Grab your cowboy boots, trivia skills, and an empty stomach, because Nerdist is headed back to Austin, TX for SXSW! This week (Friday, March 10 – Sunday, March 12) we’ll be taking over the delightful Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden on Rainey Street again for games, celebrity interviews, live music, giveaways, and much, much more. Best of all, entrance is totally free and you don’t need a SXSW badge to enter.
So whether you’re in town for the festival or an Austin local looking for a place to hang, here’s a taste of everything you’ll find at Nerdist’s Backyard Bash Presented by Alpha.
Celebrity Guests!
Throughout the weekend, we’ll have a select group of celebrities swinging by our Banger’s stage, including Edgar Wright, Jon Hamm, Ian McShane, Orlando Jones, Crispin Glover, Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Jake Johnson, Joe Lo Truglio, Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, and Pablo Schreiber… just to name a few. We’ll be chatting with the teams from Baby Driver, American Gods, Rooster Teeth, Free Fire, and Win It All live on stage, complete with some silly games and challenges, so make sure you send us your questions for them using #NerdistBash on Twitter!
Music!
It wouldn’t be SXSW without a little live music, and we’ve got some performances scheduled that might just wake the dead. From our Geek & Sundry pal Amy Vorpahl’s “Songs in the Key of D&D” album release party to zombie-themed jams from The Dead Music Capital Band to Banger’s infamous Big Band Brunch (yes, there will be mimosas), there’ll be something for everyone all weekend long.
Speaking of FOOD, Banger’s also has a huge selection of beer and sausages for your dining pleasure, and we’ll be giving away free drinks and snacks throughout the entire weekend as well.
Games!
Are you the geekiest guy or gal in Austin? Come play trivia with Nerdist editors Dan Casey and Rachel Heine and put your knowledge to the test. We’ll have free food and drinks to give away, plus a smattering of giant games like Jenga, Connect Four, Beer Pong, Corn Hole, and more throughout Banger’s so you can play while you eat, watch, and listen.
Special Stuff!
AND, since this weekend’s Nerdist Bash is presented by Alpha, our rad new community, we’re also offering up some exclusive perks for Alpha members. Members will receive a free beverage and/or Alpha flight and entree on any day they attend, and if you sign up for membership while you’re at Banger’s, you can get in on the action, too.
Lastly, as part of the Resident Evil series’ 20th anniversary, Capcom has teamed up with iam8bit to bring the franchise to life as an interactive escape room with the Resident Evil Escape Experience! This unique escape game experience is themed around the popular survival horror series, including some obvious and some not so obvious nods to various Resident Evil games, as well as the upcoming Resident Evil 7 biohazard.
iam8bit & Capcom have saved some slots exclusively for Alpha members on Friday, March 10 at 12:30pm, 2pm, and 3:30pm! If you’re an Alpha member, check the forums for more details on how to RSVP.
UPDATE: We’ve just added some additional acts:
Saturday, March 11 @ 12pm: Leonard Maltin with Nick Offerman and Brett Haley
Saturday, March 11 @ 8:30pm:Â DJ ChinoCasino
Sunday, March 12th @ 10am: Sip Sip
Make sure you check out the full schedule above, relive some of our favorite moments from last year’s SXSW in the videos below, and let us know if you’ll be joining us this weekend using #NerdistBash on Twitter!
