Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Reverb Party
11am–5pm • Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St. • RSVP requested; still open
Free Colorado craft beer. Music by Typhoon, Bass Drum of Death, and Com Truise.

Do512 and Shiner Present: The Big One 2012
Noon–?? • The Belmont, 305 W. 6th St. • Free with RSVP
Free Shiner Beer, Deep Eddy Vodka, Jack Daniels, and Southern Comfort.  Music by Bright Light Social Hour, Dead Confederate, The Features, and others. Get TabbedOut on your iPhone or Android to get priority entry.

MPressFest SXSW 2012
Noon–5pm • Soho Lounge, 217 E. 6th Street • RSVP requested; now closed
Free drinks, food, and giveaways.

Ticketometer Double Down Day Party
12-5:30pm • Skinny’s Ballroom, 115 San Jacinto St. • RSVP requested; still open
Free drinks and food.

AV Club’s March Into Softness Party
Noon–6pm • Club De Ville, 900 Red River St. • Free; no RSVP
Music by White Rabbits, The War On Drugs, We Were Promised Jetpacks, etc. Hosted by Andrew WK   

MWTX 2012
Noon–6pm • East Side Drive-In, 1100 E. 5th St. • No RSVP required
A$AP Rocky, Tan Lines, Deerhoof, Crystal Castles, and others.

Spotify House
Noon–6pm • 1010 E. Cesar Chavez • RSVP required; still open
Free drinks and food + music by Of Monsters and Men, Fanfarlo, and St. Lucia.

Paste Magazine Party
Noon–6pm • The Stage on 6th, 508 E. 6th St. • Free; no RSVP required
Free beer, wine, and gin.

The 100 Bands You Need to Know SXSW 2012 Day Party   
12-6pm • Red 7, 611 East 7th St. • Free; no RSVP
Breathe Carolina, The Used, Forever the Sickest Kid, Cancer Bats, and others.

Showlush Presents the 3rd Annual Ramble Creek Backyard Day Show
Noon–7pm • Ramble Creek, 1704 Kinney • RSVP requested; now closed
Free Lone Star, PBR, and cocktails.

McNally Smith College of Music Presents: Rock the Cause
Noon–8pm • The Liberty Bar, 1618-1/2 East 6th St. • RSVP requested; now closed
Free beer, food from East Side Kings, and music by Astronautalis and others.

Fader Fort
Noon–8pm • 1101 E. 5th St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free booze + music by Darkside, Pure X, Kindness, Dive, and “special guests.”

The Future of Music Showcase
Noon-midnight • Shiner’s Saloon, 422 N. Congress • Free; no RSVP
Great local lineup.

MidCoast Takeover
Noon–Midnight • Shangri La, 1016 E. 6th St. • No RSVP required
Free beer from Boulevard Brewery.

Rollo & Grady Productions and The Electric Company Present: The Symphony Square Party
Noon-Midnight • Symphony Square, 11th and Red River • RSVP requested; still open
Music by The Strange Boys, Turbo Fruits, Futurebirds, TV Torso and others.

Check Yo Ponytail / Fools Gold / Mad Decent Super Party
Noon–2am • Emo’s East / Beauty Ballroom, 2015 E. Riverside • RSVP requested; now closed
A-Trak, Diplo, The Drums, Andrew WK, Digitalism, Wavves, Trash Talk, and lots of others.

Hype Hotel
1–7pm, 10pm–4am • 504 Trinity St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free Tito’s Vodka, Miller Lite, and Taco Bell. Day party: Tennis, Clock Opera, Niki & The Dove, and Body Language. Night party: The Knocks, Mujuice, XV, Wavves, Best Coast, and Fanfarlo.

Red Bull THRE3STYLE
7pm–2am • 8th & Trinity • Free; no RSVP
Z-Trip, Erykah Badu, The Crystal Method, DJ Jazzy Jeff and others — plus some surprise guests.

Starving Artist Showcase
9pm-2am • Peckerheads • RSVP requested; still open
Free beer and food.

All Things Gold: SXSW Edition
11am-6pm • The ND, 5th and Brushy • RSVP requested; now closed
Penguin Prison, Chiddy Bang, Walk the Moon, Clock Opera

SpokesBUZZ Showcase
11am-6pm • 512 Bar • RSVP requested; still open
Free beer.

Sonicbids SXSW Party
11:30am-5:30pm • Maggie Mae’s • RSVP requested; still open

Core Power Day Party
Noon-5pm • Skinny’s Ballroom, 115 San Jacinto St. • RSVP requested; still open
Free drinks and food.   

