Chicago music has always been well-repped every Spring at SXSW in Austin, Texas. But the city has never come together, under one unified Chicago flag to share our significant scene and sounds on 6th Street. Until now…

On Wednesday, March 3rd, we got a call asking us if we’d be interested in putting together a last minute showcase during SXSW. Less than a week later, this is the monster we’ve created!

3 days. 30 bands. Over 36 hours of live Chicago music. 4 massive banners. 20,000 postcard fliers have been sent to print. Flights, van routes and hotels are booked. Gear and backline are set.

The only thing left to do is show up, get drunk, enjoy the 75 degree weather and throw an amazing party!

aerial shot of AUDITORIUM SHORES stage

Planning on joining us? You should. Be sure to click the ‘RSVP‘ graphic below to reserve your spot ASAP!


JBTV and Gibson w/ Anytime Fitness present SXChicago at The Trophy Room (310 E. 6th St.) March 18-20 >>

Thursday, March 18th

2:00pm – Anna Soltys

2:45pm – Daphne Willis

3:30pm – Mia LeBlon

4:15pm – Dead Town Revival

5:00pm – Kirkland

5:45pm – The Frantic

6:30pm – The Lifeline

7:15pm – A Hero Named Hope

8:00pm – Cavashawn

8:45pm – The Fold

9:30pm – Empires

11:00pm – David Costa

11:45pm – I.B. Fokuz

12:30am – Last Fast Action

Friday, March 19th

2:00pm – The Lifeline

2:45pm – Cavashawn

3:30pm – The Noise FM

4:15pm – Blane Fonda

5:00pm – The Fold

5:45pm – Empires

6:30pm – The Frantic

7:15pm – Last Fast Action

8:00pm – Treaty Of Paris

8:45pm – Van Ghost

9:30pm – Pet Lions

10:15pm –Till Death

11:00pm – Par Avion

11:45pm – The Highlife

12:30am – Loyal Divide

Saturday, March 20th

2:00pm – A Kidnap In Color

2:45pm – Matter Of Fact

3:30pm – Without A Face

6:30pm – Treaty Of Paris

7:15pm – State And Madison

8:00pm – Kirkland

8:45pm – David Costa

9:30pm – The Fireship

10:15pm – The Noise FM

11:00pm – Blah Blah Blah

11:45pm – Mia LeBlon

12:30am – The Frantic

** all shows are 21+

6th street during SXSW

Thank you to Gibson for being a world class partner! They’ve donated several of their iconic stage banners and a brand new green Gibson SG guitar to give away at the close of the weekend!

giving away THIS brand new GIBSON SG

Thank you to Chad at Anytime Fitness in Austin for all of his support, both figuratively and financially. He has stepped up huge to provide the necessary funding for printing of promo materials. He’s also organized street teams, security, swag AND an artist hospitality area at the venue. Solid guy all around!

Thank you to Jamie Radar at New Trigger Media for his tireless work with our artwork design. He put up with at least 100 phone calls from me, at all hours of the day and night, with revisions and tweaks. He hammered it out. Well done, Jamie..

Thank you to our great crew at JBTV for tapping into their resources and essentially letting me run with this project.

Thank you to my dear friends Sarah Duffy and Joey Hume from the band Kirkland for even shaking this great break loose. None of this would have been possible without them!

Thank you to each member of these fantastic Chicago bands for working with me to get this done. I know your schedules are all so tight; so to put the jigsaw puzzle together was a small miracle.

I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy SXSW since 2005, but the opportunity to organize, coordinate and throw a proper, 3-day Chicago show at the center of the musical universe is a tremendous gift; not just for me, but for all of us who invest so much into our city’s thriving artistic community.

6th street from THE TROPHY ROOM

Consider this my RSVP,

.:: Ryan Manno