"I definitely want to try to make it out [to the Convention Center]. I haven't had a chance to look too much at some of the panels I'd be interested in going to yet, but I think I'm probably going to be using [last Wednesday] to see which bands I'm interested in going to see during our down time and which panels I want to go see. That's one thing that's slipped my mind, but I definitely think it would be for the good of the band."

Looking Forward To: "I'm definitely looking forward to seeing our Houston friends in a different setting. I think Music for Listeners from San Antonio is throwing a really good stage with, I think, [Delaware's] Spinto Band. Our showcase got moved to Wednesday, and this band Hot Lava — I think they're from Virginia. They're a really, really good pop band that I'm excited we're going to be playing after."

Showcase: 12 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, at The Tap Room at Six, 311 Colorado St.

B L A C K I E, experimental rapper: "I don't want to have to deliver pizzas again unless I want to. That's real. There's a few record labels and booking companies that I want to get down with, and my friend's bringing a generator. So I think I'm just going to find where they're having their things at, and just set up and play right in front of them. I'm better at doing that than talking to people."

Looking Forward To: "I want to see [Brooklyn indie-rockers] Grizzly Bear, but my girlfriend won't have a wristband or whatever, so she can't see 'em. She'd be all pissed if I see 'em without her. I want to see [Minneapolis rapper] P.O.S.; I've never seen him before. I want to see Juiceboxxx — if I was a white kid from Milwaukee doing the same thing that I'm doing, that's what he sounds like."

Showcase: 8 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Prague, 411-B Congress Ave.

Roy Head, Mr. "Treat Her Right": "I'm just going there to perform, actually. I'm not going there for the exposure — I've been exposed since 1957. I enjoy doing it, and I'm working for the Continental Club and a guy named Ira Pondas who has the Ponderosa Stomp. They call him Dr. Ike.

"I do a lot of things in New Orleans and New York and elsewhere. He asked me to come down and perform, and they're going to do kind of a documentary thing on an entertainer getting ready for a show. It's just going to be fun, plus there's a few dollars, which is always enticing."

Looking Forward To: "Basically, I'm not trying to sound egotistical or anything, but I just hang in until I do my part of the show, then I'm out of the city. There are so many groups there it's impossible to see everybody, and I'm not into the more wild stuff. I'm into blues and stuff like that."

Showcase: 12:20 a.m. Friday, March 20, at the Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave.

Domokos Benczedi, guitar/general noise, Future Blondes: "To get paid. I don't know how much networking I'm going to get done this year. That was a goal, but now I'm really looking at my schedule and how it's going to work, and I don't know how it's going to happen. I have to do three different things. That's really not that many, but really, basically, to go get paid. Catch up with our traveling friends and keep on spreading our music.

"That's what I was looking at this year — to do more than just hang out and go party with friends, and actually give people that would be into what we're doing some packages. I've started to look into some symposiums and stuff, but I haven't really seen anything that would work yet."

Looking Forward To: "I don't know who I'm going to get to see, but Human Eye from Detroit, New York Dolls. Of course all of our friends — Balaclavas and all our crew. I haven't made my list yet."

Showcase: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at the Independent, 501 N. IH-35.

Tom Nguyen, guitarist, The Tontons: "We're hoping to make a bigger impact this year, seeing how we were offered a better showcase. And hopefully just take advantage of all the benefits that come with South by. Maybe we'll get lucky and more press will be there. But I think just having more experience helps.

"We're going to try to go to some of the conferences there. We're playing two shows, and would have liked to play more, but it was kind of hard to get 'em all booked. Really, just network as much as possible."