MWTX 2012
Noon–6pm • East Side Drive-In, 1100 E. 5th St. • RSVP requested; still open
Built to Spill, Titus Andronicus, Purity Ring, New Build, Turquoise Jeep, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Cloud Nothings.

Spotify House
Noon–6pm • 1010 E. Cesar Chavez • RSVP required; still open
Free drinks and food + music. Watch the @SpotifySouth Twitter account for lineup updates.

Hotel Vegan
Noon–6pm • Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th St. • Free; no RSVP
Free beer.

Paste Magazine Party
Noon–6pm • The Stage on 6th, 508 E. 6th St. • RSVP not being enforced
Free beer, wine, and gin.

Rhapsody Rocks Austin
Noon-6pm • Club de Ville
Free Red Stripe & Guinness; solid lineup.

The Midgetmen’s Texas Jumpstart 5
Noon–6pm • Lovejoy’s • Free with RSVP
Free beer.

MidCoast Takeover
Noon–?? • Shangri La • RSVP requested; still open
Free beer.

Fader Fort
Noon–8pm • 1101 E. 5th St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free booze + music.

The Future of Music Showcase
Noon-midnight • Shiner’s Saloon, 422 N. Congress • Free; no RSVP
Great local lineup.

Hype Hotel
1–7pm, 10pm–4am • 504 Trinity St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free Tito’s Vodka, Miller Lite, and Taco Bell. Night party has music by Star Slinger and Neon Indian.

Workaholics House Party
1pm-2am • Icenhauer’s, 83 Rainey St. • RSVP requested; now closed – but open to walk-ups based on capacity

Starving Artist Showcase
9pm-2am • Peckerheads • RSVP requested; still open
Free beer and food.

Bloody Mary Morning
10am–Noon • ACL Live at Moody Theater, 310 W. 2nd St. • RSVP required; still open
Bloody Marys by Tito’s Vodka; tacos by Tacodeli; music by Ben Kweller and others.

Unrefined Hype: Extended Play Showcase
11am–6pm • Bat Bar, 218 East 6th Street • RSVP requested; still open
Free food + 35 hip-hop acts, including Talib Kweli.

Air Show: Austin Independent Radio Day Party
11am–7pm • The Dogwood, 715 W. 6th St. • Free, no RSVP
Featuring Quiet Company, Nic Armstorng, the Couch and others.

Playing in Traffic Records SXSW Day Party
Noon–5pm • Whole Foods Rooftop, 6th and Lamar • RSVP requested; still open
Music by Speak, Hudson Moore, The Dunwells, and Michelle Armstrong. Sponsored by Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. and Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.

The Wind and The Wave + Vivogig present: The Second Annual Matchbox Showcase
Noon • Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St. • RSVP requested; still open
Music by The Soldier Thread, Zeale, Saints of Valory, The Burning Hotels, and others.

Relix / Creative Allies SXSW Party
Noon–5:30pm • Maggie Mae’s, 323 E. 6th St. • RSVP required; still open
Free BBQ & booze.

Core Power Day Party
Noon–5:30pm • Skinny’s Ballroom, 115 San Jacinto St. • Free; no RSVP
Free drinks, food, and music.

MWTX 2012
Noon–6pm • East Side Drive-In, 1100 E. 5th St. • RSVP requested; still open
Cults, Girls, Two Gallants, Chairlift, Juan Cirerol, Tycho, The Men, The Young, Razika

Pitchfork Austin Day Party
Noon–6pm • Mohawk, 912 Red River • Free; no RSVP
Free show with SBTRKT, Cloud Nothings, Danny Brown, The War on Drugs

Pop is Serious Day Party
Noon–6pm • Spill, 212 East 6th St. • RSVP required; still open
Free booze for the first 150 people.

Spotify House
Noon–6pm • 1010 E. Cesar Chavez • RSVP required; still open
Free drinks and food + music. Watch the @SpotifySouth Twitter account for lineup updates.

Hotel Vegan
Noon–6pm • Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th St. • Free; no RSVP
Free beer, music by Fanfarlo, The Drums, The Wedding Present, This Will Destroy You, Yellow Ostrich, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and others.

Paste Magazine Party
Noon–6pm • The Stage on 6th, 508 E. 6th St. • RSVP required; still open
Free beer, wine, and gin, plus music by Dinosaur Feathers, Howler, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Blitzen Trapper, Maps & Atlases, Built to Spill, and others.

