Our Foundation Manager, Hanna Cofer, recommends her top 6 live streams to get you through the weekend:
Initially I had doubts that I could emotionally connect to my community through watching livestreams online, but after the past few days I am a believer. From DJ Mel’s impromptu dance party and watching my friend’s kiddos prance around the house to it via IG stories to getting my St. Patrick’s Day fill with an Irish inspired garage band jam from Sour Bridges last night - its been a great reminder of why I love the Austin music community. You can even heckle the bands via comment and leave virtual tips via Venmo handles which has been a great way to stay connected and support the artists.
Quite a few folks have been compiling the upcoming virtual concerts so we plan to share those as they come together. One of our local radio stations, Sun Radio, had planned a whole week of live music which is now being shifted to them playing the records of each of the artists that were scheduled to join them including Margo Price, Soul Asylum, Shakey Graves, The Band of Heathens, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and more. On-air sessions available through their website, their app, and of course 100.1FM if you are listening locally.
Full schedule: http://sunradio.com/
Daily:
Jackie Venson Virtual Jams
Austin’s favorite guitarist has been hosting online sessions for a while now so she has stepped up her jams to a daily highlight which gives something great to look forward to every night. She keeps things interesting too - not only is she treating listeners to her incredible guitar playing and songwriting but she has apparently put together a DJ set “Jackie the Robot DJ,” plays the ukulele, and jumps on the piano.
9:30pm CST Daily: https://www.facebook.com/jackievenson
Friday March 20th:
ACL Stands With Austin
Imagine everything you missed at SXSW, all rolled into one show that you can watch in your PJs and support the local service industry at the same time. This event is dedicated to the folks who are hardest hit by the SXSW cancellation and ensuing health crisis—the music and service industry pros who literally have made our city famous - supporting the Stand With Austin campaign.
Britt Daniel of Spoon, Shakey Graves, The Texas Gentlemen, David Ramirez, Bob Schneider, Jackie Venson, Guy & Jeska Forsyth and some longtime friends of Austin City Limits Radio from across the country, including Hanson, Lisa Loeb and Brian Fallon.
8:00pm CST: https://acltv.com/
Friday March 20th:
Guy Forsyth & Jeska Bailey House Concert with Guest Jackie Venson
Guy Forsyth is one of my favorite local musician storytellers and the intimacy and lightheartedness of these house concerts will show you why. Double up on Friday with Jackie Venson sitting in with the duo!
“Music, and all art, teaches empathy. Without time spent enjoying the poets work, paint, architecture or food, the world is a hard place. A simple song can make the loneliest person feel understood.”- Guy Forsyth
6:00pm CST: https://www.facebook.com/guyforsythband/
Venmo tips: guyforsythband
Friday March 20th & Saturday March 21st:
Austin Love & Lightstream with Black Fret Society
Black Fret, a local nonprofit supporting up and coming musicians for years, is presenting daily performances from Sholtz’ Garden (Texas’ oldest live music venue) that wrap up this Saturday. I don’t currently have access to the Saturday lineup but you can be assured that you will not only love what you hear but you will find a new local band that you didn’t know to love.
Friday lineup: Suzanna Choffel at 4:00PM, Jeff Plankenhorn at 5:00PM, Ley Line at 6:00, Al Vallejo at 7:00, Eric Tessmer at 8:00, and Nané at 9:00PM
Saturday March 21st:
DJ Mel’s Living Room Dance Party.
Last week’s virtual body-rock-a-thon from DJ Mel paved the way for the local online concert explosion - thousands tuned in and I’m sure even more have watched it since then. Expect the dance party every Saturday - it kicks off at 6pm and runs until 10pm.
6:00pm CST: facebook.com/DJ-Mel
Sunday March 22:
Isolation Congregation with Dave Madden
Dave is kind of an enigma. He went to Berklee College of Music, is a TED Talk speaker and voting member of the Grammy’s, has been voted Best Music Arranger at the AMP Austin Music Industry Awards and Top 10 Best Keyboards by the Austin Chronicle’s Music Poll, and he hosts a weekly ‘Isolation Congregation’ that will be your new Sunday favorite. He even puts together lyric packets so that you can sing along! It is a nondenominational compilation with classic spiritual songs of hope, faith and courage.
9:30am CST: facebook.com/davemaddenmusic
Venmo tips: dmadden82