With the words "Welcome the great endurance test," Tom Gray and Gomez [ tickets ] kicked off their set at Stubb's on Thursday night (3/19) to cheers and applause. Austin's SXSW festival and conference was a rip-roaring success again this year, made even better by near-perfect weather from start to finish.

The big surprise appearances; Jane's Addiction [ tickets ], Metallica [ tickets ] and Kanye West [ tickets ] were icing on the cake of an already brilliant lineup of bands. On Friday night (3/20), Devo [ tickets ] filled to overflowing the huge, split-level Austin Music Hall. The band's show was one of those rare ones that give you the sense of being at the center of the universe.

Another popular attraction were the Direct TV stages located in the Convention Center--which featured bands such as Tinted Windows [ tickets ] who performed on Saturday night (3/21). Sunday morning the masses made the pilgrimage to the airport, yawning, blurry eyed and grinning with that "I survived another SXSW" look on
their faces--not to mention a little smudge of Amy's ice cream on their lips.