If you're in Austin, Texas this week for the South by Southwest Music Festival, there won't be a better opportunity to get a crash course in the current state of the host city's music scene than Wednesday night's (2/12) Austin Music Awards.

The 21st annual Austin Music Awards get underway at the Austin Music Hall at 8 p.m., and dozens of local and national favorites are expected to make appearances.

Among the acts scheduled to perform this year are Ruthie Foster; Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez; a tribute to the Hole in the Wall with Paul Minor; Beaver Nelson; Troy Campbell; Scrappy Jud Newcomb; Jane Bond; Tony Scalzo; Miles Zuniga; Darin Murphy; Ted Roddy; Barbara K; Andrew DuPlantis [ tickets ]; Jeff Johnston; Larry Seaman and Matt Hubbard; The Improbable Return of Redneck Rock with Steven Fromholz; Rusty Wier; Billy Joe Shaver [ tickets ]; Ray Wylie Hubbard; Bob Livingston; Ray Benson and special guests.

Award winners were determined via a reader's poll conducted by local alt-weekly the Austin Chronicle. Local television station WB 54 will broadcast the event live from 9 p.m. through 11 p.m.

Though the Austin Music Awards are by far the night's main event, dozens of acts will be keeping the stages warm at clubs throughout the central city. Among the notable showcases are:

• Woodstock veteran Richie Havens [ tickets ], who takes the stage at Cedar Street Courtyard at 1 a.m.
  
• Hip-hop groundbreakers Jungle Brothers [ tickets ] and experimental rockers ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead at 11 p.m. and midnight, respectively, at Emo's Main Room
  
• Alt-country band Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash at 1 a.m. at Opal Divine's Freehouse
  
• California Oranges--a Sacramento-based band clearly inspired by such '80s alt-rock architects as R.E.M. and Galaxie 500--at Tequila Rocks at 1:30 a.m.

The B-52's [ tickets ] have canceled their planned 11 p.m. appearance at Stubb's "due to a family tragedy," according to the SXSW website.

Wednesday's SXSW Links:

Click here for SXSW's printable listing of Wednesday's conference panels.

Click here for SXSW's printable version of Wednesday's full musical lineup.

Click here to visit the SXSW Music Conference homepage.

Click here for SXSW's printable venue map.