Local band The Sleepwalkers is among the Richmond music makers performing at SXSW this weekend. (Photo by Joey Wharton)
Despite being almost 1,500 miles away, Richmond is represented well this year at South by Southwest (SXSW). The annual festival of film, music, comedy, keynote speakers and exhibitions takes place on March 8-17 throughout Austin, Texas.
Richmond-based independent label Spacebomb Records, presents “The Spacebomb Revue” on March 12 at Antone's, an Austin venue. This showcase includes Richmonders such as indie-pop singer Angelica Garcia, indie-rocker Andy Jenkins, and pop rock band The Sleepwalkers. Hardcore band Candy, indie rockers Camp Howard and rock band Palm Palm will also perform at SXSW.
Rick Alverson, a Richmonder and filmmaker, shows his film “The Mountain” on March 11, 13 and 15. “The Mountain,” presented at Sundance this year, follows a young man, played by Tye Sheridan, who works with a famous lobotomist, played by Jeff Goldblum. As Sheridan works with Goldblum in asylums across 1950s America, he begins to identify more and more with the patients.
SXSW has also landed several entrepreneurs and professionals from the city. “Making an Entrepreneur: The Ecosystem of Innovation” features Richard Wintsch and Rasheeda Creighton. Wintsch will speak about his time as executive director of Startup Virginia, a nonprofit that works to incubate startups in the region. Creighton, a Richmond native who attended Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, is the executive director of Capital One’s 1717 Innovation Center, which helps Richmond organizations expand their businesses. Ashley Diaz Mejias and Tiffany Jana of TMI Consulting will speak at “Erasing Institutional Bias,” which identifies and presents possible solutions to biases built into schools and government.
