AUSTIN, Texas - The Canadian contingent at this year's South by Southwest music festival is what the local folks here might call "Texas-sized."
  
Every spring, thousands of musicians, label reps, journalists and fans descend on the state capital, and that includes a growing number of Canadian artists and industry types.

At the corner of  East 6th Street -- Austin's main nightlife drag and epicentre of the festival -- and Red River is the El Sol y la Luna, a Mexican restaurant transformed into what's become the official HQ for Canadian acts, of which there are 125 registered at SXSW.

Duncan McKie, president of the Canadian Independent Record Production Association, has organized the first-ever Canada House at the site to serve as a venue housing Canadian bands exclusively for the duration of the festival, as well as private industry parties and daily live broadcasts on CBC Radio Three.

"This is an opportunity to get people down, concentrate our resources into one spot and build a promotion around that," says McKie.

"We're able to get Canadian bands that would have been in less preferable venues -- perhaps in smaller ones further away from the city -- into the downtown core area where it's crowded."

About half of those 125 acts are scheduled to play Canada House during the festival before it wraps up Sunday, from well known artists like Toronto reggae pop trio Bedouin Soundclash and ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur to more obscure outfits such as Charlottetown power pop group Two Hours Traffic and Montreal-based garage rock combo King Khan & the Shrines.

According to McKie, it's not only the location of Canada House that's important in getting exposure for these Canadian musicians, but also inviting the right people to see them.

"If only 10 people came and they were the most influential people in the United States, that would be better than a 100 people with (festival) wristbands," he says. "That's really a key aspect of this."

One of the bands slated to play El Sol y la Luna, among several other showcases during the festival, is Hamilton-based indie rock unit the Arkells. It's their first trip to South by Southwest and they say they're grateful to see some friendly faces in a fest that can be intimidating based on its sheer size.

"There's definitely something to be said for having support in another country," says Arkells vocalist Max Kerman. "We have great support in Canada with our independent label and the people who work with us, but getting that same support in other places is really beneficial for Canadian bands.

"I don't know if anything will come out of it. We're mostly just here to have a really good time and play our show."

Of course South by Southwest isn't just about bands, labels and industry reps swapping cards and making deals. The soul of the festival is the people who come for the pure love of music.

Music fan Colin Smith, who lives in Toronto, decided that driving 2,600 kilometres was a small price to pay to make his inaugural pilgrimage to SXSW.

"Everyone always tells me how great it is, and I always wanted to go, so when the chance came up I jumped on," says Smith, 27. "The best part is going to new venues, getting in there and not even knowing who is going to be on stage. And then it turns out to be a really good show and just enjoying it."

"And some of the (sponsored) parties give you free beer. That's the greatest of all."