SxSWeetwood Presents
Noon–6pm • Beauty Bar • RSVP requested; now closed
Quiet Corral, The Electric Hearts, Turf War, Cotton Jones, Bear Hands, Little Hurricane, Caveman, and others.

The 17th Street Party at the Rail
Noon–7pm • PeopleFund, 2921 E. 17th St. Bldg D, Ste 100 (next to the 17th Street MetroRail stop) • Free; no RSVP
Free beer from Live Oak Brewing Co., free margaritas courtesy of Sabor Azul and free appetizers supplied by La Madeline.

Fader Fort
Noon–8pm • 1101 E. 5th St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free booze + music by Zola Jesus, Teengirl Fantasy, Nite Jewel, Gary Clark Jr., Alice Smith, Big KRIT, and others. Badge pickup runs from noon–7pm.

The Warner Sound
1–4:30pm • La Zona Rosa, 612 West 4th St. • Free; no RSVP
Free food and beer. Music by Kimbra + Crystal Fighters + The Staves + We Are Augustines.

Hype Hotel
1–7pm, 10pm–4am • 504 Trinity St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free Tito’s Vodka, Miller Lite, and Taco Bell. Day show: Father John Misty, Bleached, Alabama Shakes, and Futurebirds. Night party: Jacques Greene, Shlohmo, Kindness, Jimmy Cliff, and others. Pick up Hype Hotel badge from 1–9pm.

The Roxy Theatre’s 5th Annual AUSTINROX at SXSW
7pm–2am • BandPage HQ (Empire Automotive), 604-606 E 7th St. • RSVP required; now closed
Das Racist, The Black Angels, and others.

Polyvinyl Showcase
8pm–2am • Emo’s East, 2015 E. Riverside • RSVP required; still open
Featuring Of Montreal, Deerhoof, Japandroids, and others.

Scion Presents: Fools Gold Austin Party
8pm–2am • Beauty Ballroom, 2015 E. Riverside • Free with RSVP
Featuring A-TRAK, Flosstradamus, and others.

Here’s our list of the best free stuff going on today at SXSW. Note the RSVP status for each event, as some parties have closed their lists. (“Free with RSVP” usually means RSVP is not required, but do it if you can just in case.) As always, keep an eye on our Twitter feed for more party info as it comes in.

The Good Danny’s + Navigational Society Day Party
10am–6pm • Parish, 214 E. 6th • Free with RSVP
Free coffee, Sailor Jerry’s Rum and drink specials. Music by Shearwater, What Made Milwaukee Famous, and The Frontier Brothers.

Consequence of Sound’s COSIGNS
11:30am–6pm • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • Free with RSVP
Music by Cloud Nothings, Titus Andronicus, and others.

Spotify House
Noon–6pm • 1010 E. Cesar Chavez • RSVP required; still open
Free drinks and food + music. Watch the @SpotifySouth Twitter account for lineup updates.

Fader Fort
Noon–8pm • 1101 E. 5th St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free booze + music by Danny Brown, Santigold, Oberhofer, 2 Chainz, Friends, Young L and others. Badge pickup runs from noon–7pm.

France Rocks Austin 2012
Noon–5pm • Brush Square Park, 5th & Neches Streets • RSVP requested; still open
Free drinks, food, and French delicacies.

Hotel Vegan
Noon–6pm • Hotel Vegas, 1500 E. 6th St. • Free; no RSVP
Free beer, music by Frankie Rose, Japandroids, Bear in Heaven, and others.

Goodnight Records Day Party
Noon–5:30pm • Bar 96, 96 Rainey St. • RSVP requested; still open
Free beer + music by …Trail of Dead and others.

Paste Magazine Party
Noon–6pm • The Stage on 6th, 508 E. 6th St. • RSVP required; still open
Free beer, wine, and gin, plus music by Ben Kweller, Caveman, Tennis, and others.

IODA at SXSW Opening Day Bash 2012 
Noon–6pm • Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St. • RSVP requested; still open
Free beer. Music by Oddisee, Thee Oh Sees, and The Wedding Present.

DC Does Texas SXSW 2012 Day Party
Noon–6pm • Lovejoy’s, 604 Neches St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free beer. Hume, Soccer Team, Deleted Scenes

The Portland Party
Noon–2am • The Grackle, 1700 E. 6th St. • RSVP requested; still open
Free beer from 6–7pm. Music all day.

State of Music Showcase
Noon–2am • Molotov, 719 W. 6th St. • Free with RSVP
Music by Vox & The Hound, Flashbulb Fires, Houndmouth, Little Brave and others.

