There are worse ways to go out than being struck by distinctly Texan lightning at a Lil Yachty show.
As we took shelter from the storm beneath a giant water slide, I made peace with this possibility, confident that someone, somewhere could whip up a fine 200 words or so about it as part of their larger SXSW coverage. I can see it now: “He died how he lived—talking to a public relations VP while guzzling vaguely libatious caffeine.”
Yachty’s set was ultimately canceled, leaving me and my fellow lightning chasers to seek our strikes elsewhere. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of bolts during SXSW. And therein lies the gleefully delirious beauty of art-focused festivals like this one. They move in like a storm and leave almost as quickly. But if you’re lucky—and more (most!) importantly, if you’re open to it—the lightning will find you again and again.
That’s certainly been my experience, and it held true throughout my inaugural trip to SXSW as a guest of festival sponsor C4 Energy. Below, see what struck me during my four days in Austin and beyond.
‘Beef’
‘Swarm’
‘Air’
‘American Born Chinese’
‘Bottoms’
‘I’m a Virgo’
‘Self Reliance’
C4 Smart House
If you’ve ever taken the plunge into the brand activation space, you’ll know that such environments can often feel cold, whether by design or otherwise. C4’s Smart House experience marked a more-than-welcomed exception, from The Creator’s Lab (where visitors were provided the tools to customize hoodies and more) to an expansive outdoor area dubbed The Flavor Lounge.
Per Charles Hunter, Director of Experiential Marketing at C4’s parent company Nutrabolt, this multi-day SXSW activation was a “perfect partnership” for a number of reasons central to the brand’s overall aim.
“The C4 Smart House was created because we wanted a place to put those consumers first and highlight them through tech, music, arts, and culture,” Hunter told Complex. “We wanted our visitors to leave feeling inspired to create and know Smart Energy could be a small moment on their journey towards success.”
Key attendees at the VIP opening of the activation included Lil Yachty, as well as this very writer.
What more could you ask for?