Charity Spotlight

Austin nonprofit's big event goes virtual to keep local music alive amid COVID-19

Jane Ellen Bryant performs at HAAM Benefit Day ATX sign

HAAM Day will go virtual on September 15.

Photo by Ben Porter Photography

Every fall, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians brings together local music lovers and performers for a day full of fundraising and concerts across town. But, like many things in 2020, the organization is putting a virtual spin on its annual event to support the musicians when they need it the most.

On September 15, a virtual version of HAAM Day will celebrate the nonprofit's 15th anniversary and provide you with opportunities to tune in to live music and donate to Austin's music community during this unprecedented time.

"It's been just over four months since the live music scene in Austin was dealt an unexpected and astronomical blow — a hard, fast halt on live music. This meant that thousands of Central Texas musicians, who rely so heavily on their weekly and monthly gigs, were now without any source of income," notes a release.

"As the effects of COVID-19 continue to wreak havoc on the Austin music community, HAAM knows that now more than ever, access to affordable, quality healthcare is vital to our musicians maintaining their livelihood and their ability to remain in Austin, creating the music we all love. It's for those reasons that they have decided to create the very first virtual HAAM Day!"

Traditionally, on HAAM Day, fans can stumble upon live music performances at restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and even corporate campuses across Austin. This year, HAAM Day will feature 15 hours of live music streaming across platforms like Facebook Live and YouTube.

The nonprofit is currently seeking entertainers to join the lineup, and, given the virtual pivot, HAAM will be able to include "a wide range of talent more reflective of the diverse array of musicians [the] programs serve," says the release.

HAAM hopes to raise more than $600,000 on September 15 — funds that will go directly to its mission of providing affordable healthcare to Austin's low-income musicians. But, HAAM reminds that this day is about more than just money — it's "dedicated to supporting, enjoying and discovering the local musicians who help create the Austin that we all love."

Performers can register for HAAM Day online, and the organization is also seeking sponsors for the 2020 event. More details on HAAM Day's virtual programming will be released in the coming weeks, but mark your calendar now.

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MESSAGE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE

Austin theater auctions off chance to write message on iconic marquee

Paramount Theatre/Instagram

The Paramount Theatre is auctioning off the chance to share a holiday message on its marquee.

Austinites craving the limelight might get the chance to see their name in lights — or at least a personalized holiday message — illuminated on one of Austin’s most historic marquees.

As part of the Austin Theatre Alliance’s final 2020 auction to raise funds for the Paramount and Stateside theaters, the nonprofit is offering up an array of unusual and very “Austintatious” items for bid, including the chance to share a customized holiday message on the iconic Paramount Theatre marquee.

The auction item is one of several dozen currently up for bid through ATA’s online holiday auction, which runs through December 11.

With a starting bid of $1,500, the Paramount marquee message is one of the pricier items in the auction, but it may be well worth the glory, as the winning bidder can treat all of Austin to a two-line, 80-character custom holiday message that will be professionally photographed and live on the marquee for a minimum of four hours. (It should be noted that the chosen message is subject to review. After all, this is a nonprofit theater marquee, not the infamously sassy El Arroyo sign.)

Having to cancel or reschedule hundreds of planned shows because of COVID-19 concerns, the Paramount Theatre has had a particularly rough year but recently reopened at 25 percent capacity for limited engagements, like its Holiday Film Series, which is currently underway. Funds raised from the auction enable the ATA, which manages the Paramount and Stateside, to reach Central Texas students through virtual programs, employ venue staff, and help the historic theaters survive the pandemic.

In addition to the Paramount marquee message item, the auction also includes other perfectly weird items befitting a homegrown Austin event, like Matt Lankes photos of Willie Nelson playing chess and the late, great Billy Joe Shaver looking contemplative while perched on a bridge in Waco; and several autographed guitars, including one commemorative acoustic guitar signed by 10 of Austin’s most notable musicians, Ruthie Foster, Carrie Rodriguez, and Tameca Jones among them.

Of course, there is no lack of booze-forward packages, hotel stays, and artist-signed prints also up for grabs. But true lovers of the Paramount Theatre will find the item with the highest opening bid ($5,000) steals the show: a private catered dinner for four on the Paramount stage.

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Charity Spotlight

Austin nonprofit's big event goes virtual to keep local music alive amid COVID-19

MESSAGE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE

Austin theater auctions off chance to write message on iconic marquee

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