More than a dozen Austin venues are turning their stages into fundraising tools this fall, donating ticket sales and pouring specialty cocktails to help keep the city's aging musicians housed. The campaign, called HOMEcoming, runs through Dec. 1 and benefits HOME, the local nonprofit that has spent more than a decade helping veteran performers avoid homelessness as they grow older.
HOMEcoming is an annual benefit campaign that uses live music to help other musicians get housing, according to CultureMap Austin. Now in its second year after launching in 2025, the campaign has grown to include more participating venues, with this year's run stretching from now through Dec. 1. Participating spots are donating either a percentage of sales or pledging $1 per ticket sold in November, according to HOME's own description of the campaign on homeaustin.org.
Some businesses are sweetening the deal with specialty cocktails, donating a portion of select November sales tied to those drink menus. CultureMap Austin reports that returning venues this year include ACL Live at 3TEN, Antone's Nightclub, C-Boy's Heart & Soul, the Continental Club and Emo's, while new additions for 2026 include 04 Center, Elephant Room, Radio East and Sam's Town Point.
A Packed November Lineup Across the City
Shows are scheduled for almost every day in November, with multiple options available on some nights. Artists on the bill include Eve Monsees with Mike Buck, Dinosaur Jr. with Stef Chura, French Film with Of Grace and Proun, Sue Foley, and Bob Schneider's Lonelyland, per the same account.
Eve Monsees, who performs on the lineup, also serves as HOME's vice president. She said HOMEcoming lets the city support musicians through the venues where they've long played, helping keep them safely housed. The campaign also holds special activations at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the article notes, extending its reach beyond the club circuit.
An online auction tied to the campaign opens for bidding on Nov. 1 and will include concert experiences, posters, original art, handwritten lyrics, and a pair of music badges for South by Southwest 2027. Members of the public can also donate directly to HOME outside of attending a show or bidding on an item.
Countdown Shows Already Underway at Saxon Pub
Ahead of the official November kickoff, Saxon Pub has been holding countdown shows every Monday in October. Pianorama with Floyd Domino & Friends performed earlier in the month, followed by Jennifer Foster & Friends last Monday. The Happyland Band is scheduled to perform this coming Monday, with Suzanna Choffel & Friends set for the following week.
Everything builds toward Dec. 1, when the HOMEcoming campaign finale takes place at Arlyn Studios and marks the close of the auction. The finale will invite musicians, venues and other supporters to celebrate together, though more information about the specific finale lineup and schedule will be released later.
What HOME Actually Does For Aging Musicians
HOME, short for Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers, offers housing assistance, emergency support, and case management for housing needs, per CultureMap's reporting. Specific services range from attending medical appointments and making home visits to supporting moves, navigating SNAP benefits, and even setting up Lyft rides for clients who need them.
The nonprofit served 62 musicians in August alone, and its monthly housing support program grew by 24 percent in just a few months since April, according to the same article. HOME got its start in 2012 at Marcia Ball's kitchen table and had grown into a 501(c)(3) supporting 23 musicians by late 2021, according to KUT.
The push to pair housing with support for Austin's creative community extends beyond HOMEcoming's concert calendar. Earlier this year, KUT reported on the planned Austin Art Village, a project from Blackland Community Development Corp. that would build 10 small homes for musicians and artists on land at Chicon and 22nd streets, reserved for households earning at or below 50 percent of the area's median family income with rents capped at 30 percent of household income. The project carries an estimated cost of roughly $2 million, with $200,000 already secured from St. David's Foundation.
Other outlets have covered the broader HOMEcoming effort too, including Tribeza, which described the campaign as a way to help aging musicians stay housed, cared for and connected to the city they helped shape. For Austin's live music scene, the message driving HOMEcoming is simple: the people who built the soundtrack of the city deserve a stable place to call home while they keep playing it.
