SXSW Scrapbook: People and Places that Went Before (Essex Press, distributed by University of Texas Press) provides an exhaustive and comprehensive overview of the last 25 years of the ever-expanding music festival and convention. Talk about dense and studded with pics and quotes, the 256-page book has a year-by-year tally of events starting in 1987, and additionally features an A to Z list of over 14,700 bands and performers who played at the festival.

I recall earlier at this year’s SXSW talking with some guys at a gas station that’d just arrived in their tour bus (a reconverted school bus) and sure enough they were young, eager to conquer Austin and they weren’t even alive when the events described in chapter one of SXSW Scrapbook unfolded.

Here’s just the very tip top of the iceberg of moments related in the book: how legendary bluesman Grey Ghost starts tinkling the ivories in an impromptu performance; the premiere outdoor stage on 6^th street and how Iggy Pop subsequently wowed the audience and staff alike; Johnny Cash playing a last minute gig at Emo’s on a bill that features a newcomer named Beck, and how Sterling Morrison wasn’t able to get into this show despite the fact that a staff member had used his name to obtain entry via the guest list. SXSW Scrapbook had me tripping hard down memory lane.

The book contains the good, the bad and the sad. Like last year when Alex Chilton died the week of a Big Star panel and reunion. But the show at Antone’s goes on with the other original members and guests appearances from John Doe, Mike Mills, Evan Dando, Chris Stamey, and Curt Kirkwood.

Sure music is the heart and soul of SXSW yet Scrapbook doesn’t scrimp on details regarding the subsequent additions of the film and interactive divisions of the festival. Those are also covered in full. Between box quotes, essays and articles tangential to specific events there are stat chapters for each year where all the major facts, figures and notable acts are delineated.

- Michael Bergeron