GSD&M to sponsor private event featuring performances by Mobley, Moving Panoramas, Saul Paul, SURVIVE, Tinnarose and Whiskey Shivers.
(AUSTIN, TEXAS – January 16, 2017) – Austin nonprofit Black Fret is back for another amazing year with its 2017 Season Launch to be held on Saturday, Jan. 21
featuring Mobley, Moving Panoramas, Saul Paul, SURVIVE, Tinnarose and Whiskey Shivers. The show will take place at The Mohawk located at 912 Red River Street Austin, TX 78701. Doors are at 7 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m. The event, Black Fret’s first of dozens in its 2017 Nomination Season, is sponsored by GSD&M.
Those who wish to attend the launch party may become a member of Black Fret by signing up at www.blackfret.org/join. All memberships provide entry for the
member and a guest to all upcoming 2017 Black Fret events, including the annual Black Fret gala. For inquiries, please email sustain@blackfret.org and for more info see www.blackfret.org.
Since 2014, Black Fret has awarded a half a million dollars in grant dollars to local Austin artists. To date, these grants have been used to create and perform music and to provide community service including 142 new songs written, 110 studio recordings, 56 new songs and videos released, 214 U.S. performances, 28 international performances and 58 community service performances for other local charities. This year alone, nonprofit has been covered in national media outlets such as Pitchfork and Forbes. Black Fret just held its third annual Black Fret gala at The Paramount Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 10, where its 2016 grant recipients were announced in front of a sold out house of over 1,100 attendees.
Ten Major Grant Recipients each received a grant of $17,000. These artists include: BeeCaves, Carson McHone, Dan Dyer, Nakia, Ray Prim, Suzanna Choffel, Swimming With Bears, The Peterson Brothers, Walker Lukens and Wendy Colonna. Additionally, ten Minor Grant Recipients each received a grant of $5,000. These artists include Brownout, Calliope Musicals, Dana Falconberry, Daniel Eyes & The Vibes, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Harvest Thieves, Leopold and His Fiction, Magna Carda, Sweet Spirit and Name Sayers. Grant presentations were made throughout the evening by a number of Black Fret sponsors and members, as well as Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a passionate supporter of Austin music.
The annual process now starts over as Black Fret begins its 2017 Artist Selection Process commencing with the “Nomination Period” during which Black Fret members will explore new bands so that members are well versed in Austin’s talent pool and ready to choose the group of nominees for 2017. In March, Black Fret will announce its 2017 Black Fret Nominees and begin the next “Listening Period” ultimately leading up to the awarding of grants at the 2017 Black Fret gala.
In addition to their grants, all Black Fret Nominees have continued access to mentoring from Black Fret’s Advisory Board, which consists of 37 of Austin’s top music industry leaders. Newly added advisors include Codey Allen, Evan Blanc, Jen Dalton, Danny Gillespie, Layne Lauritzen, Michael Ramos, Dick Reeves, Chris “Frenchi” Smith and Graham Williams. Existing advisors are Mark Addison, Heather Alden, Roggie Baer, Pat Cassidy, Reenie Collins, Mike Crowley,
Wofford Denius, CJ Eiriksson, Jim Eno, Nigel Finley, Will Hoffman, Jennifer Houlihan, Terrany Johnson, Terry Lickona, Weston McGowen, Davis McLarty, Marsha Milam, Matt Noveskey, Tim Palmer, George Reiff, Peter Schwarz, Carlos Sosa, Joe Stallone, Stuart Sullivan, Heather Wagner Reed, Kevin Wommack, Tom Vale and Rusty Zagst. For more information, please see www.blackfret.org/advisors.
Black Fret receives ongoing support from generous sponsors such as ALL ATX, Dell Inc., Deloitte Consulting, SunPower Inc., Gibson Brands, The City of Austin Economic Development Department – Music & Entertainment Division, GSD&M, Personify, Whole Foods, DeMaris Entertainment, Juice Consulting, Nomad Sound, Miscellaneous Rentals, KUTX, Austin Monthly, The Austin Chronicle, the Austinot, the Paramount Theatre, Biggs Electric, Enterprising People, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Jameson’s, Ben E. Keith Distributors, County Line BBQ, Shady Grove and Frank.
About Black Fret:
Founded in 2013, Black Fret is a public charity headquartered in Austin whose mission is to empower musicians to create and perform great new music. The organization is an innovative evolution of the age-old symphony patronage model that is focused on supporting popular local music. Together, Black Fret’s limited membership will build an endowed institution capable of sustaining more than a million dollars a year in grants to Austin’s artists. Annual Black Fret member dues are $1,500, breaking down to about $100 a month after taxes. Many members have access to a corporate charitable giving match program (such as offered by Dell, Apple and other major employers) that can reduce the monthly cost to less than $50 a month. In return for annual dues, members will be
rewarded with unprecedented personal access to the city’s top artists through a broad range of private events including monthly shows in intimate venues and an incredible annual gala event named The Black Fret gala. Grant recipients are selected annually through a yearlong process where members, advisers and prior grant recipients nominate, lobby for, see performances by and finally vote on their favorite artists. Those who wish to become a member of Black Fret can sign up at www.blackfret.org/join. All memberships provide entry for the member and a guest to all upcoming 2017 Black Fret events, including the Black Fret gala. For inquiries, please email sustain@blackfret.org and for more info see www.blackfret.org.
*MEDIA NOTE:
To RSVP to the 2017 launch party and member recruitment event, or for general press inquiries, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:
Heather Wagner Reed
713 208 3891
heather@juiceconsulting.com
Amber LaFrance
469 877 1533
amber@juiceconsulting.com