March 14th, 2013 
On March 13, Austinites once again proved why Austin is the “Live Music Capital of the World.” They celebrated music and Austin at the 31st Annual Austin Chronicle Music Awards. The awards show, benefitted the SIMS Foundation, also included performances from Ben Kweller, The Trishas, Bill Carter, Brownout and more.
Gary Clark, Jr. (Photo Credit: Meera Rajagopalan)
While there were many big winners of the night, the artist who took home the most awards was Gary Clark, Jr. Clark is a born and raised Austinite, and he got his start when Clifford Antone discovered him. He has performed at numerous festivals, including the 2012 ACL Music Festival, Bonnaroo Music Festival. He’s also played for President Obama, twice. Some of the titles he took home include: Band of the Year, Musician of the Year, and Album of the Year. Even with all his playing around the country and world, he still loves coming back to Austin and where it all began.
The live music performances were amazing. The Trishas were amazing. They are an all girl group that has so much soul in their voices. They all play instruments and help with the write the songs as well.
Brett Grulke Tribute (Photo Credit: Meera Rajagopalan)
The night opened with an amazing tribute to the late Brent Grulke, and featured performances from several Austin artists including The Wild Seeds, Robyn Hitchcock, Britt Daniel, Susan Cowsoll, and many more. They performed some of Grulke’s favorite songs.
The SIMS Foundation has provided mental health and addiction recovery services for Austin-area musicians and their families since 1995. Through its services, SIMS is able to help more than 800 clients per year. Ninety-eight percent of these clients report an improvement in symptoms, thanks to the help of SIMS.
The Austin Chronicle is “Austin’s independent news source, covering music, film, arts, and politics.” For a complete list of the winners, please click here.
