Neon Indian (photos by Lewis Cooper) to headline the Terrorbird / Force Field PR 3rd Annual SXSW Day Party at Red 7, Wednesday, March 17. See other details below.


During this tough economy, free parties are especially welcome this year at—what can be—an otherwise costly festival.  BY ROSA BARNES

Don’t have the money to pay for one of those fancy badges for SXSW, the biggest film/interactive/music festival in Austin, TX? Don’t worry you can get a music wristband for three times less than the price of a badge. For only $165 you can get access to any of the official music venues during SXSW without paying cover. However, keep in mind that entrance is based on capacity and badges get priority. Still want yours? Get it here.

Beyond the badges and wristbands, there's also several FREE EVENTS, some offering free food and booze with great talent line-ups, that should not be missed. Check out our picks below for the free official and unofficial parties going on around town. Be part of the hype, hear some great music, and party down.

P.S. Auditorium Shores hosts a free concert series for SXSW each year. Check out the info here.


[ See our guide to artists performing at SXSW that have been covered on Groovemine.]





ӬFrom The Mind Of Adi & Couch Professor Entertainment
Present at Chupacabra Cantina
”¨8 p.m   [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Peter & The Wolf, Frank Smith, Booher & The Turkeys, The Frontier Brothers, Harper Blynn, Blind Tactic (Outside); DJ Car Stereo (Wars), DJ Gmau, DJ Czech One, DJ Adam Warped (Inside)

Art Disaster 10 at Beauty Bar
8pm - 2am   [more info & RSVP]”¨
Talent: DJ Orión, Shunda K, The White White Lights, Leopold and His Fiction, Red Wanting Blue, Lachi, DJ uLovei (Inside); Pomegranates, The Shondes, Sunset, Bright Light Social Hour, CAW! Caw!, DJ Evol (Outside)





Terrorbird Media / Force Field PR 3rd Annual
SXSW Day Party at Red 7Ӭ
Noon - 6pm   [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Neon Indian, Toro Y Moi, Those Darlins, Matias Aguayo, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Beach Fossils, Real Estate, Choir Of Young Believers, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, Oh No Ono, Ernest Gonzales, The Fresh And Onlys, Frankie Rose And The Outs, Inlets, The Splinters, Stricken City

Paste Magazine Party at Galaxy RoomӬ
11:30am - 5:30pm   [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Frightened Rabbit, Roky Erickson & Okkervil River, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Suckers, Freelance Whales, Joe Pug, Free Energy, Roman Candle, Lissie, Givers, Basia Bulat





Consequence of Sound and Sled Island
Music Festival SXSW Day Party at The Compound Ӭ
Noon - 7pm   [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Titus Andronicus, Surfer Blood, The Rural Alberta Advantage, James Husband (Of Montreal), Jukebox The Ghost, Garotas Suecas, Brasstronaut, Royal BangsӬ

The Bay Bridged Presents the Bay Area Takeover at Beauty Bar
11:30am - 6pm   [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Wallpaper, Sleepy Sun, Ty Segall, Or The Whale, Still Flyin’, Birds & Batteries, The Sandwitches, Young Prisms, Man/Miracle, Tempo No Tempo, Geographer, The Ferocious Few, Sonny & The Sunsets, Leopold & His Fiction, Hottub, DJ sets by Bagel Ted

NPR Day Show at The Parish
Noon   [more info]
Talent: Sleigh Bells, Surfer Blood, G-Side, Local Natives, and more to be announcedӬ

Paste Magazine Party (#2) at Galaxy Room
11:30am - 5:30pm   [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Lou Barlow & The Missingmen, Gordon Gano & The Ryans, Low Anthem, The Middle East, Black Praire, The Lonely Forest, Fanfarlo, The Living Sisters, Miles Kurosky, Damion Suomi

Babelgum in association with Other Music and
Dig For Fire, presents SXSW Lawn Party
at the French Legation Museum
1 pm - 7 pm
Talent: HILL STAGE: Califone (1PM), The Antlers (2PM), Real Estate (3PM), YellowFever (4PM), Dum Dum Girls (5PM), The xx (6PM)
VALLEY STAGE: Dylan LeBlanc (1:30PM), Zola Jesus (2:30PM), Sharon Van Etten (3:30PM), Julianna Barwick (4:30PM), Holly Miranda (5:30PM)
IN THE GRASS: Black Prairie (6:30PM)

