Austin Companies Rock the Stage to Raise More Than $255K for HAAM
The 17th annual Corporate Battle of the Bands brought company bands and student performers to ACL Live in support of health care services for Austin musicians
This article is produced by TRIBEZA as sponsored content.
More than 1,060 attendees gathered at ACL Live at the Moody Theater for the 17th Annual Corporate Battle of the Bands, presented by Cirrus Logic with stage sponsors H-E-B and C3 Presents, helping the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) raise over $255,000 in support of Austin’s music community.
A celebration of music and community
From classic soul anthems to hard-hitting rock, this year’s Corporate Battle of the Bands delivered a wide range of talent. Six local businesses formed bands and competed for a panel of judges including Austin FC’s Trennis Jones, KUTX’s Taylor Wallace and singer-songwriters Nakia and Kendall Beard. CBS Austin’s Trevor Scott, KVUE-TV’s Quita Culpepper and Nakia served as the night’s emcees, sharing the importance of HAAM’s mission.
The title of “Best Band” was awarded to The Anteaters (ABC Home & Commercial), who brought almost a decade of live music experience to the stage. Knuckle Sammich (H-E-B) delivered a performance that featured Iron Maiden, Van Halen and My Chemical Romance, earning them “Best Song” for their rendition of “Helena.” The Haptics (Cirrus Logic) earned “Best Stage Presence” and “Fan Favorite,” through their pop and rock anthems, and the group drove the top fundraising total for the evening.
The Mag Stripes (Netspend) won the crowd over for their ninth year with their renditions of The Cult, Bonnie Raitt, the Randy Rogers Band and the Human League. C NOTES (PNC Bank)’s performance featured the youngest performer yet, Gigi Gonzalez, as well as her father Steven, performing Fleetwood Mac, the Foo Fighters and the Killers. The Defibrillators (Ascension Seton) introduced soul, Motown and gospel, with a showstopping blend of the Temptations and David Allan Coe.
Winner Highlights
Best Band (sponsored by Maxwell Locke & Ritter): The Anteaters — ABC Home & Commercial
Best Song (sponsored by Tecovas): “Helena” (My Chemical Romance) performed by Knuckle Sammich — H-E-B
Best Stage Presence: The Haptics — Cirrus Logic
Fan Favorite (sponsored by Austin Subaru): The Haptics — Cirrus Logic
All six performing bands also received appreciation awards sponsored by FVF Law.
A landmark first
This year marked a historic change for HAAM with the inclusion of the inaugural Kids Battle of the Bands. Students formed bands and competed over an eight-week period in a peer-to-peer fundraising competition for the opportunity to headline at ACL Live. The Fables from Bowie High School were named the first KBOB champions, impressing the audience with a 15-minute headlining set on the Moody Theater stage. The performance offered a powerful reminder of HAAM’s mission to invest in Austin’s next generation of musicians.
A meaningful impact
The $255,000 raised at the event translates to almost $1.7 million in healthcare services for over 3,300 musicians that HAAM serves on a yearly basis including working musicians, DJs and music teachers.
Now in its 17th year, the evening reflected the outstanding community of sponsors, supporters and musicians who make the Austin music scene thrive.