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Kevin Russell of Austin band Shinyribs speaks Monday morning outside of Austin City Hall in a rally to support Austin music industry workers. City Council will consider COVID-19 relief measures this week.
Editor's Note 1:45 p.m.: This story has been updated from the previously published preview to the rally to tell what happened at the rally.
Austin music industry members and supporters rallied Monday morning in front of City Hall to remind elected officials of their essential role in the "Live Music Capital of the World."
Austin Texas Musicians and Amplified Sound Coalition, advocacy groups recently formed to support local music industry workers, co-hosted the rally ahead of City Council meetings scheduled this week to potentially approve a COVID-19 relief proposal that music industry workers say "doesn't go far enough." Several speakers instead proposed a three-point plan in support of Austin musicians, venues and support staff:
- Music Venue Preservation Fund: Dedicated, fast-tracked funding for music venues
- Clear Eligibility/Requirements: Simple application process and reasonable requirements for qualifying for relief aid
- Transparency: Clear understanding of how relief money is distributed and who receives it
"It's time to put up or shut up," Kevin Russell, frontman for Austin band Shinyribs, said repeatedly to the 200-plus people in attendance. "Too long this city rode our cultural coattails while taking us to the cleaners."
Russell was among almost a dozen musicians and music industry advocates to call for dedicated music industry relief money from city officials.
"We can't turn back time and we don't aspire to turn back time," Russell said. "But we can ask the city to repay our debt to this world-famous culture."
Other speakers included musicians Guy Forsyth, Lauryn Gould, Jesse Dayton and Anthony Farrell of Greyhounds as well as Reenie Collins, executive director of the Health Alliance of Austin Musicians, and Patsy Bouressa, executive director of the SIMS Foundation.
Nakia Reynoso, another musician who led the event as president and co-founder of Austin Texas Musicians, repeated a rallying cry throughout the event, "No money, no music," to emphasize the critical emergency in Austin's music scene amid a half-year of pandemic-related closures and canceled gigs.
"They know how valuable the brand of live music in Austin is, and they damn sure know it when they see how much tax revenue we drive to this city every single year," Reynoso said. "For six months, they keep telling us how valuable Austin music is with 'blah, blah, blah' resolutions. But we have yet to see any actual substantial help for the venues that employ us."
Musicians, as well as venue workers, engineers, site security and other essential workers, are struggling right now, said Jeannette Gregor, a longtime bartender at Mohawk and co-founder of Austin Sound Coalition.
"I recognize all of you for who you are: skilled laborers who are a crucial part of Austin's identity," Gregor told the crowd.
The option to pivot to another paying job isn't practical, she said, and it denies the fact that music industry jobs represent legitimate careers.
"These gigs are part of our careers and our work may be what defines us individually, but our work is what defines this town, too," Gregor said. "We want to go back to work, desperately."
Gregor called for the industry to unite regardless of past allegiances or grudges, starting with agenda items slated during Thursday's City Council meeting.
"Together if we stand united we can amplify our voices and they will have no choice but to listen," Gregor said.
City Council meets for its routine work session at 9 a.m. Tuesday before its full meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday to potentially discuss COVID-19 relief money for essential Austin industries, including music workers.
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Popular
Austin FC kept rival FC Dallas to a draw Saturday night as it pulled off a 2-2 comeback. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Despite a 2-0 deficit, there was a pot of gold for Austin FC after all as it celebrated its annual Pride Night with rainbows and a 2-2 comeback draw to FC Dallas Saturday night.
After three FC Dallas losses last season, the Dallas derby draw marks the first time Austin FC has tied against its Copa Texas rival. Austin continues to edge over FC Dallas as it sits at 3rd in the MLS West.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the match:
A somber start
¡Ya Basta! Enough! End Gun Violence. #uvaldestrong
— Los Verdes (@LosVerdesATX) June 26, 2022
📷 @arubiophotospic.twitter.com/3PiVdTPtik
Decked out in colorful hues for LBGTQ+ Pride, Verde fans started the match on a somber note as they held up banners to take a stand against gun violence before the match.
As the national anthem began, fans held up banners with the names of each child that was killed in the Uvalde school shooting and a plea to "end gun violence."
The supporters' section was also dotted with Pride flags and a "Bans off Our Bodies" banner in protest of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
FC Dallas earns a 2-0 lead
Paul Arriola is there to put it away and put @FCDallas ahead! pic.twitter.com/Z4AMmM6lp3
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
That sober tone continued onto the pitch. With midfielder Daniel Pereira's absence due to a red card, the Verde and Black lost two goals to FC Dallas by the 70th minute of play.
FC Dallas played it sneaky for the first half of the match, giving Austin FC plenty of room to hold possession as it waited to strike on a Verde error. That mentality proved dangerous for Austin as Dallas' Paul Arriola took advantage of Brad Stuver's deflection to score the first goal of the night in the 57th minute of play.
Dallas struck once more as Brandon Servant pushed past the Verde line to score the second goal of the match.
#DTID double their lead!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
The substitute Brandon Servania with a fine finish within five minutes of coming on. 💥 pic.twitter.com/IZm0YsPxG5
Austin FC strikes back
Sebastián Driussi pulls one back!#AustinFC are still in this one. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yoi0x768jb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
But energy quickly returned to Austin's favor thanks to Designated Player Sebastian Driussi, who scooted past several FC Dallas defenders alongside Moussa Djitte to snag an unlikely first goal for Austin.
A full Verde comeback
Late drama in this Texas Derby!@AustinFC ties it up, Danny Hoesen with the diving header. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Jk2f4fIEXG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
Austin's subs proved deadly as momentum returned to the home team toward the end of the match. A well-placed cross from Nick Lima—and a diving header from a fresh-legged Danny Hoesen—helped the team secure the draw with a second Verde goal in the 84th minute of play.
Hoesen, who was Austin's first starting striker last season, has now scored two goals with the team after a yearlong injury stuck him on the bench.
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(Bob Daemmrich)
Hours following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, on Friday, about 1,000 people gathered in Republic Square with signs calling for change.
The rally, organized by the group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights Texas, started at the federal courthouse on Republic Square on Friday at 5 p.m. before the crowd marched to the Texas Capitol. More protests are expected to ensue over the weekend.
People showed up with all types of signs like Mindy Moffa holding up, "Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers."
Austin joined cities across the country that saw protests for a women's right to an abortion after the ruling.
According to a recent UT poll, 78% of Texas voters support abortion access in most cases.
Sabrina Talghade and Sofia Pellegrini held up signs directed at Texas laws. A Texas trigger law will ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization, starting 30 days after the ruling. When state legislators passed the trigger law last summer, it also passed laws for more protection of firearms, including the right to open carry without a permit.
Lili Enthal of Austin yells as around 1,000 Texans marched to the Texas Capitol.
From the Texas Capitol, Zoe Webb lets her voice be heard against the Supreme Court ruling.
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