Live music is back in Austin and better than ever! And for a great cause, too. 

Long Live Music, in partnership with the Long Center and the Luck Family Foundation, has been raising funds and collecting non-perishable food donations throughout the past couple weeks to support Musically Fed, a nonprofit organization that is working across the country to provide unemployed musicians and music industry workers with access to fresh food, dry goods, and other necessities during the pandemic.

Bring non-perishable food items and help support Musically Fed’s food driving coming up April 17th at the Long Center. The Long Center will also be taking donations on April 7th and 8th between 10am – 2pm. 

Long Center: 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78704

Presented by White Claw Hard Seltzer, Long Live Music returned to the Long Center Lawn this spring for a socially distanced concert series with performances from some of music’s most cherished acts.

Patty Griffin took the stage the first weekend with Carrie Rodriguez for a universally lauded performance. Griffin is one of the most consequential singer-songwriters of her generation, the two-time GRAMMY Award winner – and seven-time nominee – has crafted a remarkable body of work over the course of two decades.

Michigan-born and now Nashville-based Billy Strings had an electric show Sunday March, 27th. Strings arrived on the music scene as one of the most compelling new artists with the release of his 2017 debut LP, “Turmoil & Tinfoil.” Since his debut, Strings has been awarded Guitar Player of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the 2019 International Bluegrass Music Awards. 

American country music artist Nikki Lane performed the second weekend. Blending potent lyrics, unbridled blues guitars and vintage ‘60s country-pop swagger, her music resonates as easily with Lana Del Rey and Jenny Lewis fans as those of Neil Young and Tom Petty. She’s released three albums: “Walk of Shame,” “All or Nothin’” and “Highway Queen.”

Lane was joined by Sir Woman (Austin Music Award’s Best New Act of 2020) and English musician Jade Bird. Bird’s music draws comparisons with pop, Americana, country and folk rock. Now based in Austin, Texas, she has had nominations at the Americana Music Honors & Awards and NME Awards and won the award for International Breakthrough artist at the AIM Independent Music Awards in 2019. In 2020, Bird was the first artist to collaborate with Microsoft in what was named the RE:Surface project; a virtual live streamed concert.

Blind Boys of Alabama took the stage Easter Sunday for a legendary gospel performance. With a career that spans over 70 years, these living legends have been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, have Lifetime Achievement Awards and five GRAMMY Awards under their belts. 

Tickets to the concert series were limited and sold in pre-marked, socially-distanced squares on the lawn that accommodated four people. Concert-goers ordered food and beverages online. Staff even brought out the pre-orders to the guest’s socially-distanced square for convenience.

Cover photo Michael Wilson

Leean Vargas is an Editorial Assistant at Texas Lifestyle Magazine and an honors graduate of

Texas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations.