Upon vainly checking and rechecking my previous post for comments I realized that I left out an introduction.

My name is Chris. This is my second semester as a graduate student at Texas State. I like it so far.

I have a background in journalism and magazine writing. I did a stint of electronic voting training and consulting during 2006.

This will be my fourth Southby to attend. My first to attend legitimately. And my third to blog for.

My fiancé bitterly refers to Southby as “the love of your life” or “your baby” or “your other girlfriend” or “you better not get drunk in the middle of the day”.

Last year I almost missed meeting her mom for the first time due to a last minute free Midlake show at Momo’s. And they had free Stella on draft for attendees who RSVPed or asked the doorman really nicely for a drink wristband.

So the above paragraph can loosely describe my previous Southby strategies. But I will take the time to explain them more formerly, as they are complex and awesome.

Explaining strategies GO!

Strategy one: find the free shows

Strategy two: find the free shows with free stuff

Strategy three: find who can get you in to shows that are not free

Strategy four: ask them really nicely to let you in

Strategy five: Strategy four almost always works so the only thing I have for Strategy five is to just go back to Strategy one

Follow my Five Step Strategy and your FREE Southby experience will go swimmingly.

But I am adapting my Five Step Strategy for this year (or at least the first part of the week) thanks to a Cindy Royal procured Interactive Wristband!!!!

So here is my new Five Step Amended Wristband Strategy:

Strategy one: find the good panels

Strategy two: find the good panels with free stuff

Strategy three: um… enjoy the good panels

Strategy four: this one doesn’t apply either

Strategy five: since the wristband pretty much takes care of the hard part I guess all but Strategy one are mute so repeat Strategy one

This year will also be different in the fact that I will be “live blogging” [read: awkwardly fumbling my laptop on my lap while trying to come up with something clever to say and listen and look cool at the same time].

In the past, I used my trusty Mole Skin and took all my notes and then typed them up in the evening or a week later when my editor started asking where my coverage was.

This year will be the first that I take my laptop. I am hoping that the possession of a laptop at in the Interactive panels will go over less lame than one at the music shows.

OK, this post is getting long.

I am going to leave you with a picture that my photographer took of some typical Southby fare in 2006 that still makes me chuckle.