Hype Hotel
1–7pm, 10pm–4am • 504 Trinity St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free Tito’s Vodka, Miller Lite, and Taco Bell. Day show features Blitzen Trapper, Big Deal, and Micah P. Hinson. Night party: Penguin Prison, Madeon, Miike Snow, Pond, and Friends. Pick up Hype Hotel badge from 1–9pm.

Party Ends Showcase
1–10pm • The Highball, 1120 S. Lamar • Free with RSVP
Featuring music by Astronautalis, Bleubird, Nervous Curtains, and Tiger Waves. Sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery.

Eventbrite Arcade Party
1:30–6pm • BandPage HQ; 604 E 7th St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free drinks, food, music and arcade games.

GigaCrate SXSW Party
8:30pm–2am • Beso Cantina, 307 W. 5th St. • RSVP required; still open
Music by Flosstradamus, Tittsworth, Eh Team and more.

PureVolume House
Midnight–4am • 2nd and Trinity Street • RSVP required; still open
Open bar + music by Cher Lloyd, Penguin Prison, and Wallpaper. Badge pickup runs from 2–10pm.

Here’s our list of today’s top free events. Take note that some of the RSVPs have closed, as noted. Have fun! As always, keep an eye on our Twitter feed for more party info as it comes in.

Spotify House
Noon–6pm • 1010 E. Cesar Chavez • RSVP required; still open
Free drinks and food; music by Yellow Ostrich (1pm) and others. Watch the @SpotifySouth Twitter account for lineup updates throughout the week.

A Music OVRLD Presented by The Boxing Lesson
Noon–10pm • Guero’s Taco Bar, 1412 S. Congress • Free w/ RSVP
Music by The Great Nostalgic, The Good The Bad, The Hi-Tones, Sorne, and others. Tito’s Vodka and Cazadores drink specials.

All Tamara’s Parties
Noon–2am • Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 E. 6th St. • Free, no RSVP
Music by 33 bands, including Zorch, Dikes of Holland, The Eastern Sea, The Sour Notes, and many others.

Jansport Bonfire Sessions
1–6pm • Mohawk, 912 Red River St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free drinks, snacks and giveaways. Music by White Denim, Strange Boys, Bear Hands, and Fly Golden Eagle.

SXSFree
2–7pm • Hickory Street, 800 N Congress Ave. • Free; no RSVP
Free vodka cocktails, cookies, and music by Geography, Politics, Dear Science, The Eastern Sea (solo performance with Matt Hines), and Driver Friendly.

SXSW Space Party
3–11:30 • The Granada House, 1184 Greenwood Ave. • Free, no RSVP
Free beer + music by Megafauna, Zlam Dunk, Feuding Fathers, Equals, Boyfrndz, Whitey on the Moon, and others.

Art Disaster No. 14
8pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St. • Free w/ RSVP
Music by Boy + Kite, The White White Lights, Cotton Mather, White Mystery, and others. Skip the line with free VIP back-alley entrance by Liking Bleach’s Facebook page.

Kool Keith Party Extravaganza
8pm–2am • Beauty Ballroom, 2015 E. Riverside • Free w/ RSVP
Free Sailor Jerry rum (8-9pm) + music by Kool Keith, Kid Slyce, and Phranchyze.

Hype Hotel: The Syndicate’s Conflict of Interest Party
8pm–3am • 504 Trinity St. • RSVP required; now closed
Free Tito’s Vodka, Miller Lite, and Taco Bell. Music by Miniature Tigers, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, and Delta Spirit. Pick up Hype Hotel badge from 1pm–1am.

PureVolume House Party
Midnight–4am • 2nd and Trinity Street • RSVP required; still open
Open bar + music by Moonlight Gram, Harriet, Exitmusic, Choir of Young Believers, and Mirel Wagner. Badge pickup runs from 2–10pm.

Here are a few suggestions of cool n’ free events worth checking out tonight. As of 3pm, all the RSVPs are still open — but hurry! Watch our Twitter feed for more party info as it comes in.

Strange Brew
2pm–2am • Hotel Vegas, 1500 East 6th St. • Free w/ RSVP
Free beer, food, and music by TV Torso, Whiskey Shivers, and others.

The Barbarian Group & Tumblr present: Robo Trip
6pm–2am • Club de Ville/Mohawk, Red River b/t 9th & 10th • Free, no RSVP
Free show with lineup featuring Wavves, Kool Keith, Japandroids, Beach Fossils, The Sour Notes, and others.

White Whale Games Presents: The God of Blades SXSW Party
7pm • Shangri-La, 1016 E. 6th St. • RSVP requested
Drinks, video games, music, and prizes.

Indie GoGo presents: Starry Night
7–10pm • Icenhauer’s, 83 Rainey Street • RSVP required
Free cocktails by Dripping Springs Vodka.

Thrillist Presents: Rocktails
10pm–2am • Rattle Inn, 610 Nueces St. • RSVP requested
Free drinks, live band karaoke hosted by Asher Roth, and music by Hood Internet, Brenton Duvall, and Valida.

iHeart Radio Presents: PureVolume House After Hours Showcase
11:30pm–4am • PureVolume House, 2nd and Trinity • PureVolume badge required
Free drinks + music by T. Mills, ZZ Ward, K’NAAN, Dead Sara, and Foxy Shazam. PV badge pickup runs through 5pm.

We’re giving away a pair of passes today for SPIN’s SXSW party at Stubb’s, featuring Santigold, Best Coast, Big K.R.I.T. and other cool acts. To enter, just tweet @coolinaustin with a photo of anything you think is cool in Austin (get it?!) by 5pm TODAY.

In your tweet, make sure to mention @coolinaustin and @SPINsxsw, and include the hashtag #SPINStubbs. If you’re not into the whole Twitter thing, you can either post a link in a reply to this Facebook post or email us and we’ll tweet it on your behalf.

The winner will be randomly selected from the entries we receive, and we’ll announce the results tomorrow morning. Good luck!

Update 3/7 at 5:30pm — RSVP is now closed. Bummer!

It’s not too late! Here is the RSVP info for 22 more SXSW parties with free booze, plus 12 other shows we think are worth going to. As with the first batch of RSVPs (31 parties), all of these are free and open to those without badges or wristbands. Keep an eye on the CoolinAustin Twitter feed for even more party updates from now through festival week. Home stretch!


Multiple Days
PureVolume House
Sun. 3/11–Sat. 3/17 • Various times • 2nd and Trinity Street
Open bar + music — check the website for details throughout the festival.

Hype Machine’s Hype Hotel
Tue. 3/13–Sat. 3/17 • Various times • 504 Trinity St.
Free Tito’s Vodka, Miller Lite, and Taco Bell, plus a pretty ridiculous lineup. (If you’d prefer not to RSVP through Facebook, click the “Enter the slow way” link to type in your info.)

Core Power Day Party
Thu. 3/15–Fri. 3/16 • Noon–5:30pm • Skinny’s Ballroom, 115 San Jacinto St.
Free drinks, food, and music.

MidCoast Takeover
Fri. 3/16–Sat. 3/17 • Noon–Midnight • Shangri La, 1016 E. 6th St.
Free beer from Boulevard Brewery.
 
Starving Artist Showcase
Fri. 3/16 & Sat. 3/17 • 8pm–2am • Peckerheads, 402 E. 6th St.
Free music, beer and food.
 

Wednesday, March 7
Gabrieldoes Presents: South by Southeast
6–10pm • CTC Garden, 1102 E Cesar Chavez St.
Free booze (Hops & Grain beer, Republic Tequila, 360 Vodka), prizes, swag, massages, and desserts; food at a discounted price; music by Driver Friendly, The Please Please Me, Atlas Maior, Garrett T. Capps, and Bud Cahill.


Friday, March 9
TaskRabbit Park Kickoff Backyard BBQ
4:30–8:30pm • 307 E. 2nd St.
Free Franklin BBQ + beer.


Sunday, March 11
Glomper Recharge Hangover Party
3–7pm • Launch787, 606 E. 3rd St.
Free cocktails by Treaty Oak Distilling and kebabs by Verts.

Fluent Party Rock
7–11pm • Maria Maria Cantina, 415 Colorado St.
Open bar + cupcakes by Hey Cupcake! RSVP email


Monday, March 12
Thrillist Presents: Rocktails
10pm–2am • Rattle Inn, 610 Nueces St.
Free drinks, live band karaoke hosted by Asher Roth, and music by Hood Internet, Brenton Duvall, and Valida.


Tuesday, March 13
Jansport Bonfire
1–6pm • Mohawk, 912 Red River St.
Free drinks, snacks and giveaways. Music by White Denim, Strange Boys, Bear Hands, and Fly Golden Eagle.

DMX Party featuring Pandora for Business
2–6pm • Clive Bar, 609 Davis St.
Free drinks, contests and live screen printing. To RSVP, text DMXRSVP to 70626


Wednesday, March 14
Goodnight Records Day Party
Noon–5:30pm • Bar 96, 96 Rainey St.
Free beer + music by …Trail of Dead and others.

