Commentary:One fan's pilgrimage becomes fortunate musical discovery

I've been through a lot to see my favorite band, Two Gallants, play live. I've narrowly escaped police brutality (Google their October 13, 2006 show at Walter's on Washington if you're curious) and braved hordes of studded belt-wearing and self-consciously-smoking scenester teens when 2Gs opened for the emo-punk band Against Me. But I have never before driven six hours round-trip to see them, or any band, play. Zombie driving through the wee hours may not compare in shock value to witnessing a crazed cop with a Taser, but it was probably at least as dangerous.I had hatched this plan months ago after I found out 2Gs were playing in Austin, a location well within reasonable driving distance. The fact that they were playing during the annual South by Southwest music festival and conference was, at the onset, entirely secondary. I had always been interested in attending SXSW, as it is called, especially after my stellar first experience with Austin's other major music festival, Austin City Limits, but conference passes cost ungodly amounts of money and the confusing Web site provided little information on any other way to experience it. I gladly resigned myself to seeing only Two Gallants and didn't think much more about it.