This may be the last year the Maintenance Shop is able to send its representatives south to seek new acts for its crowds in Iowa.

For the last few years, the venue has sent its student director and adviser to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, to check out the latest in upcoming artists.

But if things get any tighter budget-wise, the yearly trips might end, says Eric Yarwood, Maintenance Shop adviser.

“If we have to make any major budget cuts, travel might be the first thing to go,” he said.

For now, Yarwood is glad to be going.

“It’s a chance for the students to meet other professionals in the business,” he said. “Quite a few of the agents that we work with are down there.”

SXSW is one of the premier national gathering of bands, artists and music industry professionals. The conference is held annually in March during the University of Texas’ spring break. The conference features panels focused on important issues in the music business, guest lectures and performances by about 1000 artists in the city’s plethora of live venues.

Artist and bands apply to SXSW hoping to further their careers by showcasing. With some, these showcases result in a major-label record deal, as it did for Arizona’s Refreshments in the early ’90s.

For many national and international musicians, the opportunity to play in front of those responsible for booking the country’s premiere clubs is reason enough to attend.

The showcase also gives the shop an opportunity to view some acts that might be a good fit for the venue.

“We go down there to see new and interesting bands that we would never be exposed to otherwise,” Yarwood said. “Seeing them live helps me make a more educated decision.”

Yarwood has a few acts he’s been keeping his eye on, possibly for a future booking.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis,” he said.

M-Shop director Squire Boone is also itching to see a few specific showcases, including bands that have already played the shop this year.

“I’m looking to catch bands like The Icarus Line, Shat, Dead Low Tide and Thursday,” he said.

Boone said he’s interested to see if the performances of bands such as Thursday or Taking Back Sunday will match up to the shows they gave in Ames.

“I wonder if the crowd will be into it as much,” he said. “There are going to be a lot of record label reps and press there instead of people that are more familiar with the bands, like we have when they play here.”

SXSW has gone through some changes in the past few years, Yarwood said. The showcases were historically for unsigned bands to play and hopefully gain a deal. But recent years have seen an increase in the number of larger bands making the trek.

Last year, big-name acts like The Cult, Black Crowes and Matthew Sweet played SXSW. This year, Better Than Ezra, Johnny Lang and Superdrag are just a few of the already-established bands on the schedule.

But Yarwood said this year’s lineup seems to parallel the conference’s glory days.

“This year, it seems to be more of the smaller, new acts, which I was happy to see,” he said.

M-Shop representatives typically try to book a good number of the acts they see in Austin. For example, The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, Allison Moorer and Charlie Robison have all played the venue this year. M-Shop representatives first ran across each of these acts at last year’s SXSW.

Of the 35 bands he saw in four days last year, Yarwood said the M-Shop scheduled around 10 for this year’s lineup.

At one point, teen-band Hanson was rumored to be playing and was even featured on the Web page. But at the time of this article, all mention of them has disappeared, something Yarwood seems to be at least slightly dismayed by.

“I would have gone to see them, in all seriousness,” he said.