South By Southwest and the surrounding unaffiliated hoopla have slipped into hyperdrive as the music portion of the annual conference and festival opens this week.

Kanye West and Jay Z have announced they’re headed to Austin, Texas, the cherry on top of a gloriously all-over-the-place gathering that also will feature Lady Gaga as a keynote speaker, Lil Wayne as an interview subject and 2,000 other acts vying for attention in the midst of the frenzy.

And there are still more surprises to come. Trust us.

Here are five things to look for in Austin ― besides a great enchilada:

<YONHAP PHOTO-1474> 레이디 가가, K-팝 공연장 방문 (오스틴=연합뉴스) 김재현 특파원 = 팝스타 레이디 가가가 12일 새벽(현지시간) K-팝 쇼케이스가 열린 미국 텍사스주 오스틴 시내 클럽인 '엘리시움'에 들러 박재범의 공연을 관람하며 즐거운 시간을 보내고 있다. 2014.3.12 jahn@yna.co.kr/2014-03-12 16:23:11/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2014 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.> American pop superstar Lady Gaga attends Jay Park’s concert during the K-pop showcase at this year’s South By Southwest music festival held in Austin, Texas, Wednesday. Yonhap American pop superstar Lady Gaga attends Jay Park’s concert during the K-pop showcase at this year’s South By Southwest music festival held in Austin, Texas, Wednesday. Yonhap
레이디 가가, K-팝 공연장 방문 (오스틴=연합뉴스) 김재현 특파원 = 팝스타 레이디 가가가 12일 새벽(현지시간) K-팝 쇼케이스가 열린 미국 텍사스주 오스틴 시내 클럽인 '엘리시움'에 들러 박재범의 공연을 관람하며 즐거운 시간을 보내고 있다. 2014.3.12 jahn@yna.co.kr/2014-03-12 16:23:11/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2014 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.> American pop superstar Lady Gaga attends Jay Park’s concert during the K-pop showcase at this year’s South By Southwest music festival held in Austin, Texas, Wednesday. Yonhap American pop superstar Lady Gaga attends Jay Park’s concert during the K-pop showcase at this year’s South By Southwest music festival held in Austin, Texas, Wednesday. Yonhap

Goo-goo for Gaga: No one creates a spectacle like Lady Gaga and she’s got her monster claws all over two days of the conference. She’ll perform at the relatively intimate Stubb’s on Thursday night before giving a keynote speech Friday morning. It’s been a tough year for the pop provocateur, and SXSW offers her a chance to restart the conversation.

Hip to the hop: Hip-hop will again be a dominant force at SXSW as it has been for the last few years. There are so many rappers worth seeing it’s impossible to list them all. A few: Kanye and Jay Z together; Kendrick Lamar; Lil Wayne; Rick Ross; Nas; 50 Cent; Tyler, the Creator; Earl Sweatshirt; 2 Chainz; Future; Action Bronson; Childish Gambino ... and don’t forget ScHoolboy Q, who takes a victory lap in Austin after his new album opened at No. 1.

Grrrunge: Break out those hole-y jeans and fly that flannel, Soundgarden’s going to party like it’s 1994 on nostalgia night at the iTunes Festival. The grunge rockers celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Superunknown” by playing the landmark album live front to back for the first time. Dude. (AP)