HAAM Day: Where Musicians Perform for Free (and Hopefully a Future Co-Pay)

Ah, HAAM Day—the annual festival where Austin’s musicians gather to perform for free in the hopes of someday affording a doctor’s visit. Nothing says 'supporting artists' like 300 musicians playing 250 sets across 100 corporate-sponsored venues, all while a single donation box sits ominously in the corner like a guilt trip with a slot on top. This year’s goal? A cool $850,000. That’s roughly $2,833 per musician—just enough for a Band-Aid and a lollipop at an Austin urgent care.

Let’s talk about the real stars of the show: the 'supergroups.' PAACK, a five-woman ensemble, stood in perfect formation, probably because they’ve mastered the art of squeezing into tiny greenroom spaces between yoga studios and coffee shops. Meanwhile, Scrappy Jud Newcomb—whose name sounds like a rejected Marvel sidekick—tuned up like a man who knows his guitar strings cost more than his last meal. And let’s not forget Gina Chavez, who performed at the Capitol, because nothing says 'sticking it to the man' like serenading politicians who’ve never heard of rent control.

Douglas Leveton, HAAM’s Signature Events Coordinator, was spotted setting up a sign, which we can only assume read: 'Please clap (and donate, for the love of god).' Meanwhile, CEO Paul Scott introduced musicians with the gravitas of a man who’s never had to busk for gas money. The whole affair was a beautiful reminder that Austin’s music scene is alive and well—as long as you ignore the fact that most of these artists will be GoFundMe-ing their next root canal.

And let’s not overlook the real MVP: H-E-B SoCo, the festival’s sponsor. Because nothing nurtures the soul of local music like a grocery store parking lot stage. By the end of the day, Scrappy Jud walked away—presumably to his third job—while the donation box remained, staring into our souls, whispering, 'You stream their music for free, too, don’t you?'

So here’s to HAAM Day: where Austin proves it loves its musicians just enough to ask them to work for free, but not enough to, you know, pay them. Salud!