ACL Live Presents: GrulkeFest: A CELEBRATION OF BRENT / 1961-2012 in Austin

ACL Live Presents: GrulkeFest: A CELEBRATION OF BRENT / 1961-2012

Saturday, September 08, 2012
Doors: 5:00 PM / Show: 6:00 PM
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Announcing
GrulkeFest: A CELEBRATION OF BRENT / 1961-2012

With:Doctors’ Mob, Fastball, Glass Eye, the Reivers, Sixteen Deluxe, True
Believers, the Wannabes, Wild Seeds and more.

All proceeds to the Graham Grulke Education Fund.

Tickets on sale Monday, August 27^th at 5:00PM

The Austin music scene is invited to join the many friends, family and co-workers of SXSW creative director Brent
Grulke for a public memorial and benefit concert at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on September 8.

“Grulkefest: A CELEBRATION OF BRENT / 1961-2012” will feature Doctors’ Mob, Fastball, Glass Eye, the Reivers,
Sixteen Deluxe, True Believers, the Wannabes, Wild Seeds and other special guests.

A beloved figure amongst Austin bands and fellow fans for more than 30 years, Grulke died of a heart attack atthe age of 51 on August 13. He is survived by his wife, Kristen Brock Grulke, and a seven year-old son, Graham. All proceeds from the concert will go to the Graham Grulke Education Fund.

"The Grulke family has been amazed and consoled by the outpouring of support from Brent's friends and
colleagues,” says Brent’s brother, Bradley Grulke. “I admired Brent's professional accomplishments, but I really loved him as just my brother. I'll miss his passion and his laughter."

Says SXSW director Roland Swenson: “SXSW is very grateful to the Moody Theater for providing a large space for the huge number of Brent's friends, and people whose lives he touched through his work, to get together in one place to remember him in a way that he would have enjoyed.”

Most of the bands on the bill date back to Austin’s “New Sincerity” era, a scene that Grulke played a major part in, including his involvement as the co-producer (and liner notes writer) of the 1985 compilation album “Bands on the Block.”

"These are all bands Brent had something to do with, either directly--as sound man, road manager, coach--or indirectly, just by the fact that they wouldn't have been around if Brent hadn't been around,” says Wild Seeds frontman Michael Hall.

Doctors’ Mob, Glass Eye, the Reivers, True Believers and Wild Seeds are all reuniting for the first time in several years specifically to play this show.

"Brent is the connector for all these bands--he was the guy behind the soundboard when they played, he was the guy behind the wheel when they toured,” says Hall. “He was friends with all of them, and he stayed friends with all of them until he died."

And while Sixteen Deluxe belongs to a later Austin music generation, “bands like ours were the direct beneficiaries
of Brent's talent and enthusiasm,” says bassist Jeff Copas. “He and SXSW gave us a stage where the whole world could see us play. That opportunity led us all over the map. We're honored to have the chance to try and repay part of that
gift to his family.”

While back in the day you would have found the line-up (and Brent himself) at the Beach, the Continental Club
or Liberty Lunch, having Austin’s current showcase music venue as the host of “GrulkeFest” is meaningful as well.

As Roland Swenson says, “the last concert many of us attended with Brent was also one of his greatest achievements: coaxing Bruce Springsteen to come to SXSW last March to perform at ACL Live.”

Tickets, $20, $25, $35

Categories: Concerts & Tour Dates