City could step in to aid, revive Blues on the Green summer concert series

The city could step in to provide financial assistance, fee waivers or other resources to the Blues on the Green summer concert series, which organizers announced last month was canceled for 2024 because of rising costs.

On Friday, Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison posted in the City Council Message Board that she plans to present a resolution at the Feb. 15 meeting to “solidify co-sponsorship” of the series that the radio station now known as Austin City Limits Radio has run for over 30 years.

The resolution directs the city manager to negotiate with the station and owners Waterloo Media an arrangement that would keep the concerts free, ensure a diversity of performers and observe the city’s scale of $200 per performer.

By Feb. 29, Council would expect to receive a resolution involving fee waivers, co-sponsorship guidelines or any budget authorizations needed to preserve the series.

The resolution also asks for recommendations on how the city can support other public events of a similar nature, using feedback from the relevant city commissions.

In her post, Harper-Madison noted: “‘Blues on the Green’ is a cherished tradition among our constituents, but it is especially important that our city plays an active role in supporting free, open-to-the-public events so all residents can enjoy our unique, vibrant, and diverse live music and arts culture of Austin. We hope this resolution can accomplish the creation of equitable and accessible systemization of City Co-sponsorship of free events, for both long-standing and new traditions. We believe this will also expand opportunities for the City of Austin to create and strengthen partnerships across our community.”

A Waterloo Media spokesperson released a statement on Monday, saying, “We’ve been humbled by all the ways, big and small, the community has rallied behind ACL Radio’s Blues on the Green. We’re grateful for Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison and her co-sponsors for their embrace of free, open-to-the-public live music events and their work towards securing city co-sponsorship for Blues on the Green. As this works its way through the council process, we’re continuing to talk to sponsors, partners, city leaders and the Austin Parks Department to find more paths forward for Blues on the Green. We remain hopeful.”

In the cancellation statement, the radio station noted that rising costs – possibly a nod to city fees charged for using Zilker Park – made it impossible to promote the festival without revenue from admission fees or a portion of bar sales.

The possible partnership is not on the agenda for Monday’s Music Commission meeting. Commissioner Anne-Charlotte Patterson praised the possibility of the potential partnership clearing a path for more involvement by the city in live music events.

“The commission’s always happy to see support for live music from the Council,” she said. “We would be interested to see what those (details) are. We’re also always supportive of city events because we have a very specific rate of pay for musicians, and we’d like to see musicians be able to take part in that and have more and more opportunities.

“While the city looks at a sponsorship or co-sponsorship of this event, I would also like to see them investigate sponsorships in other areas of town.”

Last month, the Music Commission voted to ask Council to approve a budget amendment that would provide annual city funding – likely between $150,000 and $300,000 – for the Red River Cultural District and its cluster of small and mid-size live music venues.

Patterson said the commission won’t waver in that request if Council approves the Blues on the Green resolution later this month, noting “I don’t want to put this in a place where I have to pick my favorite. … We’ve made our recommendation on the Red River Cultural District and the commission will not be walking that back.”

The search for money to support the concert series and other live music-related efforts could also turn discussion toward the city’s receipts from the Hotel Occupancy Tax, which must be used for initiatives to promote tourism such as live music and cultural arts. While those funds have grown at a relatively steady rate in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is estimated the city loses out on between $10 million and $15 million per year in HOT revenue because it lacks agreements with short-term rental platforms that would be able to collect and remit that money.

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