12 ways to make more connections after SXSW [Kosha Dillz]

In addition to being music’s #1 mensch and a master of self-promotion, indie rapper and MTV/VH1 Wild ‘n Out star Kosha Dillz holds the land speed record for most appearances – both as a performer and a participant at – SXSW. But even for Kosha, the real value of SXSW happens after everyone leaves Austin.

by Kosha Dillz

The “follow up” is quite a horrible yet awesome situation to be in.

Did we not connect enough in real-time?  It is really tough to do anything with those postcards and business cards you got stuck in your pants pocket?  The short answer can be yes or no. 

I get that it is dwindling already, even though some of us are on tour right now from our last shows or even just getting our feet less swollen after 10 days of walking and running after overpriced Ubers. I curated two showcases at SXSW, including one that had me featured in Forbes Magazine as a top select SXSW pick and also in Variety Magazine as one of the top highlights but if I don’t do anything with all that firepower, it is all on me. I also want to let you personally know that my “follow-ups” at SXSW have gotten me on festivals and tours around the world like Vans Warped Tour and festivals in Holland with Mos Def and Snoop Dogg. It has also landed me SXSW sponsorships for my showcases.

So this list of not only for you guys reading but also for me to implement in my own quest for collaboration and business.  Thank G-d I love doing what I do!!

1. Show social Love to all the participants In the comment section   This is something I found out how to do via my NPR Tiny Desk Contest entry. There is a community that is strong and supportive while all discovering new music. So much that it got me an appearance on an NPR station in Rochester this morning after a show last night.  To do this, follow the hashtag #sxsw23 or #SXSW plus location posts of Austin, and spend an hour of your Instagram time showing “love” and commenting on these posts.  You will find some cool bands this way and also some great music industry folk.  “That event looked fire.! Sorry, I missed it!” really makes a person on the other end keep up hope after curating a gazillion events. You’ll get some genuine conversations out of it. 
2. Create your own list of things you missed or saw at SXSW – The biggest music blogs of SXSW show acts to see and acts “not to miss” which really help. Add a couple of familiars and discover a couple more on your own. This can be a playlist on Spotify / Apple or something you write. Putting this out to the ethos will come up as something engaging to the people who follow you and can lead to much more. The content upon content. Fiona Bloom, a legendary publicist who has been to SXSW for over 30+ years,  made a SXSW playlist on Apple.  With all that time, it is still important to create things.
3. Message and follow the official panelists A great way to engage with panelists is to message them. Many of them speak in exchange for a badge but they are also appreciative of anyone who speaks to them on the topic they are familiar with.  Saying you were at SXSW and missed them is the same as saying you were at Coachella and missed the band set if that makes sense. If someone messaged me, I think that is the nice thing to do and respond back.  You can also ask them how they got on a panel if you want that for yourself. 
4. Twitter and google search for #sxsw   I recall when SXSW was having Twitter parties in 2011. It is easy to search for people and favorite things with one click that are funny. You can search and find things you missed all why you browse through your normal crap. There are many gems in there and it is key to finding the attendees, storytellers, journalists of SXSW. Peep this tweet that Daniel Snow wrote, about his Rap Showcase at Stubbs
5. Send one new song and video to the people who didn’t write about you The usual play here is “touching base” with a reason. I’d go through the articles of SXSW via small to big blogs and message them in regard to their work. For example I would send a message as such. “Nice piece on that show at Cheer Up Charlies! I was gonna head there but didn’t make it! I wanted to say hi and introduce myself and drop you a link to my new song if you got some time to jam today.” 
6. Focus on international attendees They say that those who appreciate this more are from far away. I never met a person from NYC or LA  or Austin that really loved SXSW simply based on the fact that they don’t consider it a privilege.  I once met a booker named Edwin Van Andel at SXSW who I later visited in Amsterdam and dropped off merchandise. That led to us becoming friends and staying with him once in Holland. He now books at dedoelen.nl in Rotterdam! Say hi to him and tell him you  found him in the crevices of SXSW hypebot land.
7. Be of service and not of need  Everyone is trying to create press and opportunity for themselves but not that many people are given them. For instance, Fiona Bloom, who is a stellar publicist of the Zombies and other bands invites me to many things.  If you post ten great bands you saw at SXSW and get reposted you’ll meet new people and many will appreciate it.  Check out Kalush Orchestra or Kozak Siromaha from Ukraine who played my OY VEY showcase. Sudan Archives and Hannibal Burress aka Eshu Tune came to my show just to hang out!! Also since we are here check out bands I actually missed but I was mad that I did.! AJ Clark and Trials of Cato (the biggest British folk band out of the levant)  or Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. I met them at the airport!
8. Contact the photo pit The most important people at SXSW are the photographers. They take photos of bands for free, give them the photo, and can be in your city to work.  Consider showing them love because they might be the next person to shoot your album cover or concert on tour.
9. Drop a note to your “friend list”  . I can drop a message and show the new links and ask them how they are doing!  Be kind out there.  Don’t just add them to your email list. Drop a personal line and have a real interaction for no reason without expectations. The appreciation will go far and they might have already been talking about you silently (which means without tweeting or Instagram ) and there is a chance something might come down the road. I met the booker of Rochester’s Lilac Festival who came to see me at my Rochester show just the other day.  The most successful people you meet might be at a Taco truck.
10. Ask for suggestions  If you feel there is no leverage in asking someone for something (maybe a manager, agent, etc). Ask them if they have suggestions. People enjoy the idea of “hooking someone else up” on this endless quest for fulfillment in their careers, and they may pass you off to the right person.  Believe it or not, if you ask the right questions, you can keep it all going.  Figure out your needs just like it is for any relationship and how to properly communicate that. Many times we spend time asking the wrong people. 
11. Send a gift. Is your merch moving? Do you have a postcard? Do you like creating comical warmth? If the answer is yes, please send some stuff to the people you met. The world of emails is dull and the idea of phone calls is awkwardly intruding so my plan is to reach out and get some addresses. For instance, I have a merch store (districtlines.com/koshadillz)  with a lot of extra goodies and tie-die shirts that make great gifts 🙂  I am going to send them. You can also send a postcard as my friend Flex Mathews would say.  People love getting mail!
12.  Do the Ari Herstand thing! That guy Ari has a book and a crew and a platform to learn and really has the knowledge and direction with proper planning to elevate your musical endeavours. I missed his showcase but signed up for his programs and webinars and he also has a great SXSW take from last week you should check out on Aristake.com If you stay close to him and that world you are in some good hands!

These are 12 great things to do this week if you have time. I am also working with my friend on updating my site and rolling out my next  Just wanted to update you all when the time gets dull, so that you can always spark up the fire by reaching out and saying hey!

But for SXSW you probably want to do that like…now!

Kosha Dillz, or Rami Even-Esh, curates showcases for SXSW, has a TedX talk and is a cast member on NIck Cannon’s Wild N’ Out for season 19 which comes out on April 6 on Paramount+ // VH1. Click his linktr.ee for all the good stuff from merch to socials and music. His latest song is in Hebrew called “Chaverim” which means friends in English