My 48-Hour SXSW Trip Showed Why Music Matters

As the sun sets, XANDRA gets on the decks for a DJ set, but five minutes in, the power goes out. It’s unfortunate but hey, that’s live music for you. Things happen. What happens next though is not typical because all of a sudden, a voice on the mic screams, “Who wants free product?” and JBL speakers are being tossed into the audience. A hundred people clamor to the front of the stage, hands up, eager to snag their own Charge 6 or Flip 7. I see students emerge from the crowd with a speaker in hand — some holding five — and all are excited to bring one back to their dorm room. Beyond the tech and fashion, JBL has perfected the “cool” factor, and its JBL Campus program perfectly taps into the culture of how we experience music — on the go, with our friends, listening to our favorite songs.