Acoustic Soul

A popular Downtown concert series goes unplugged to benefit the city’s post-Harvey recovery efforts.

Katya Horner
Us performs during Canned Acoustica at Discovery Green_Photo by Katya Horner
Us performs during Canned Acoustica at Discovery Green_Photo by Katya Horner

As the region continues to operate in recovery mode post-Harvey, there is no shortage of unique ways to donate time, money and resources to a city in need. Perhaps one of the most fun philanthropic experiences is Canned Acoustica, a concert series at Discovery Green.


Curated by veteran concert promoter Mark C. Austin, the monthly event is free and family-friendly, and guests are encouraged to bring canned goods as donations to the Houston Food Bank, which distributed more than 22 million pounds of food, water and supplies in the six weeks after Hurricane Harvey.

It’s actually the second iteration of the series, which debuted in 2010 and went on hiatus in 2012. “I often get asked to bring the series back to life,” says Austin, who challenges local artists like The Suffers and Fat Tony to rearrange songs using only acoustic instruments. The result? Moody and personal performances, distinct and unique to each group. “Discovery Green’s small stage is an ideal setting for these intimate acoustic sets.”

With five or six local bands representing a variety of genres — including rap, metal, indie, Latin, rock and soul — performances during each concert are multi-faceted and vibey. This month, music lovers and do-gooders can look forward to performances by pop-punk-rockers 30footFALL, female duo Say Girl Say, metal act Dead to the World, The Voice alum Stephanie Rice, and rising-star four-piece band Mind Shrine. The scenic 12-acre park also hosts lawn games and serves bites and beverages from The Grove during the concert — and all for a small “can”tribution.

Wellness+Giving Back
Make-A-Wish CEO Yara Elsayed Guest Says Nonprofit Will Grant 1,000th Wish this Summer

Describe the mission of Make-A-Wish. Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana grants life-changing wishes for local children battling critical illnesses, serving 47 counties in Texas (from Lufkin to Corpus Christi) and the entire state of Louisiana. We are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey.

Keep Reading Show less

Bashar and Brigitte Kalai, and Alicia and Lance Smith

ONE OF HOUSTON'S most beloved charitable galas made a comeback, as the newly renamed “Voices for Hope” in support of Avenue 360 Health and Wellness and its nearly 40-year-old Omega House hospice for HIV patients bowed at River Oaks Country Club.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties

Michelle and Jonathan Zadok (photo by Jacob Power)

WITH A COWBOY theme and terrific country band — think big hats and big hearts, said organizers — the Crime Stoppers gala was a huge hit and moving evening.

Keep Reading Show less