SXSW Music technically kicks off at ABIA

ABIA is a popular place this week.  People are flying in from all over to spend their spring break in Austin, attend SXSW or both. 

Aside from your occasional movie star sighting, musicians are starting to pour in for the music portion of the festival that kicks off Tuesday.

Avi Snow, Zach Para and John Pita are in an instrumental band from New York called City of the Sun. 

"It's a mixture of a bunch of different things, it has a Spanish kind of vibe to it," Snow said.

It's their second year at South By.

This year, they say they're playing fewer shows but to bigger crowds.

"We're playing a show at The Hideout.  Pretty excited about it, it's our first official showcase in the festival.  So it's going to be cool.  I think once you start doing that you're on the right track," Para said.

These New Yorkers love Austin.

"Last year was our first time here and we were actually like excited to come back this year because we knew what it was," Snow said.

"Great food, great beer, great music," Pita said.

Great music is something you'll hear year round at ABIA as soon as you step off the plane.

"We have 21 live shows each week in 5 different venues here at the airport and then again we have 6 extra SXSW sanctioned shows, local musicians playing here at the airport to welcome SXSW," said ABIA spokesperson Jason Zielinski.

Austin native Suzanna Choffel and her band played this year's first SXSW sanctioned show at the airport.  Choffel says playing for travelers at ABIA over the years has meant a lot to her.

"In years past I've made some great connections, I've made some fans that have stayed pretty tried and true throughout the years who live in completely other places but they've signed up on the email list or grabbed a CD and boom, next time I go to that person's city I have some more fans there," she said.

ABIA says during the month of March they're expecting 36,000 flyers a day to come through ABIA.  During South By, the number jumps up to 40,000.