March. Music. Madness.

Despite the chatter that this year's Canadian Music Week was to be smaller in size due to the economy and ever changing music industry, I can say that it was quite the opposite.  A few weeks ago, I made my way out to Toronto for Canadian Music Week 2010. 

Just as it is every year, the week was a success and brought industry members from around the world together to discuss new and exciting ways to keep recorded music industry alive.  Perhaps the way consumers obtain music is changing, as well as the business as a whole, but the industry is moving with the change, and positive progressions are on the horizon.

My week was a busy one, conducting interviews on behalf of The Music Void, with some of the top executives in the industry.  Check out my list of interviews right here, and stay tuned for full videos to be posted in the coming weeks.  I also had the chance to run into a lot of people I don't get the chance to see very often (like the Age of Daze guys to the left).

My personal highlight of the week was likely the Roadrunner showcase at the Hideout, where Hail the Villain showed the shoulder-to-shoulder sweaty rock crowd that the live show IS still what it's all about.  I'll be the first to say that I was in the midst of the crowd throwing some horns. 

Also on the agenda was the Agency Group showcase at the Tattoo Rock Parlor - always one of my favorite live music venues.  I also got to see Iclandic band Vicky, who I caught in New York as well.

As CMW wrapped up, I made my way to New York City for a bit of a break before heading to Austin, Texas for South by Southwest.  Here I met up with The Music Void coming in from Europe.

A short stint in New York and a bit of luggage trouble, and then it was off to The Live Music Capital of the World.  This is true in every sense of the world, as SXSW generally brings out close to 1500 bands.  I ran into a few contacts from CMW, and even a few that I had interviewed.

As always, the magnitude of SXSW makes it a bit of a whirl-wind, with showcases and conferences running all day and into the night.  Here, my highlight was the chance to see Hollerado (left), and chat with them about their latest release Record In a Bag, which I posted about only a few weeks ago here.  Their live show and humor is just as good, if not better, than their ingenius marketing concept of Record In A Bag.

All in all, while some moments are a bit fuzzier than others (yes, there may have been a few beverages consumed), it was a great time.  There is much more, but if I wrote about everything, we'd both be here forever. Simply put, March is one of those times where you can look forward to reconnecting with contacts, building new relationships, and strengthening the ones you have.  Of course, let's not forget that June brings NXNE in Toronto again, and CMJ in New York.  You never know, I just may be there.

TM