Yes, I’ve been immersed in teen bands and kid stuff of late but, really, I am not a “kids” kind of person nor do I mewl about doing things for “the children.” I don’t have any but I love other people’s and that’s good enough for me. Besides, I have five dogs and they keep me busy enough.
Still, there are events that get to me in certain ways, and the annual Help Clifford Help Kids fundraiser for American Youthworks at the Austin Music Hall on Thursday is one. I’ve attended most of them and have the silent auction items to prove it. (Silent auctions are one of my guilty pleasures.)
American Youthworks helps at-risk teens get back on track and stay that way. That may sound like paraphrasing a party line, but I’ve been fortunate to see the results firsthand. AYW schools helped get the teenage son of a good friend back in school; he’s now a junior in college. Closer to home, they’ve given an at-loose-ends nephew something to work toward as well, a way to get the diploma his friends got two years ago. It’s not a band-aid and it’s still school, but it’s a second chance most of them don’t otherwise get.
HCHK is always a good excuse for great music, too. Last year’s stellar performance by Booker T & the MGs will be hard to top but Delbert McClinton is just the guy to do it. His dyed-in-Texas-wool blues combines an unerring ear for choosing and writing songs, a soul shouter’s voice, and an outstanding harmonica style. (Yes, he gave John Lennon tips but no, he did not teach him to play.) Add to that a full band that doesn’t just raise the roof, they blow it sky-high, and it’s an only-in-Austin evening.
There’s more, of course (besides the silent auction!). The evening is emceed by 107.1’s Jody Denberg and E! News’ Dave Adelson. The tables are not cheap but music-only tickets are available in advance. It’s worth noting this event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for AYW.
And isn’t that the way it should be? Yes, except that, damn it, I can’t sneak up behind Cliffy and scratch his back like I used to.
This article appears in November 7 • 2008.