The Portland Party
Noon–2am • The Grackle, 1700 E. 6th St.
Free bloody marys and coffee from noon–1pm. Free beer from 6–7pm. Music all day.

BAMM.tv SXSW Riverboat Music Showcase
12:30–3pm and 3–5:30pm • Lonestar Riverboat Dock, 50 S 1st Street (behind the Hyatt)
Free Laguinitas Brewing Company beer and snacks + live music. Benefits Blue Dog Rescue.

Eventbrite Arcade Party
1:30–6pm • Side Bar, 604 E 7th St.
Free drinks, food, music and arcade games.


Thursday, March 15
Bloody Mary Morning
10am–Noon • ACL Live at Moody Theater, 310 W. 2nd St.
Bloody Marys by Tito’s Vodka; tacos by Tacodeli; music by Ben Kweller and others.

Relix / Creative Allies SXSW Party
Noon–5:30pm • Maggie Mae’s, 323 E. 6th St.
Free BBQ & booze.

BlackBird Records + SPACE Showcase
8pm–2am • Tap Room @ Six Lounge, 311 Colorado St.
Hosted bar.


Friday, March 16
SpokesBUZZ Showcase
11am–6pm • 512 Bar, 408 E. Sixth St.
Free beer.

Rhapsody Rocks Austin 2012
Noon–6pm • Club De Ville, 900 Red River
Free Red Stripe & Guinness; solid lineup.

Greetings From … Noise Pop
Noon–6pm • Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St.
Sponsored by Wente Vineyards.



Best of the Rest: No (Confirmed) Open Bars, but Pretty Damn Cool Anyway
Girl+Guy Party SXSW 2012
Sat. 3/10 • 6pm–Midnight • Stubb’s, 801 Red River
Music by Quiet Company, The Tontons, UME, Wild Moccasins, Dave Wrangler, and The Kingston Springs.

Art Disaster No. 14
Tue. 3/13 • 8pm–2am • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St.
Music by Boy + Kite, The White White Lights, Cotton Mather, White Mystery, and others. Skip the line with free VIP back-alley entrance by Liking Bleach’s Facebook page.

Consequence of Sound’s COSIGNS, Presented by Knuckle Rumbler and Forecastle Festival
Wed. 3/14 • 11:30am–6pm • Beauty Bar, 617 E. 7th St.
Music by Cloud Nothings, Titus Andronicus, and others.
 
Party Ends Showcase
Wed. 3/14 • 1–10pm • The Highball, 1120 S. Lamar
Featuring music by Astronautalis, Bleubird, Nervous Curtains, and Tiger Waves. Sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery.
 
Sony Electronics + ‘Stache Media SXSW Showcase
Wed. 3/14 • 7:45pm–2am • Red 7, 611 East 7th Street
Music by Eve 6, Say Anything, and others.

GigaCrate SXSW Party
Wed. 3/14 • 8:30pm–2am • Beso Cantina, 307 W. 5th St.
Music by Flosstradamus, Tittsworth, Eh Team and more.

Sonicbids Official SXSW party
Thu. 3/15 • 11:30am–5:30pm • Maggie Mae’s, 323 E. 6th St.
Music by ANR, Clock Opera, and others.   
 
Playing in Traffic Records SXSW Day Party
Thu. 3/15 • Noon–5pm • Whole Foods Rooftop, 6th and Lamar
Music by Speak, Hudson Moore, The Dunwells, and Michelle Armstrong. Sponsored by Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. and Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.

MWTX Party
Thu. 3/15–Sat. 3/17 • Noon–6pm • East Side Drive-In, 1100 E. 5th St.
Killer lineup!
 
Polyvinyl Showcase
Thu. 3/15 • 8pm–2am • Emo’s East, 2015 E. Riverside
Featuring Of Montreal, Deerhoof, Japandroids, and others.

Scion Presents: Fools Gold Austin Party
Thu. 3/15 • 8pm–2am • Beauty Ballroom, 2015 E. Riverside
Featuring A-TRAK, Flosstradamus, and others.
 
Workaholics House Party
Fri. 3/16 • 1pm–2am • Icenhauer’s, 83 Rainey Street
Let’s get weird! Music by Reptar (total Tommy move!), Youngblood Hawke, Party Supplies, Action Bronson, Freddie Gibbs, Cool Kids, Statik Selektah, Trash Talk and Wavves — with a special performance by the gangsta-rapping wizards themselves.



