SXSW 2014 Recap: Jambalaya Official Showcase
Written by Sunita Dharani on March 22, 2014
On the Thursday of South by South West, Austin Music Hall was the home of the Jambalaya Official Showcase, which featured a mix of EDM and Hip Hop musicians. With doors opening at 7 PM, there was already a line of about 200 people, two hours prior. For this show, badge holders and wristband holders had priority, but there was also a limited RSVP available through online the previous week. Within two hours, the link had to be taken down due to the large response of those hoping to attend the event. As we stood in line, we looked up to find a plane writing in the clouds “#PIINTHESKY” and then proceeded to write out all of the numbers in pi, in honor of Pi Day, which is on March 14th. This gave those waiting in line some form of entertainment until the actual show. 
The lineup for this showcase included LOUDPVCK, Dillon Cooper, Keys N Krates, Mack Wilds, Vic Mensa, Tory Lanez, IAMSU!, Sage the Gemini, G-Eazy, with headliners Steve Aoki, Wiz Khalifa & his artists who go by Taylor Gang. This versatile mix of music is the sole reason why the show was named Jambalaya. The show lasted all the way till 2:00 AM with only 15 minutes between each set.
There were also special appearances from Dj Drama and Peter Rosenberg from New York’s Hip Hop radio station Hot 97 hosted the concert. He introduced every artist and invited them to the stage to showcase their talents.
Mack Wilds performed a twenty minute set of his hits “Henny” and “Own It” from his Grammy nominated album A New York: Love Story. Most people know Mack Wilds as Dixon from 90210 and it was very clear when I overheard a girl scream “I love you, Dixon” in the middle of his set. Although he succeeded in television, it is refreshing to see him bring his musical talents to SXSW.
After Mack Wilds, Vic Mensa took the stage and had all of Austin Music Hall pumped. He brought his crew on stage and there were water bottles being poured into the crowd as everyone jumped around. At the ripe age of 20 years old, Vic Mensa knew exactly what he was doing on stage at the Jambalaya showcase.
G-Eazy is currently on tour with Tory Lanez, so it was only right to have them both of stage to share their talents with the SXSW crowd. The self-proclaimed “Lady Killer” performed a few of songs before bringing the supporting act from his “These Things Happen” Tour, Tory Lanez, to the stage.
Rising Hip Hop star, Sage the Gemini, then graced the stage performing his hits “Red Nose” and “Gas Pedal.” The audience was definitely pumped and ready for the rest of the show. Check out a clip of the performance below:
Then arrived one of the headliners on the stage at around 11:30 PM, infamous EDM DJ, Steve Aoki. With rapid and colorful graphics in the playing in the background throughout the one hour set, Steve Aoki had the concert- goers off their feet as they jumped around. A normal DJ set can get boring, if there is no interaction with the fans but Aoki made sure he was involved by throwing champagne showers, sheets of white cake, and inflatable mattresses into the crowd. By the end of the hour, the audience was covered in champagne and cake, including myself.
The last set of the night was of Wiz Khalifa and his artists, who are collectively known at The Taylor Gang. The group consists of Courtney Noelle, Tuki Carter, Berner, Chevy Woods, and Ty Dolla $ign. Wiz came out performing a few of his hits “Gang Bang”, “Beat It”, “Roll Up” while his wife, Amber Rose, danced along on stage with him. Then he showcased his artists and they each performed a song of their own. Ty Dolla $ign performed his sings “Paranoid” and “Or Nah”. The show ended with Wiz Khalifa performing his new song “We Dem Boyz”.
Keep a look out for more posts of my experience at South by South West 2014 in Austin, Tx!
