Why?
Austin, Texas’s annual film, technology and music festival South by Southwest is known for many things: vast queues to see bands nobody has heard of, Spring Breakers going crazy on free beer, emergency visits to pizza restaurants on Sixth Street at 2am. Presidential addresses, however, are a new thing. On Friday Barack Obama will sit down with the Texas Tribune editor Evan Smith to discuss civic engagement in the 21st century, as part of a keynote speech for SXSW Interactive on how technology can help to fight against climate change and increase civic involvement in the political process.
SXSW Interactive, the technology segment of this three-week, industry-led affair takes place in the week before SXSW Music, but don’t be surprised if the president is spotted jumping the queue for the Iggy Pop show at the Moody Theatre a few days later. He’ll be hanging around town to support his wife. On March 16 Michelle Obama, always the cooler half of America’s first couple, will be giving the keynote at SXSW Music to discuss her Let Girls Learn initiative, which aims to help the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school to get an education.
“I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate the event’s 30th year than to welcome the president and first lady to SXSW,” said co-founder Roland Swenson, who has watched the event grow from a platform for local alternative country acts into a citywide expo. Performers have included Jay Z, Miley Cyrus and Prince and corporate sponsors include United Airlines and McDonald’s. “As each new generation comes up at SXSW they look for ways that they can be of service, and it’s important to reflect and support that message,” Swenson added, “President and Mrs Obama’s visit here will inspire attendees to that purpose.”
They may be another reason for Obama’s visit. He will soon be out of a job, and there’s nowhere better to launch a new career than at SXSW. The president has said he’s a fan of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder. Could it be that he’ll launch his new classic rock and funky soul supergroup, featuring a guest spot by Bill Clinton on saxophone, at a SXSW showcase gig? After all, this is the place where in 2012 some bright spark had the idea of turning homeless people into wi-fi hotspots. At SXSW, anything is possible.
What they say
“Congratulations to President Obama on his foray into the startup world’s most pretentious display of vanity and excess.” Ashley Feinberg, Gawker
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“First of all, the lines are awful. Expect to be waiting . . . for at least 45 minutes. Defs have Michelle hold your place while you go get tacos.” Vice magazine’s advice to President Obama on SXSW