Race
and music will be the topic of discussion when Public Enemy founder Chuck D. joins
a panel of music insiders for this year’s South by Southwest Music (SXSW) conference.The
rapper, along with rocker/writer Garland Jeffreys, and Alejandro Escovedo, will
lead the panel, titled "Say It Loud, I’m What? And I’m Proud."The
discussion, which is scheduled for March 17, is one of four new events planned
for the conference, which takes place March 14-17 at the Austin Convention Center
in Austin, Texas.Others
slated to appear include Myspace president and co-founder Tom Anderson, who will
speak at an SXSW interview on March 15; David Cross, who will address "Comedy
on the Music Circuit on March 16 with Patton Oswalt and Zach Galifianakis and
impressario Lou Adler, rock icon Michelle Phillips and legendary manager Andrew
Loog Oldham who will speak on the Monterey Pop at 40 music festival.The
new additions join previously announced speakers such as Pete Townshend, Emmylou
Harris, Terry McBride, David Byrne, Rickie Lee Jones, Booker T Jones and Iggy
Pop.Conference
attendees will also be able to network with more than 125 companies that will
have booths at the SXSW trade show and exhibition at the convention center. Over
1,400 musical acts will perform on more than 65 stages at the SXSW Music Festival,
which will invade downtown Austin.In
all, more than 70 separate panels, workshops, demo listening sessions and the
SXSW mentor program will be featured at the conference.Entertainment attorneys
can receive credit from the SXSW continuing legal education program.For
conference event details, visit http://www.sxsw.com/music/conference/In
related news, Public Enemy will embark upon the PE Beats To Mecca Tour, which
kicks off Mar. 7 in Cincinnati and winds down Mar. 25 in Atlanta, GA.Tour
dates are listed below: Wed-Mar-07
Cincinnati Madison TheatreThu-Mar-08 Chicago House of BluesFri-Mar-09
Toronto Kool HausSat-Mar-10 Boston Worcester PalladiumSun-Mar-11 NYC BB
King’sMon-Mar-12 Burlington, VT Higher GroundTue-Mar-13 Baltimore Ram’s
Head LiveWed-Mar-14 Myrtle Beach, SC House of BluesFri-Mar-16 Austin BMI
EventSat-Mar-17 Dallas Gypsy Tea Room ?Sun-Mar-18 Houston Meridian Wed-Mar-21
New Orleans House of BluesThu-Mar-22 Orlando Hard RockFri-Mar-23 St Petersberg
Jannus LandingSat-Mar-24 Miami UltraMusicFestival Sun-Mar-25 Atlanta,
GA. Sugarhill