Be a Volunteer Musician - Caritas of Austin Kitchen Concerts

Caritas of Austin is a local non-profit social service agency in Austin. Since April 2001, I have organized music at least once a month at the Caritas Community Kitchen. This idea came during SXSW 2001 when I walked past Caritas clients and SXSW participants on the same block. I thought it was important to bring music to the Caritas clients who may not have any other way to access the live music scene of Austin, our “Live Music Capital of the World”.

I am now booking musicians who would like to volunteer their art and a little of their time, mainly solo or duo acts. Musicians will need to provide their own small sound system or PA. Artists usually play on Fridays, and the show time is 11am-12:15pm. The total time commitment with set up and break down is 10:30am-12:30pm. The monthly show is called the Friday Kitchen Concert.

If you or anyone you know might be interested, please give me a call or email.  If your schedule does not permit a Friday, we could always talk about another day of the week.

Just a quick thank you to the wonderful musicians who have played thus far: Joe Mannix, Jimmy Joe Natoli, Michael Fracasso, Sara Hickman, Darden Smith, Nathan Hamilton, Neal Kassanoff, Bob Schneider, Mandy Mercier, Mike Rosenthal, Eric Hisaw, Kevin Gant, Scott Biram, Matt the Electrician, Chrissy Flatt, Toni Price, Foscoe Jones, Leeann Atherton, Hot Club of Cowtown, Meredith Miller, Ray Cashman, Danny Santos, Kevin So, Troy Campbell, Elizabeth McQueen, Claire Holley, Mark Ambrose, Just Kate, Gary Graves, Simon Bruce, King Tears, AJ Roach, Lawrence Glass with Jackson, McKay Brothers, Onion Creek Crawdaddies, Colin Gilmore, Patrice Pike, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Jenny Reynolds, Chasemissy, Jack Harris, Lisa Bastoni, Abi Tapia, Woode Wood, Juan Gutierrez w/Black Water Gospel, Colin Brooks, Amanda Cunningham, Ed Jurdi, Nick & Jimmy from Window, AJ Roach & Adam Roszkiewicz, Chrissie Engle, Stayton Bonner, Rokkatone, Shelley King, Camero Jones, The Band of Heathens, Kevin Carroll w/Mike Meadows, Patrick Conway w/Chris Peterson, Carolyn Wonderland, Steve Power w/Tom Cuddy, Amy Cook, LZ Love & Lightning Red, Shotgun Party, Rayne Grant, Graham Weber, Idgy Vaughn, Mo Pair, Melissa Greener, Erin Ivey, Myrna Cabello, Nathan Hubble, Betty Soo, Joseph Langham w/Lisa Leanne, Carrie Elkin, Grace Pettis, Dave Thies, Anthony Salerno, Gina Chavez, Jon Dee Graham, Barbara Kooyman, Raina Rose, Aimee Bobruk, Vanessa Lively, Mike Wood, Ben Mallott, Wendy Colonna, Greg Koons, Elizabeth Wills, Victor Mourning, 3 Penny Acre, Amanda Pearcy, Nakia, Carter Beckworth, Libby Kirkpatrick, J. Wagner, Noelle Hampton & Andre Moran, porterdavis.

Also, please see the South By Soup Fest links for the very special out of town musicians who performed at the soup kitchen: March 13-15, 2002 * March 12-14, 2003 * March 17-19, 2004 * March 16-18, 2005 * March 16-18, 2006 * March 14-16, 2007 * March 12-14 , 2008 * March 18-20, 2009.

Five days a week, the Caritas Community Kitchen serves lunch to 400+ Austinites, and the clients have loved the Friday Kitchen concerts.