As we do every year, The Reader sent a contingent of music experts (and music lovers) down to Austin, Texas, for the annual South by Southwest Music Festival. More than 2,000 bands participated in 2011, including Nebraska’s Bright Eyes, Satchel Grande, Orion Walsh, Midwest Dilemma and Daniel Christiansan. This year, our group included Reader Music Editor Chris Aponick, HearNebraska.org’s founder Andrew Norman and veteran photographer Robert Robinson. Included below are links to what they saw, and more importantly, what they heard. SXSW 2011 Coverage from The Reader Part 1: Hear This, Nebraska! Andrew Norman reports back on Nebraska bands performing in Austin: thereader.com/index.php/comments/hear_this_nebraska/ Part 2: A Booking Wishlist Chris Aponick saw more than a handful of bands in Austin that he’d love to see come through Omaha: thereader.com/index.php/comments/a_booking_wishlist/ And here are links to Aponick’s daily Backbeat reports from Texas’ capital city: Day 1, which includes a Michael Stipe sighting: thereader.com/index.php/comments/recharged_and_ready_for_winners/ Day 2, with Aponick’s review of the Strokes’ headlining show: thereader.com/index.php/comments/thursday_notes/ Days 3-4, thoughts from the road back home: thereader.com/index.php/site/comments/days_3_and_4/