Live music preview: Love is for Evermore benefit with Shinyribs, Sara Hickman at Radio East
Saturday, October 25 marks the third annual Love is for Evermore benefit at Radio East. The event supports Evermore, a national bereavement non-profit that advocates for benefits, education and resources for all Americans coping with the death of a loved one. One example is the group has gotten paid bereavementleave for military members. This year’s concert features Shinyribs, a rare live appearance by songwriter, Sara Hickman and special guests, Carruthers & Roush (members of The Bright Light Social Hour). There may even be some surprise guests on stage. Tickets for the event are currently on sale. There are VIP options which include a meet and greet with artists before the show.
Old-school Austin music fans may remember The Gourds, a popular alt-country band led by Kevin Russell who put themselves on the musical map with a countrified cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice.” That was in 2001. In 2014, The Gourds went on indefinite hiatus and soon, a new project by Russell emerged, Shinyribs. The current project sees, Russell employing sounds from both his East Texas birthplace and his adopted home in Austin and then some. Texas Blues, NOLA funk and R&B, Memphis horns, rock, big band swing and a dash of country are all present in Shinyribs’ exceptional music. A concert by the all-star ensemble is a joyous occasion in which fans experience the same euphoria Russell and his bandmates feel when they have the opportunity to perform live. Evermore’s benefit show is the last chance for Austin music fans to catch the group before the end of the year.
Shinyribs’ latest studio effort, Leaving Time dropped in April of this year. Like many of Russell’s songs, there’s a fair bit of levity in his lyrics like the video above for “Shitty Music.” Aside from the humor, it’s a great example of Russell’s superior songwriting chops and his band’s musicianship. We’re fans of the entire record. That said, other notable tracks include the title track, which shows off Russell’s considerable singing abilty in a tune that leans into the country song side of things.
Like Russell, Sara Hickman has been a member of the Texas music scene for many years, first appearing as a singer in coffeehouses around Dallas while she was attending University North Texas in 1988. Eventually she moved to Austin in 1995 and has lived in the area ever since. She was named Official State Musician of Texas in 2010. Evermore fans are in for a treat as the singer-songwriter rarely performs live now, choosing to focus on her career as children’s book author. In fact, this is the only performance she’s agreed to play this year. Previously Hickman has released 15 albums and appeared on 25 others becoming most well-known for Adult Contemporary hit, “I Couldn’t Help Myself.”
If you were lucky enough to attend last year’s performance with The Bright Light Social Hour, then you may already be aware of Carruthers & Roush, the songwriting duo who are best known as members of TBLSH. Curtis Roush plays guitar and Mia Carruthers handles the keys. Lucky for Evermore, the couple agreed to return to Radio East with their “comic campfire” sound which displays both their vocal and songwriting talents. While an album is still forthcoming due to extensive touring with Bright Light, rest assured the pair are truly talented performers as evidenced by the live clip below.
There will be a booth called All Light As One at Love is for Evermore. Guests can honor their loved ones with a luminary bag. Each luminary—personalized with a name—becomes part of a larger art installation, where one light joins with many others to shine even brighter. Luminaries may be purchased at the benefit concert or pre-ordered online, and Evermore will fill in the name for you. Every light added carries the name of someone remembered and cherished. Together, these glowing tributes create a collective beacon of love and memory.
A silent auction and raffle will offer a chance to win items from the Blanton Museum of Art, Home Slice Pizza, Kendra Scott, Meow Wolf Houston, Waterloo Records and lots more. There will be vendors as well; Typewriter Rodeo, Not Nice Jewelry, Makers & Magpies in addition to several food trucks on the premises.
To learn more about Evermore, check out this podcast interview with Jena Kirkpatrick, Manager of Outreach and Engagement who appeared on the Inside Austin Podcast with Brian Fitzgerald on Monday where they discussed Evermore’s mission and talked about the Love is for Evermore benefit on October 25.
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