Kill Rock Stars SXSW Day Party
at Cheer up Charlie's (formerly Mrs Beas)
Noon - 6pm • Free breakfast tacos served at noon • All Ages
Talent: Talk Normal, Grass Widow, Viv Albertine, Explode Into Colors, Quasi, Horse Feathers





Village Voice’s 2010 SXSW Party
at La Zona Rosa Ӭ
”¨Noon - 5pm  [more info]
Talent: The xx, Superchunk, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Surfer Blood

Mexican Summer & Gorilla Vs. Bear
SXSW 2010 at Klub KrucialӬ
Noon - 6pm  [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Washed Out, Memory Tapes, Real Estate, Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, The Golden FilterӬ

Front Gate Tickets and Sustainable Waves present
the 4th Annual Morning After Party at Front Gate Tickets
11:30am - 4pm   [”¨more info & RSVP]
Talent: Titus Andronicus, Dawes, White Dress, Wendy Darling, Joe PugӬ

Babelgum in association with Other Music and
Dig For Fire, presents SXSW Lawn Party
at the French Legation Museum
1 pm - 7 pm
Talent: HILL STAGE: Memory Tapes (1PM), Dengue Fever (2PM), Mayer Hawthorne & the County (3PM), Dam-Funk (4PM), Pierced Arrows (5PM), Thurston Moore (6PM)
VALLEY STAGE: First Aid Kit (1:30PM), Anni Rossi (2:30PM), Toro Y Moi (3:30PM), Woods (4:30PM), Talk Normal (5:30PM)

I Guess I'm Floating presents Floating Fest 2K10
at Lovejoy's (Corner of 6th & Neches)
Noon - 7:00PM • No RSVP required! First come, first served!
Talent: Holiday Shores, Tanlines, Le Loup, Beach Fossils, Javelin, Lemonade, The Ruby Suns, Small Black / Washed Out, Toro Y Moi, Oh No Oh My

MWTX 4 (Mess with Texas Party 4) Presented by
Fun Fun Fun Fest & FYF Fest, at  1001 East 6th Street
Noon - 9pm • All Ages    [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Man Man, Billy Bragg, Man or Astroman, Frightened Rabbit, Black Angels, YACHT, The Bronx, Grupo Fantasma, Brazos, Jail Weddings, Hacienda, DJ Spooky, and more...




Lawyer4Musicians.com & Karmaloop
present at Aces Lounge
1pm - 5pm   [more info]
Talent: ӬRakaa Iriscience (Dilated Peoples), The Cool Kids, Cool Calm Pete, Bad Rabbits, Kidz In The Hall, Hey Champ, Whatzisface, French Horn RebellionӬ

Do512 & Shiner present
The Big One at The Compound
Noon - 9pm   [more info RSVP]
ӬTalent: Holy Fuck, Warpaint, The Hood Internet, Royal Bangs, Miss Li, WhoMadeWhoӬ

The Seattle Party at Beauty BarӬ
Noon - 6pm   [more info & RSVP]
Talent: The Cave Singers, The Dutchess And The Duke, Rocky Votolato, The Lonely Forest, The Moondoggies, Fences (Outside); Dyme Def, Mash Hall, Grynch, Macklemore, THEESatisfaction, Dark Time Sunshine, The Maldives, Grand Hallway, Staxx Bros. (Inside)Ӭ

MWTX 4 (Mess with Texas Party 4) presented by
Fun Fun Fun Fest & FYF Fest, at 1001 East 6th Street
Noon - 9pm • All Ages    [more info & RSVP]
Talent: Gwar, Andrew WK, Fucked Up, Crystal Antlers, Neon Indian, Japandroids, Dam-Funk, Holy Fuck, Fool's Gold, Japanther, The Duchess and the Duke, and more....


**Read the guide to SXSW artists that have bee covered on Groovemine, here.


[Browse Groovemine's Music Festival Round-up]