Austin, TX
RealMusic Events 7th Seismic Dance Event Is In Austin November 15-17
The Concourse Project in Austin, TX
Kelly Gray and Andrew Parsons founded RealMusic Events. Like many entrepreneurs, they set up in their town, in this case Austin, Texas. They began as promoters, putting acts into other people’s venues and built from there. This is the essence of how to build a business. Find a niche, build a community and establish trust with both your suppliers and your consumers. Kelly and Andrew have been at this for 15 years now, since 2009. They started with small events of 100 or so in attendance and built it to the point where their 3 day Seismic Dance Event is now drawing thousands and could soon max out The Concourse Project, their own venue with the capacity to hold 10,000 in attendance.
Theirs is an unusual partnership in that Kelly and Andrew are building this business together as a married couple in an industry which is an ongoing 24/7 commitment. Their task list is long between booking artists, hosting shows and handling the myriad details which lie between success and calamity on any given night.
2024 Seismic Dance Event lineup
In the crazy world of live entertainment, the flywheel spins fastest around two axes: your history of successful shows and whether you control a venue or are always working in someone else’s room.
Slowly, and perhaps in retrospect very slowly, Kelly and Andrew worked up to having The Concourse Project which is their own 18,000 square foot warehouse which can be configured as a modular venue. The Concourse Project sits on 15 acres and is home to what will be the 7th annual Seismic Dance Event this November 15th-17th.
Seismic Dance Event is their festival brand. It is a house and techno boutique festival. Kelly describes it this way: “it is electronic dance music, but even more narrowed down to the house music and techno subculture, kind of like a lifestyle and music festival.” This year’s event includes such acts as Disclosure playing a DJ set, Eric Prydz, Gesaffelstein, Carl Cox and a long list of other interesting players. Link to tickets is below:
I had such a fun conversation with Kelly and Andrew. They have such a comfortable way of interacting with each other. They’ve clearly mastered how to contain the frenzy of putting on shows and festivals while maintaining a normalized home life. Part of that comes from the way they’ve divided responsibilities between themselves, and part comes from the way in which they’ve honed their partnership so each focuses on what they are responsible to do.
The Concourse Project is interesting because it was such a risky undertaking. Kelly and Andrew have David Brinkley as the third partner in The Concourse Project. David’s role is CFO in addition to input related to design elements of the facility.
Their venue is near Austin’s airport which although it is not far from the heart of Austin, it is also not downtown. Locating an event center away from the city core adds complication to attracting audiences. A second challenge for The Concourse Project team is the lack of parking at their location. That is in part offset by the ever growing use of rideshare apps by music fans who would like to party without having to think about how to get home.
The list of events which Kelly and Andrew take on is long. In addition to Seismic, they host Boiler Room, ACL (Austin City Limits) after parties, events which occur alongside the F1 race when it runs in Austin, and a full calendar of stand-alone live music events throughout the year.
When I asked Kelly to explain how they managed so many events she said: “RealMusic Events started as just a promo company. We would produce shows at other venues, and it was basically just Andrew and I for many of those years, and it was kind of like a side hustle and just like a hobby that became our full time passion and job. And we have a big list of promoters, so a lot of the promoters help promote the shows, and there’s like 80 or so of those. When it comes to the actual working team, we started having full time team members once we were able to open the venue, which is The Concourse Project. There are about ten or so full time employees, but when we talk about part time employees and contractors, it gets up to more like 100.”
I only had one significant question for Andrew: “Which of you is in charge and why is it Kelly?” He was good natured in his answer: “She is the boss, but I guess it depends on how you look at it, too. I do all the talent buying and all the bookings, She’s definitely more of operations. She also comes more from the corporate world so she’s just better at that kind of stuff. I’m just kind of like, do what you do best, you know?” (edited for brevity)
Kelly further clarified: “I couldn’t tell you what exactly is in the future, but it’s always just about growth momentum and what feels like the natural next step. And I feel like one is maybe expanding upon our land, whether that is at our current property or an additional property, so that we can have larger festivals with a little bit more area, room to breathe and play with infrastructure and parking and all of that.”
The RealMusic Events team specializes in electronic dance music. It’s their specialty. Austin is known as one of the live music centers of the world. Formerly, Austin was more traditionally known for traditional live music with guitar, drums and a singer. The world has shifted in favor of EDM music. It is core music in Europe and around the world. And, it is blowing up in the US as well.
Kelly also said: “Fundamentally, the culture of enjoying electronic dance music is a journey and a progression. So the music itself, if you’re talking about one specific track it builds. So even throughout the night whether it’s a show or a festival, you’re building from one DJ to the next. And we always prefer when they mix into each other and it’s like a seamless transition versus a stop and start.”
The entire experience of discussing the Austin EDM scene with Kelly and Andrew was enlightening. Their long residence in Austin and the roots they’ve established have made them expert in their field and with their audience. They are succeeding as promoters and venue operators because they are well established in their field and with their audience.
Kelly’s summary to me of her core ethic was particularly on point: “Southern hospitality really is a thing. I mean, I always go back to that, but, I mean, it really is.”Go see The Concourse Project when in Austin, get a taste of that Southern Hospitality, and get your tickets to the Seismic Dance Event while they’re still available.
AUSTIN, Texas — The screwworm outbreak is having a major impact on animal shelter budgets across Texas. Instant kill and preventative medications for dogs and cats are an unprecedented expense.
Paul is a rescue dog from South Texas, where he was living on the streets and starving. He is now at Austin Pets Alive! getting Screwworm prevention medication and the treatment he needs to get healthy.
“Any dog that enters our shelter period, but especially if they look like this, we are going over them with a fine-tooth comb and looking for anything that might be a wound where a screwworm might have been able to gain access,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, CEO and President of Austin Pets Alive!
RELATED| FDA authorizes generic over-the-counter drug to treat New World screwworm in pets
Dr. Jefferson says dogs and cats need regular checks of their eyes, noses, ears, and underneath their fur. But Austin Pets Alive! says the best protection is a combination of Capstar, which is an instant-kill medication for existing active screwworm larvae, and prescription preventatives that provide ongoing protection when administered every 30 days.
“Just to buy the initial Capstar for our program, it was close to $10,000,” said Rebecca Giamona, Asst. Medical Care Director at Austin Pets Alive!
Giamona says preventative meds are also putting a heavy financial strain on the nonprofit’s budget at a cost of around $70,000.
“We need about 5,000 doses of the monthly preventative, and they are roughly $14 to $15 per dose,” said Giamona.
Products with the active ingredients ending in l, a, n, e, r are highly effective at preventing and treating infestations. But keeping Paul and every shelter animal up to date will take help from the public.
“Donations, and hopefully some more donations,” said Giamona.
An infestation of New World Screwworm can be painful, disfiguring, and potentially deadly for animals. Most cases involve livestock, especially cattle, but dogs and cats can also get infestations.
AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
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