Jason Sudeikis of SNL is the prime mover of this weekend’s Thundergong benefit show for the Steps Of Faith Foundation, who do great work in helping amputees who cannot afford prosthetics. The show is Saturday night and features Foo Fighters, Brandi Carlile, Jack Johnson, Tom Morello, Fastball, Nathaniel Rateliff and tons more.
Also in benefit mode: Eddie Vedder is set to unveil a couple of new songs as he helps spearhead the Ventures Into Cures fundraiser, lending a hand in the fight against Epidermolysis Bullosa or EB, a rare skin disorder that is frequently fatal to kids who suffer from it. You might recall that Texas musician John Evans lost his beloved daughter Abigail to EB a few years ago, an experience documented in the heartbreaking film Butterfly Girl. Willie Nelson and Billie Eilish are both involved in the Ventures Into Cures show as well, and it’s coming up on Wednesday night the 18th.
https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/pearl-jam-frontman-eddie-vedder-to-debut-two-new-songs-at-virtual-benefit-event/
Austin’s Gary Clark Jr. has teamed up with fellow Grammy Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla to contribute a song to the new Hunter S. Thompson documentary Freak Power: The Ballot Or The Bomb.
And finally, the Austin Parks Foundation has extended the window during which you can vote for one of seven finalists for the name of the new Zilker Park train! The old Zilker Zephyr is out, and the new ride arrives next year. I’m sad to report that “Trainy McTrainface” is not one of the options. I’m partial to “The Lady Bird Flyer” myself…you’ve got till Sunday to speak up.
https://austinparks.org/zilker-train/