Monday, Oct. 3, 2016

White House South Lawn

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which is why Austin is proud that one of our greatest traditions, SXSW, is being imitated in a sense, right here at the White House.

What makes SXSW in Austin great is that it reflects the soul of our city and people who live there. In Austin, that means keeping things weird and constantly adapting and innovating.

It’s where Willie Nelson re-invent country music by playing to audiences of kickers and hippies. It’s where Whole Foods reinvented the grocery store, Alamo Drafthouse re-invent dinner-and-a-movie date night, and Michael Dell reinvented the assembly line in his dorm room at UT.

South By South Lawn will be successful, here, if it reflects DC. And DC is special, too. It’s where being in high school debate rivals Texas football, where Model UN is considered serious job training, and where bragging about a subcommittee staff appointment is a great way to strike up a conversation late at night at a bar on U St.

Frankly, DC is far weirder than Austin ever thought of being. Continue reading →