With South by Southwest reaching record numbers this year, estimating around 25,000 attendees, staff was is in high demand. Thousands of staff members, volunteers and security personnel were hired on to help regulate and tend to the masses that poured in to Austin March 9-18.
Often going unnoticed, it is the people in the background that make events like South by Southwest possible. The long hours, hard work and great perseverance that go into it allow thousands of Austinites and people traveling from all over to enjoy the music they look forward to every year.
Raul Garcia is a bar manager of The Belmont, a new and upcoming music venue located in the heart of downtown on West 6th street. They opened their doors to the public March 16, hosting one of the biggest grand openings downtown Austin has ever seen.
"We were at maximum capacity from the time we opened to the time we closed," Garcia said. "It was one man out, one man in all night long. We couldn't have asked for a better turn out."
The Belmont was once a full service restaurant and bar but closed down last year. It since been renovated under new ownership and management and promises to be one of the most popular new clubs in the area.
"Everyone is really excited about The Belmont reopening," General Manager Oliver Belche said. "It's completely different than before. It is a brand new place with a new image."
With all the work that goes into opening a bar on top of the madness that comes along with preparing for a week like South by Southwest, the new staff had a lot of work to do.
"We had to come in pretty much every day the week prior to South by Southwest," cocktail waitress Rachel Meengs said. "We were all there cleaning, stocking the bar and getting the club ready in time to open."
A regular attendant of the music festival, Meengs said it was a brand new experience as a staff member.
"I never knew the work it took preparing for South by Southwest," Meengs said. "I've always just enjoyed the shows every year but it is crazy seeing the other side. I definitely appreciate it more."
Also surprised by how much effort it takes to make a music venue run, bartender Serena Anis said this was the hardest she had ever worked. She said 16 hour work days were what she was told to expect for the week.
"I thought Spring Break was supposed to be relaxing," Anis said. "But this has been the craziest week. I ran on an average of 3 hours of sleep each night. I truly have never been so exhausted."
While a job behind the scenes may be draining, it does have its perks. Meeting famous people, seeing free live music and getting to enjoy the impact an event like this has on Austin are just some of the benefits Belche commented on.
"I've been in the industry awhile now and I still get blown away by a good concert," Belche said. "Of course it's exhausting but the good ultimately outweighs the bad with a job like this. Meet and greets with Kanye West don't hurt either."
Kanye West is just one of the famous faces seen at The Belmont for the festival. Ghostland Observatory, Nas, Built to Spill and Charlie 2na were also crowd favorites.
"When I took the job of course I knew the money would be there on a week like South by but I didn't even realize I'd get to meet so many people," Meengs said. "Getting to do bottle service for Kanye and his entourage was probably the highlight of my week."
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