned out, Jessica checked her e-mail and found that her RSVP for the event had been turned down due to so many people having already RSVP'd ahead of her. Luckily, she found this out from the comfort of her own bed rather than at the gate of the event.
12:00 PM-2:00 PM
The plan--walk across the street after the Kids Rock Show and meet Katie and Kevin at a SXSW Pitchfork Day Party at a warehouse on E. 5th to see multiple bands playing at indoor and outdoor stages.
The reality--Once they realized they didn't need to be on 5th St. till noon, Jessica and Larkin took their sweet time getting ready this morning, only to have to rush to the train stop to catch the 12:15 train. It was so packed with SXSW-goers, that they were barely able to squeeze on with their huge stroller. The train ride was the only part of the day Larkin was particularly excited about, so it was unfortunate that she spent it sitting in her stroller, staring at strangers' backsides.
Once they made it to E. 5th, Jessica quickly realized they weren't going to get into the Pitchfork Party, since the line looked like this...
2:00 PM-3:00 PM
The plan--take the train from Plaza Saltillo one more stop to the Convention Center downtown. Attend the acoustic performance of various musicians inside an exhibition hall at the Convention Center.
The reality--Jessica didn't want to attempt to get back on the train headed downtown after seeing how crowded it was on the way to E. 5th, so she and Larkin just walked to the Convention Center. And, at first, they thought at this point their plans might actually work out. They found comfortable seats inside the exhibition hall and began waiting for the performance to start.
They amused themselves with a photo shoot while they waited...
and waited...
and waited...
and waited....
The upcoming musicians were doing sound check after sound check after sound check. As Larkin got antsier and antsier and Jessica got hungrier and hungrier, they did have a few moments of interest. Like this tap-dancing drummer girl, who was kind of gimmicky but also pretty darn cool.
and the fact that the lead singer of the tap-dancing drummer girl's band decided to wear these polka-dot tights as her pants...
and this hipster's stand-up bass was kind of neat.
Sadly, after about forty-five minutes of waiting, however, the band in the pictures and video above didn't even start performing. Instead, a lone guitar player took stage and started singing. He wasn't nearly interesting enough to hold Larkin's attention; and, let's face it, a pregnant lady's gotta eat. So mom and daughter left the Convention Center to get food and attempt the next stop in their plan.
The plan--walk from the Convention Center to City Hall for the International Showcase of four of the many bands visiting Austin from other countries. Hopefully, on the walk, Larkin would take a nap in her stroller to rest up for the remaining events in her mother's harebrained plans.
The reality--At last, at last, something worked out! Larkin took a nap in her stroller on the walk from the Convention Center, and Jessica was able to find an uncrowded restaurant to grab a bite to eat and to rest her then-weary legs while Larkin napped. Whew. Mind you, it was now almost 4 PM, and the mother-daughter duo had yet to hear one complete song. So after eating, Jessica pushed Larkin to City Hall to the International Showcase.
Once again, they thought things were finally beginning to go their way. They found a place to sit in the shade on the steps of City Hall while a band was warming up and Larkin was finishing her nap.
But then, said "International Showcase" turned out to be just a growly-voiced dude from Canada.
He was ok but not exciting enough to hold Larkin's attention once she woke up from her nap. Instead, she just wanted to go home. She gave him two songs to impress her. Then, she was ready to go.
5:00 PM-7:00 PM
The plan--walk across the bridge from City Hall to Auditorium Shores to see Jovonatti in a free concert on Town Lake. Then, walk back to the downtown train stop and take the train home.
The reality--Larkin was cranky. Jessica was tired. So they just looked at Auditorium Shores from the steps of City Hall before heading back to the train stop at the Convention Center.
Wouldn't you know it, however, the train was so crowded that a Capitol Metro worker informed Jessica that they would have to wait on the next train, at which point she would have to get Larkin and the diaper bag out of the stroller, fold up the stroller, and attempt to store it under a seat just to ride two stops north, at which point she would have to maneuver her pregnant belly, Larkin, the diaper bag, and the folded up stroller out of the packed train before the doors closed. No, thank you. So Jessica and Larkin threw in the towel on this day and walked from 4th St. to E. 11th St. to Marvin's office, where he happened to be working. They then took the car home to prop up their feet and watch a little TV. Whew.
Perhaps, one cannot be considered an Austinite until having had her butt kicked by South by Southwest. If that's the case, almost 8 years (!) in, Jessica can wear her Austin badge with pride. And sore feet.
Just this narrative exhausts me! Kudos to you on keeping up the pace. I think I'd have thrown in the towel when I saw how crowded the first train was...
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