Photo by Jared Polin (via Flickr)

If you’re planning to head to SXSW 2012, you’ve probably spent the last few weeks getting bombarded with party info. How do you sort it all out? In our opinion, the best place to get started is by RSVPing for the open bar parties. It’s hard to go wrong with free booze.

To help you prepare, we’ve put together a list of the 31 best open bars that have been announced thus far. All of the events below are open to the badgeless and wristbandless, and all of them require you to RSVP. As a bonus, at the bottom of this post, we’ve also thrown in a few other cool events that require an RSVP but aren’t advertising open bars, because hey, you gotta catch your breath sometime. We will post even more useful info in the coming days — including the elusive Fader Fort and Pure Volume invites when they become available — so keep checking back.

Pro tips:
1) RSVP for everything, even if you think you won’t go. It’s good to have flexibility. 
2) We think these parties will be awesome, but we can’t guarantee that they will deliver on everything they promise in the invite. Show up early to increase your chances of getting the good stuff and to avoid having to stand in line forever. Have backup options in case your first choice is already at capacity.
3) If you’d like a more comprehensive list of RSVPs, we recommend signing up for SXShhh.com — for $5 you get access to a very slick database of 400+ parties and the ability to keep track of everything you’ve RSVP’d for.

Good luck out there!


Multiple Days
Party at Trover’s Live Graffiti Gallery
Fri. 3/9, Sat. 3/10, Sun. 3/11, Mon. 3/12 • 6–9pm • East Side Drive In, 1001 E. 6th
Free drinks and a graffiti wall.
 
Paste Magazine Party: The Stages on 6th
Wed. 3/14, Thu. 3/15, Fri. 3/16 • Noon–6pm • The Stage on 6th, 508 E. 6th St.
Free beer, wine, and gin, plus a great lineup.
 

Friday, March 9
Do512 and AirCover Present: Epic Interactive
7pm–1am • The Belmont, 305 W. 6th St.
Complimentary cocktails from Deep Eddy Vodka, Jack Daniels, and Southern Comfort. Music by Delta Spirit and Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. Download the AirCover or the TabbedOut app on your iPhone or Android and show it at entry to get in the “fast lane” through the line.

GuideHop Party at the Jackalope
9–11pm • Jackalope, 404 E. 6th St.
Free drinks.


Saturday, March 10
JunJuntoBox Films at Hangar Lounge
11am–4pm • Hangar Lounge, 318 Colorado St.
Open bar, a DJ, and discussions about independent film.

SpareFoot + Uncle Bob’s present: Spare Beats
2pm–2am • Molotov, 719 West 6th Street
Free Sailor Jerry’s Rum and food from Dogwood.

Copyblogger Media Presents: The Computer Blue Party
8–10pm • The Rattle Inn, 610 Nueces St.
Open bar from 8:30-9:30pm.

Ask.com Bash
8pm • Hangar Lounge, 318 Colorado St.
Free drinks.

SXSW House Party, Hosted by Crosswalk
8pm–Midnight • Big Red Sun, 1311 E Cesar Chavez St.
Drinks by Deep Eddy Vodka and Dos Equis. Music by RAC.

Vivogig & DejaSet’s Mobile Music Invasion
8pm–2am • Swan Dive, 615 Red River St.
Free drinks + music by Octopus Project, Fresh Millions, Art Verses Industry, and Sphynx.


Sunday, March 11
Stick Your Finger in It!
11am–3pm • Love Goat, 2716 Guadalupe St.
Bottomless mimosas and free food.

Get Down Party
8–11pm • Pure Volume House, 504 Trinity
Free drinks + music by Bright Light Social Hour and RAC.

Yelp’s Interactive Event & Mobile Lounge Launch
9pm • Violet Crown Social Club, 1111 E. 6th St.
Free Maker’s Mark and beer from Independence Brewing Co. Read RSVP instructions carefully — requires a Yelp account.

HGTVGardens.com Launch Party
9pm–1am • 304 W 4th St.
Open bar + food from The Peached Tortilla.


Monday, March 12
White Whale Games Presents: The God of Blades SXSW Party
7pm • Shangri-La, 1016 E. 6th St.
Drinks, video games, music, and prizes.


Wednesday, March 14
IODA at SXSW Opening Day Bash 2012 
Noon–6pm • Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St.
Free beer.

I Blame Yoko: Heave Media Day Party Showcase
Noon–6pm • BD Riley’s, 208 E. 6th St.
One drink ticket for the first 250 people.

