The SXSW party scene was on maximum overdrive this year, with literally hundreds of events taking place each day of the festival, using every conceivable venue in downtown Austin: bars, concert halls, theatres, and more than a few street corners. Knowing that hordes of people and massive, snaking lines are not for everyone, Complex teamed up with Sony Electronics, IllRoots.com, and ScoreMore to create a SXSW house party to make Kid ‘n Play proud. It all went down at the now infamous Illmore, a house safely outside the madness of downtown.
The first night of Illmore was last Thursday, March 15th, and it was one for the record books, with performances from Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, A$AP Rocky, Big Sean, Travis Porter, and Tuki Carter. Lil Jon and DJ Steve Aoki made surprise appearances, performing a raucous joint set—and doing other stuff in tandem, like hanging from light fixtures and stage diving. An open bar stocked with liquor, beer, and “jungle juice” kept the 500+ house guests rocking into the wee hours.
Friday the 16th saw premiere DJs Diplo, A-Trak, Laidback Luke, Craze, JWLS, Oliver Twist, and Gina Turner each lay down a set, providing the house with a mix of electronic beats, scratch techniques, and pounding bass lines to satisfy all tastes. Once again, hundreds of attendees showed up and got down, as the party rolled on to morning.
Whether you came to lounge, dance, or just watch some killer performances, the Illmore was the ultimate escape from the SXSW grind.
