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Foodstock: festival for a cause
Katrina Barber, Staff Photographer
Foodstock is a free concert series sponsored by local businesses to benefit the Hays County Food Bank. Local bands such as Grace Park and the Deer, Those Nights and The Couch performed Aug. 25 at the San Marcos Plaza Park. By Xander Peters Features Reporter Community members banded together on a crisp summer night to be treated to live music and help the less fortunate. The diverse crowd gathered for Foodstock on Saturday, Sept. 8 at San Marcos Plaza Park ranged from college students dancing by the stage or laying on blankets to old men clad in tie-dye. The organizers hope to have a peaceful congregation much like the 1969 music festival, through usage of the Woodstock-punned name and logo: a white dove sitting on a piece of corn. Foodstock’s priority is to provide a source of live music while donating proceeds and nonperishable food items to the Hays County Food Bank. “The food bank is underfunded,” said Adam Lilley, a manager at Tantra Coffeehouse and a sponsor of the event. “The idea we have is to keep supporting the arts in our town and bring a local collection of talent on stage. None of Foodstock is for profit. It’s just an extremely good cause.” Current and past local talent joined the lineup for the first day of this monthly concert series. Kicking it off were Chief and the Doomsday Device as they took the stage around 4 p.m. Other bands that followed included Those Nights, Grace Park and the Deer, The Black Squeeze and Good Field. Bands performed on the hour with sets approximately 45 minutes each. The Couch put the finishing touches on the night with a male and female vocal harmony backed by keyboards and a rough-around-the-edges lead guitarist, for approximately 50 jam-band goers waiting out the end. “This one was a little more rock-based. You know, a type of Americana style,” Lilley said. “We’re aiming to keep it severely local. So we book bands that originated here, whether that be the present or the once-upon-atime San Marcos musicians who have avidly helped support the art and music of our town.” Members of the audience agreed it was a mellow event made more interesting by the diversity of people
attending. Heidi Armstrong, Texas State alumna, said the event was akin to a small-scale version of Blues On the Green. “I’ve never been in a situation such as this one here in San Marcos,” she said. “It really does a great job of incorporating the entire variety of people.” Taylor Hardy-Phelps, Texas State alumnus and event attendee, was impressed by the number of bands that participated, as well as the quality of the music. “They’re doing a much better job when it comes to providing what really hits the audience by the style of music,” he said. Sponsors such as the Root Cellar restaurant, Tantra Coffeehouse, KTSW radio, Print This, Woodwright Time Frames and Gameday Boots plan to maintain the monthly arrangement of music, art, food and the river. “There were some very important changes at Tantra this year,” said Lilley. “We’ve always been a huge supporter of the music and the arts. So it meant a lot to keep that support alive by doing something like Foodstock – to keep supporting musicians and their craft by providing a window to this amazing level of talent that our town is harboring.”
Theatre Schedule UNIVERSITY MAINSTAGE Adults – $12.00 | Students - $7.00 Lend Me a Tenor By Ken Ludwig Directed by Richard Sodders October 2 – 6 @ 7:30pm & October 7 @ 2:00pm Into the Woods Book by James Lapine Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Michael Costello November 13 – 18 @ 7:30pm & November 18 @ 2:00pm November 12 @ 7:30pm - $5.00 preview Richard III By William Shakespeare Directed by Chuck Ney February 12 – 16 @ 7:30pm & February 17 @ 2:00pm Urinetown Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollman Book and Lyrics by Greg Kotis Directed by Kaitlin Hopkins April 16 – 21 @ 7:30pm & April 21 @ 2:00pm April 15 @ 7:30pm - $5.00 preview
PSH FOUNDATION STUDIO THEATRE Adults - $10.00 | Students - $7.00 Doubt By John Patrick Shanley Directed by Claire Parker October 11 – 13 @ 7:30pm & October 14 @ 2:00pm Gruesome Playground Injuries By Rajiv Joseph Directed by A. Julian Verner November 1 – 3 @ 7:30pm & November 4 @ 2:00pm
Katrina Barber, Staff Photographer
Taylor Wilkins, guitarist and singer for The Couch, performs Aug. 25 at San Marcos Plaza Park to benefit the Hays County Food Bank.
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