Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SXSW) has become, like its host city, many things to many people. The event has grown to incorporate tech, fashion, design, film, television, exhibitions, comedy, education, gaming and other cultural endeavors as well as music.
The schedule of the Music Festival portion of SXSW listed 1,127 official showcase performers, in 90 separate genres, from 54 countries. Just conceptually, that is a lot to take in for the six-day period of March 10-15, 2025. Not to mention, the unofficial offerings have grown, as well.
However, as No Depression concentrates on roots music, that number was winnowed down considerably. Fortunately, three ND photographers were there to catch as much of the action as humanly possible — SXSW veteran Kirk Stauffer, Justin St. Clair, and first-time contributor Joseph Kelly. Here are just a few of their highlights.
