After two days of driving in the Vanarama — a 1996 GMC Rally 3500 in school-bus yellow — we're only about 3.5 hours outside of Austin.This is the second time I've made the trek to SXSW, but every time I make the four-state drive, a few things remain constant: Arkansas highways suck and everything truly is bigger in Texas.On the last stretch of 11 South, as you approach Crockett, Texas, road signs alternate between "Cemetery" and "Forest." This wouldn't have been so intimidating if we hadn't exchanged ghost stories about dead relatives and scary camping trips (Google "Appalachian Trail" and "scary photos"). We then stayed in a hotel that we seriously scoured for bed bugs before bringing in our gear. But cheap is worth it, right?We are by no means alone in this endeavor. Thousands of bands travel across the country and the world, whether or not they're "officially" a part of the festival. This is the biggest weekend of the year for bands — whether they're on the rise or struggling to get a fresh start — and they'll do whatever it takes to be heard.Tuesday (today) marks the beginning of the SXSW (as far as the music portion). The All Night Party's Midwest by Southwest showcase kicks off tonight and will feature some of our hometown favorites, including The Sundresses, The Lions Rampant, Wussy and The Seedy Seeds. This official showcase is an anticipated event, not only for us Cincinnatians, but also the locals. The Austin Chronicle has named Wussy as one of the top 10 shows to see Tuesday. (Scroll to the bottom of the link for the Wussy write-up,.)We're not even in Austin yet and Cincinnati's already making headlines at SXSW.

Greater Cincinnati has an exceptionally large contingency headed to Austin, Tex., in a few weeks for the big music industry showcase/conference South By Southwest. As in the past, CityBeat will have troops on the ground covering everything Cincinnati at SXSW, with regular dispatches and more. But before any vans/RVs/tourbusses leave the driveway and start heading south, there are a few send-off events involving our local SXSW reps, beginning this evening with a special happy-hour party featuring music by The Seedy Seeds. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. at downtown's Mainstay and runs until 8 p.m. (Hang around afterwards to catch two of Cincinnati's more eclectic DJs, DJ Empirical and KFrey, at 10 p.m., as they spin for the club's Turntable Thursday night). There is a $10 cover/donation for the SxCincy gathering.The Seedy Seeds are, unsurprisingly, playing the festival again this year, but today's happy-hour event will help introduce many locals to another entity heading to SXSW. The sponsors of the happy hour, technology-focused "venture development organization" CincyTech, will be in Texas and helping out fellow Cincinnatians by securing space in downtown Austin they've dubbed @SxCincy Haus, designed "for members of the Cincinnati community to recharge themselves and their devices" and "hang out, get some work done or just rest up." CincyTech is also hosting chats each day at 4 p.m., featuring different topics and guests from Cincinnati. The tech company is also presenting a party at SXSW with Cincinnati beer and chili, plus "the opportunity to mingle with Cincy's consumer branding and marketing experts." CincyTech representatives will be on hand at Mainstay tonight to explain everything. The All Night Party licensing/promo group is co-sponsoring today's happy hour and also going to Austin, hosting its first-ever showcase at SXSW. More details to come. ANP, CincyTech and The Seedy Seeds are just three local groups (musical or otherwise) heading to the festival. Stay tuned to our blogs for updates and news on who's going and other "bon voyage" parties/benefits in Greater Cincinnati leading up to their departure. The Seedy Seeds unveiled another excellent music video earlier this month. Check out the playfully animated clip for "Telephone the Constrictor":