37th Annual Buddy Holly SXSW Kickoff Bash 

Dear Friends -

It’s that time of the year again - please join us to raise awareness and funds for the work of Buddy Holly through The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation at our Annual Buddy Holly SXSW Kick Off Party. The Buddy Holly Foundation builds on Buddy’s legacy by promoting musical education for young people, in cooperation with the Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association, and their Texas Songwriter U program. Raising funds for these worthy 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations at our Annual SXSW Kick Off Party supports musical education for young people in Texas and across the country for years to come!

7:10 - Bruce Smith:

No performer has graced the Safe House stage for more ferocious performances than Bruce Smith because he wails at a fever pitch, brings it all down to a whisper and rocks all the spaces in between, always maintaining intensity and integrity. The Austin Chronicle writes, "Austin's Bruce Smith Band impresses, ...his songs bring together a wide-screen view that defies his youth." http://brucesmithband.com/

7:40 PM – Natalie Price:

Natalie Price is Intoxicatingly authentic and wholly original – you’ll never forget the first time you stepped into Natalie Price’s world. Described by Trey Gutierrez (Texas Music Magazine) as “one of Austin's most dynamic new singer-songwriters,” Price’s ethereal, one-of-a-kind sound refuses to fall neatly into one category. Just as comfortable dabbling in Americana or folk as she is indie-pop, her music is perhaps best encapsulated by its deep-seated humanity. Her self-titled album, produced by Mary Bragg, is slated for release later this summer. https://natpricemusic.com

8:20 PM – Rachael Sage & The Sequins

NYC-based alt-pop artist Rachael Sage was described by Goldmine Magazine as "mesmerizing...thoughtful, pensive and flush with an emotional flourish, all carefully and adeptly executed." She has toured with Grammy® winners Shawn Colvin and Judy Collins – with whom she also recorded a critically-acclaimed duet of Neil Young's "Helpless". In addition to being a six-time Independent Music Award-winning musician and producer, Sage is also a John Lennon Contest Grand Prize winner, and has toured globally from Japan to Berlin with her band The Sequins. http://rachaelsage.com/

9:00 PM – West Texas Exiles

With influences from The Flatlanders and Buddy Holly to Augustana and Jason Isbell, the West Texas Exiles are reinvigorating the music scene with a modern interpretation of the lone star vernacular. Grounded in rhythmic and lyrical honesty, the Exiles’ sound is the vastness of the West Texas sky and the energy of a world where nothing stands still for long. With three songwriters including Colin Gilmore, this band of outsiders aren’t just waltzing across Texas, they are riding into the sunset in search of new horizons "while I still got my boots on my feet." https://www.westtexasexiles.com

9:40 PM – Steve Salas

A guitar player, writer, producer, and composer, Stevie Salas has recorded on over 70 different albums and performed with artists as diverse as Justin Timberlake, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, George Clinton, and Buddy Miles. Having sold over two million solo albums around the world, Stevie has been cited as one of the top 50 guitarists of all time, and his second solo album, “Back from the Living,” ousted the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith for “Best Album” in Japan. Rolling Stone named the Was (Not Was) album he produced as one of the top 100 records of the decade. Salas served as music director and consultant for American Idol and 19 Entertainment, nurturing Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Chris Daughtry, and their respective touring bands for subsequent American tours. An accomplished composer, Stevie is credited with providing the score for several films including Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. A proud Native American, Stevie is also a huge Buddy fan. https://www.steviesalas.com/

Best Regards,

Stephen & Becky Easley

Maria Elena Holly

Peter Bradley, Sr.

David Hirshland 

Rick French 

Laurent Hubert

Phil Sandhaus

The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation (www.tbhef.org)

Michelle Johnson

Joe Ables

Jason Guest

The Texas Heritage Songwriters Association

Texas Songwriter U (www.texasheritagesongwriters.com/)

Rick French

Patrick Shanahan

French/West/Vaughan & Prix Productions (fwv-us.com)  

Charles Driebe

Sue Schrader

Blind Ambition Management (www.blindambitionmgt.com)

Stephen Easley

Richard Perna

Lars Halvor Jensen

TOG Music Publishing/SR&RS/DeeKay Music (www.deekaymusic.com)

Becky Easley

Courtney Kamlet

Stephen Easley

AllMojo Management (www.allmojomgt.com)