Wake up sore. Eat different kinds of breakfast tacos. Number of tacos eaten in last 24 hours: eight. Remember that you told yourself not to forget your razor.
Wait for bus, but get picked up by a Chevy car offering free rides. Actually make it to event early. Talk your way into a day pass to catch a Q & A with 50 Cent, then a panel with Just Blaze and Young Guru.
Exchange stories. Recap: SchoolBoy Q is insane, Kid Cudi was made to perform, a band that was mistaken for Green Day went nuts on top of the Blind Pig while filming their DVD. Adrian Grenier has been seen by everyone but me. No one has slept.
Grab food from food trucks. Head to Sixth Street, where street performers have taken over. There is a ninja-like performance with a sword and music, a dope drummer playing beats for people to freestyle over, a dude working a Marionette routine, dance offs, drink offs, and a frequently present weed-smell.
Get free tacos from dude you met earlier. Number of tacos eaten in last 12 hours: six. Overhear Ace Hood's “Bugatti,” which has been enjoyed everywhere by everyone in all forms all week: DJ versions, covers, people yelling in the street, cars stereos and pedicab speakers. He would have shut this event down.
Head to Vice. Lines are insane everywhere. Use VIP pass from friend to get in. Abuse free drinks. Cut bathroom line.
Watch the Black Lips refuse to introduce themselves (“If you don't know already you better ask somebody.”) go insane on stage, but with vocals turned up too high. They notice fingers in ears and adjust for the final few songs. Sound has been a frequent problem at SXSW.
Action Bronson hits the stage and announces he doesn't have any jump-around songs and that everyone should roll something up right now. Crowd obliges. Bronson does two-thirds of his set in the crowd. Gets full respect from the crowd for entertaining everyone basically without visuals, aside from the few minutes he rapped near your part of the crowd. He lied: Danny Brown joins him on stage for a live-as-hell rendition of A$AP Rocky's “1 Train.” Introduces a kid from Austin in a wheelchair, who starts a little slow and ends up spitting. Crowd goes nuts. Bronson picks kid up over his shoulder in celebration. Awesome moment.
Trinidad Jame$ comes on. Crowd endures five songs until “All Gold Everything,” at which point one of the two large signs near the stage gets destroyed. Best moment of his set: Bun B hopping out for “Get Throwed,” which Trinidad is not on.
Baauer comes on without anyone realizing. Overall thoughts: He might not win over every hip hop head, but if you're trying to go hard in the paint Baauer will get you there quickly. Does not do “Harlem Shake.” Waves, unplugs his laptop, and hops off stage without saying a word for the entire set. Later, bro.
Wait an hour for Kendrick. By now, you know the drill.
Kendrick brings out Ab-Soul for “Terrorist Threats,” SchoolBoy Q for “Hands On The Wheel,” Jay Rock for “Money Trees.” SchoolBoy attempts to crowd surf and almost busts his ass. Removes shirt. TDE owns the audience. Most invested crowd experience of SXSW.
Dance party by a park with dots that light up when you jump on them and different colored lit-up trees in the middle of the city, sponsored by a sideways pedicab blaring “Harlem Shake” from his cab-speakers. Late-night quesadilla.
Give finger to cabs on walk home.
