My Beloved Austin Musicians,
I first learned of the magic of your music when I was just a wee little girl of four years old. My family moved to Austin that year and Mom and Dad wasted no time getting us out and about to hear your songs and feel your souls. We did outdoor concerts at Auditorium Shores, Sunday nights were reserved for the Ballet at The Armadillo World Headquarters, we attended Fiesta at Laguna Gloria, Willies 4th of July Picnic at Waterloo Park, we did Threadgills, The Driskill piano bar, The Austin Symphony… hell if they would let my parents in the bar with us in tow, we were going! We were 3 sisters that loved to hold hands and run through the crowds playing a game we called snake. The sounds of your songs moving through us and the excitement of the crowds cheering you on as we raced through our new Austin family squealing with delight! What a clear and cherished memory I have of meeting and falling in love with you and your art.
As I got older I layered in my own teenage experiences, fake ID in tow. There was Club Foot for countless Joe King Carrasco concerts, Liberty Lunch, Antones, just about anywhere on 6th Street, Continental Club, Broken Spoke and The Austin Opry House. My friends and I looking shiny and loud in our 80’s attire sipping Lone Star Longnecks and smoking clove cigarettes, it was absolute heaven.
I am writing this letter to you because my team and I recognize what Covid has done to our Austin music family and we want to help. We put our heads together and this is what we came up with. We would like to sponsor a different musician each month to compile a playlist for us to share with our community. Personally, I think it would be really cool if you would include some of your own music so our community can get to know you if they do not already!
This pandemic shit sucks and it is redefining the way we live our lives, no doubt. But I know I speak for the entire Austin community when I say we are not willing to let Pinche Covid take down the Music Capital of the World!! I have always tried to live my life by showing up and doing my part however big or small that is and being a part of the solution. In the grand scheme of things this is a little gesture but it's the little things that add up to make the big things and we gotta start somewhere.
Furthermore, music has the ability to transport us out of whatever funk we are in and we could all use a little transporting right now.
Thank you again for your craft. This month we are supporting our dear friend Storm. She put together our first playlist and we think its pretty groovy. We suggest simply downloading the playlists and listening along as we collectively raise our vibrations and help out our phenomenal Austin Musicians.
Love Yall,
xo M.