South by Southwest can only be described as an overwhelming weekend of music, food and intimidating amounts of people. Whether it is spent sneaking into a private VIP press box for Citizen Cope or waiting in line for two hours to not see The xx — but instead a drunken man passed out in a pile of beer cans — SXSW is a non-stop adventure.

With almost two thousand bands present at the annual music conference, each person’s story is sure to be different and unique to their individual experience. Here are some highlights of the journey that I ensued.

For those of you who never attended the grand gathering, like myself, it should be noted that not possessing one of the $700 SXSW badges might surface as a problem at times.

But badges aren’t necessary for a good time and going without a ticket does not always end in tragedy. Showing up early for shows will reap some serious benefits such as at the Driskill Hotel. Arriving so early that the doors have not yet been blocked off to the public may raise some questionable eyebrows from equipment managers, but in the end might land you a private press box seat.

Citizen Cope lead singer Clarence Greenwood began his solo acoustic set that Friday afternoon with a steadied calmness and almost apathetic attitude in the showroom of the Driskill Hotel. This was a pleasant shock, as Greenwood did not announce that this would be an acoustic show. The crowd was silenced with anticipation as Greenwood played his soulful set of mixed favorites and classics. The show consisted of seven or so songs including “Bullet and a Target” which pushed through with passion and empathy, and crowd favorite “Sideways.”

Another great aspect of SXSW would be its showcase to all genres of musical talent. This can mean anything from a mini troupe of Chinese drum beaters parading down 6th Street to howling guitar shredders at the Cedar Door restaurant. The giant tent accompanying the Cedar Door patio hosted six screaming metal groups including hyped bands Breathe Carolina and Attack Attack!

While Attack Attack! was the venue’s headliner, Breathe Carolina would prove to be a worthy contender. Creating a well balanced juxtaposition between dance and scream, Breathe Carolina turned the tent on its “hardcore” dance heels while keeping with their core intensity. This would lead to an outbreak of spastic and violent fist slinging known as “hardcore dancing” or “throwdown” as described by the lead dancer himself, Eric Gonzales. Breathe Carolina got the metal heads to “throwdown” to new songs like “Hello Fascination” and “I.D.G.A.F.”

For Saturday I found myself on the far corner of the SXSW festival at the La Zona Rosa. An unexpected challenge arose that made the forty five minute wait in line more painful; the bitter cold. Austin, for some strange reason, was very chilly and only added to my envy of the badge holders. However, the good times were not to delayed as soon the La Zona Rosa was packed out with hipsters waiting to see techno veterans The Crystal Method and the highly praised Pretty Lights. Both shows delivered with heart racing beats and foot stomping base as the glow stick kids danced the night away. Pretty Lights seemed to create an infectious atmosphere and blasted through a powerful hour and half set of electronic mayhem.

All in all, SXSW was a weekend of bittersweet surprises. While the abundance of bands may prove frustrating with schedule conflicts and exciting with variety, there is always a feeling of trying to take everything in at once. The best advice I can give is to just relax and see some shows that are favorites or at the very least new or different. Even if your iPhone is knocked to the ground by a “hardcore dancer,” or you are nearly run over by a bitter bike taxi, the weekend will most definitely create some laughable moments. SXSW will always have new music, but as the music changes every year, so will each person’s experience, no one's being exactly the same.