It’s hard not to get carried away with excitement thinking about all the great bands coming to town for SXSW, but many of them have been here all along. Home field advantage? Not exactly. While they don’t have to fight for hotel rooms, they have to work just as hard to get selected by SXSW for official showcases.

Bands like The Eastern Sea, Wild Child and What Made Milwaukee Famous (despite what their name indicates) got started in Austin playing at venues like the Parish, Lamberts and Antone’s. During SXSW, they’ll be playing multiple times a day all across the city, so there’s no reason to miss them.

Local label Playing in Traffic Records is giving you a one-stop-shop for a Texan showcase. They are featuring bands like Dame, Sahara Smith and Los Lonely Boys on the rooftop of Whole Foods. RSVP here.

The best local music happens year round, though. It’s important to come back to check out Austin’s music scene by seeing Dale Watson at the Continental Club or Shakey Grave’s weekly show at the Parish. Check out this video below from Austin Music Weekly.