Next Week's Visitors Also Like Walking on the SXSWild Side

SXSW has become like a spring break for the music, interactive and film businesses that attend it, along with the many thousands who flock here to have a good times galore. Even with all the music shows, films, parties with free drinks and other merriment readily available, some also have the urge to indulge in some adult and erotic fun.

It's not just hotels, bars and clubs, restaurants and shops that reap the rewards of some quarter million people coming to town, so do strip clubs, lingerie and nude modeling parlors, escorts and others.

"Of course," says the manager of one adult-oriented enterprise. "Every business in Austin gets more business during SXSW."

"South By definitely increases business for us," says B. Miller, manager of Expose on S. Congress Ave. And with all the out-of-towners in Austin for the event ready and eager to spread some disposable cash around, the gentlemen's club tries to make the most of it. "We'll advertise in the Chronicle, we'll send girls downtown to give out flyers and passes." And even locals and regulars include it in their party week celebrations. "We have local people who will come in here to have a drink and then go downtown to SXSW."

Louis Montalvo, manager of Palazio on Ben White Blvd., concurs. "We sure do" have a bump in patronage, he says. "We staff up pretty heavily for it." He finds their biggest draw comes "more with the music events than the film."

"Yeah, we get busier, definitely," confirms an employee of one Austin escort service. At Exquisite Escorts, proprietor Cash notes that "with that thing next week people are already getting a bit busy early." He sees a 40 percent increase in business over the 10 days or so of SXSW. "It's a pretty big deal. Starting next Thursday night [March 14] through Sunday morning it will be total f**king mayhem. Nobody will sleep. We'll be hurting Monday, but it's okay."

After all, the influx of visitor dollars ups everyone's income. "Amen, brother!" Cash declares. "It's pleasantly accepted but it's an extra long two weeks."

Our city's gay bathhouse, Midtowne Spa, also sees a – ahem– rise in business during the festivities. "It's good, it's above average, every year" says the company's regional manager. "And a lot of that comes from out-of-towners." Last year, two European executives for a major search engine company even used Midtowne as way to get a break on housing costs by renting rooms at the Spa for their time in town. "They actually stayed here for four full days. They went out during the day and did their SXSW thing and came back at night and that was that. We loved it and they had a great time."

The economic benefits appear to span the wide range of erotic interests and proclivities. "I hadn't really put it together before, but I do notice an increase of non-regulars during events like SXSW and ACL, now that I actually think about it," says Cherrie Black, a transsexual provider of GFEs (girlfriend experiences). "It seems to me that m2f [male to female] trans are quickly becoming America's secret obsession."

Professional Dominatrix Ms. Desirée aka Mercenary Mistress says she expects "numerous random 'wankers' calling my phone during late night hours or sending me one-liner emails inquiring about services. I don't cater to last-minute callers and the types of clientele that come in to party."

However, "SXSW has so many professionals it is worth casting a net into that pool. I have made up special cards for the event and look to lure a few dedicated boys who might want to come for return trips." And she notes how "the SXSW inquiries are more dignified than the ones I receive during the ROT Rally.... Those guys have no manners whatsoever."

SXSW is even a time for visitors in such vocations to gin up some additional business. New York City-based pro Domme Mistress Josie says, "I am going for pleasure, but the nature of my job allows me to take my business on the road. I figured I would see if I could find any new clients while I was down there."