DC Does Texas SXSW 2012 Day Party
Noon–6pm • Lovejoy’s, 604 Neches St.
Free beer.


Thursday, March 15
Tijuana Gift Shop & Sideways Media present: Manic Fest Destiny
Noon–6pm • Rusty’s Austin, 405 E. 7th St.
Free wine.

Pop is Serious Day Party
Noon–6pm • Venue TBA
Free booze for the first 150 people.

The 17th Street Party at the Rail
Noon–7pm • PeopleFund, 2921 E. 17th St. Bldg D, Ste 100 (next to the 17th Street MetroRail stop)
Free beer from Live Oak Brewing Co., free margaritas courtesy of Sabor Azul and free appetizers supplied by La Madeline.


Friday, March 16
SxSeattle 2012 
11am–5pm • Palm Door, 401 Sabine St.
Free drinks. (The Facebook invite is actually official for this one.)

The Midgetmen’s Texas Jumpstart 5 
12–6pm • Lovejoy’s, 604 Neches St.
Free beer; music by The Midgetmen, Ezra Furman, and others.

Requiemme Mgmt and Devil Dolls Booking SXSW Day Party
Noon–6pm • Jackalope, 404 E. 6th St.
Free beer.

Badass Rock Party Presented by The Boxing Lesson & Slacker Magazine
Noon–10pm • Guero’s Taco Bar, 1412 S. Congress
Free Don Julio tequila 6-9pm.

Yelp’s Backyard Austin Blowout
2–6pm • The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd.
Beverages by Enchanted Rock Vodka, Waterloo Gin, Treaty Oak Rum, Firefly Sweet Tea, Rebecca Creek Whiskey, .36 Ranger Creek Bourbon, Crispin Cider, Independence Brewing Co., 512 Brewing, and Freixenet. Food by Batter Blaster, Coreanos, and Pirate’s Booty. Read RSVP instructions carefully — requires a Yelp account.


Saturday, March 17
Reverb Party
11am–5pm • Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St.
Free food and Colorado craft beer. Music by Typhoon, Bass Drum of Death, and Com Truise.

MPressFest SXSW 2012
Noon–5pm • Soho Lounge, 217 E. 6th Street
Free drinks, food, and giveaways.

McNally Smith College of Music Presents: Rock the Cause
Noon–8pm • The Liberty Bar, 1618-1/2 East 6th St.
Free beer, food from East Side Kings, and music by Astronautalis and others.

Do512 and Shiner Present: The Big One 2012
Noon • The Belmont, 305 W. 6th St.
Free Shiner Beer, Deep Eddy Vodka, Jack Daniels, and Southern Comfort.  Music by Bright Light Social Hour, Dead Confederate, The Features, and others. Get TabbedOut on your iPhone or Android to get priority entry.

Showlush Presents the 3rd Annual Ramble Creek Backyard Day Show
Noon–7pm • Ramble Creek, 1704 Kinney
Free Lone Star, PBR, and cocktails.


Best of the Rest: Not Open Bars, but Pretty Damn Cool Anyway
The Wind and The Wave + Vivogig present: The Second Annual Matchbox Showcase
Thu. 3/15 • Noon • Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St.
Music by The Soldier Thread, Zeale, Saints of Valory, The Burning Hotels, and others.

Dickies @ SXSW 2012
Thu. 3/15, Fri. 3/16, Sat. 3/17 • 2–7pm • Lustre Pearl, 97 Rainey St.
If you RSVP it’s possible to get in without a badge, but you have to get there very early.

Filter Magazine’s Showdown @ Cedar Street
Thu. 3/15, Fri. 3/16, Sat. 3/17 • 11am–6pm • Cedar St. Courtyard, 208 W. 4th St.
If you RSVP it’s possible to get in without a badge, but you have to get there very early.

Filter Magazine Presents: S.O.Terik
Thu. 3/15, Fri. 3/16, Sat. 3/17 • 2–7pm • Clive Bar, 609 Davis St.
If you RSVP it’s possible to get in without a badge, but you have to get there very early.

The Aussie BBQ
Sat. 3/17 • Noon–2am • Maggie Mae’s, 323 East 6th Street
Free BBQ starting at noon. Badges/wristbands only after 7pm.



For up-to-the-minute SXSW coverage, make sure to check us out on Twitter and Facebook. And for those of you who will be around Austin this weekend, we’re hosting a showcase at Beauty Bar this Saturday, March 3, with drinks sponsored by Cinco Vodka. Hope to see y’all there!


Photo by Kris Krüg (via Flickr)