The Sessions Inside Tracks

After show Sessions at La Zona Rosa: Exclusive first look with Fitz and TheTantrums

Last year during Austin City Limits, The Sessions reached out to Fitz and The Tantrums to collaborate on filming the band's after party show at La Zona Rosa. The team jumped on board as soon as Michael Fitzpatrick and the gang gave their okay

As massive fans of Fitz and The Tantrums, this shoot was unforgettable, but it was also special because famed music venue, La Zona Rosa, is on the cusp of closing its doors forever. This warehouse building feels more like a dive bar than a music venue, but after seeing a show, you'll quickly realize that it's easily one of the best places in Austin.

Producers Lauren Bucherie and CJ Vinson have included this exclusive footage on a video pilot called "Sound Tracks with The Sessions," a music-inspired travel series that explores American cities. What better city to start out in than our beloved Austin?

Check out this sneak peek of Fitz and The Tantrums, and stay tuned for more footage. With ACL Fest just around the corner, you never know where The Sessions will be filming next!

"Money Grabber" by Fitz and The Tantrums

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About The Sessions:

Producers CJ Vinson and Lauren Bucherie are musical tastemakers based out of Austin, Texas. They built their company around a simple wish: To diminish the boundary between art and audience. Their unwavering style and eclectic creative collaborations have made The Sessions sought-after team for musicians around the world. CJ and Lauren have worked with everyone from local favorites Cowboy and Indian, Suzanna Choffel and Dan Dyer to internationally-renowned acts like Fitz and the Tantrums and two-time Grammy award winners The Civil Wars.

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Still defending the dream

Former UT football star turns another page in AISD library renovations

Derrick Johnson Discovery Den library opening

Photo courtesy of Jane Yun and Giant Noise

Langford Elementary School has new furniture and books in the library, thanks to former NFL player Derrick Johnson. (Pictured: the opening of a Discovery Den at Austin's Oak Springs Elementary School.)

There’s always more to discover in the world of books, and former Longhorns linebacker Derrick Johnson is making sure there are new places for it, too. The football star, who went on to play for the Chiefs, later created a foundation which has just installed its second “Discovery Den” in Austin at Langford Elementary School, unveiling it on March 23.

Johnson’s Discovery Dens are minor library renovations that include furniture for kids who would like to read together or independently, plus “750 new age-appropriate and culturally relevant books.” Photos also show wall decals of Johnson and encouraging words such as “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”

“I’m thrilled to continue our work in Austin and transform Langford Elementary’s library into a space that inspires kids to open a book and their minds for a brighter future,” said Derrick Johnson.

Defend the Dream Foundation — now 11 years old, almost as long as Johnson’s 14-year NFL career — prioritizes low-income and inner city youth in Title I schools to encourage success both in and out of school. Kendra Scott, a well-known Austin-based jewelry designer with frequent philanthropic endeavors, matched the foundation’s contribution to the Langford project as a co-funder.

“Education is a key component of our philanthropy pillar at Kendra Scott, and we’re proud to provide ongoing support for the Defend the Dream Foundation and all the good they do” said Kendra Scott CEO Tom Nolan. “The new library at Langford Elementary will provide the right resources to continue to inspire the future leaders of tomorrow.”

It is also thanks to Austin Ed Fund, a nonprofit education foundation through Austin Independent School District (Austin ISD), that the Dens can be created. The first Austin Discovery Den opened at Oak Springs Elementary School in September of 2022. There are 17 Dens in total across the United States, with multiple in the Chiefs' home of Kansas City.

“We are so grateful to DJ and his foundation for caring about our students and impacting schools in our community,” said Austin Ed Fund executive director Michelle Wallis. “We’ve already seen the positive impact that the Discovery Den has made in Oak Springs Elementary School, and we know that students at Langford Elementary will experience the same excitement in having new books to read in their new library space.”

More information about Defend the Dream Foundation is available at visit derrickjohnsonfoundation.org.

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