I think this was just announced today.  The South By Southwest festival is taking online applications from bands who'd like to showcase at the 2013 event.  ("Over 2,200 acts from around the world..."). What a whole lotta fun.

http://sxsw.com/music/news/apply-showcase-sxsw-music

is there any garage punk/punk showcase around sxsw this year too?

We are hopping to participate this year!  At least in some form...even if I play hooked up to a generator in some alley!  

Sorry guys, I don't know any specifics about how SXSW does what they do - I'm not affiliated with them in any way.  Just saw the announcement and thought some folks here might be interested in trying to play there.  If I read the announcement right, the submission fee is probably the fee just to apply - who knows what happens after that, but I'm sure it's a long drawn out process.

Maybe try this: The Unofficial SXSW User's Guide Ning

That is the most fun a person can have in Austin packed into a 2 week time frame.  Fortunately I live so close to downtown I just wheel up on my mountain bike.

Does anyone here know if a band is accepted for a showcase how SXSW decides where you are playing as well as which other bands you will be playing with? Just wondering if a garagepunk band is accepted would they get thrown in a showcase with indie or metal acts.

Sorry I misunderstood you.

Audio Gasoline said:

No... 

I wouldn't run around like a kid on spring break, but there's always several bands in the line up that I'm interested in.  It's no Gonerfest, but it still looks like a hell of a party.  Wasn't Chuck Berry there last year? worth it, just for that.

 

And it would be even better to see some Hideout bands on the schedule, don't you think?

I probable gonna be around Austin next year at this time, if someone want to book my band in some parties... I can ask the other guys to come too ! But i won't pay the submission fee to play... If i understood well , you have to pay to submit your songs right ??

I went last year. Actually I attended very few official SXSW events. (I did not buy a wristband and wouldn't pay hundreds of bucks for the badge.)

But I won't hesitate to say I had a whole lotta fun. Saw bands like The Gories, Kid Congo Powers, Thee Oh Sees and went to a couple of Saustex Records events and saw The Hickoids, The Grannies, Glambilly, Pinata Protest.

As some of you know, I'm a country fan, so I spent part of my time seeing acts like Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Waco Brothers, Calamity Cubes, Hellbound Glory, James Hand, etc.

And I saw a great modern soulster, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. (But I don't think Chuck Berry was there. I did see Little Richard there a few years ago and Carl Perkins a few years before that.)

If anyone gives a flying hoot,  blogged it all HERE.

No... 

I wouldn't run around like a kid on spring break, but there's always several bands in the line up that I'm interested in.  It's no Gonerfest, but it still looks like a hell of a party.  Wasn't Chuck Berry there last year? worth it, just for that.

And it would be even better to see some Hideout bands on the schedule, don't you think?

Are you being a little sarcastic when you say "What a whole lotta fun"?