KOSMIC: A Janis Joplin Tribute w/ Cari Hutson & Good Company & The South Austin Moonlighters
Cari Hutson is a powerhouse vocalist from Austin, TX. She has been enchanting audiences in the Central Texas area for over two decades. Hutson studied Musical Theatre at Texas State University in the late "90s and found herself hitting the original music scene of Austin in the early 2000's with her bands "Remedy" and "Blu Funk Junction". It was during that time that she first found her love of Janis Joplin, often covering songs like, "Try" and "Me & Bobby McGee". But years would transpire before her career would come full circle and her theatre roots would collide with live music performance. In 2013 Cari was cast to perform as Janis(alternate/lead) in " A Night with Janis Joplin" by Randy Johnson. The show opened at The ZACH Theatre in Austin, TX. the fall of 2013 and then traveled to the San Jose Repertory Theatre in San Jose, Ca. In the closing week of the show Hutson was surprised by a phone call from non other than Dave Getz-drummer of Janis's backing band "Big Brother and the Holding Company"! He had seen one of Hutson's performances as Janis and called to congratulate her on a winning and inspiring show. It was from that first telephone call that Getz and Hutson's friendship began. In 2016 Hutson and her band "Good Company" recorded Hutson's second record.
“Songs like “Burn” and the title track were gritty to the core, and her “wail” was very much accounted for — bolder than ever, in fact, after having been exercised to peak form during Hutson’s time performing and touring as “Janis” herself in the Joplin Estate sanctioned theatrical production, A Night with Janis Joplin. Among the new fans (and friends) she won over through that adventure was none other than original Big Brother and the Holding Company drummer Dave Getz, who was so taken with Hutson’s performance that he offered her the prize of “Can’t Be the Only One,” a song he’d written with lyrics Joplin had left behind but never had the chance to sing herself. That very song would find itself on the record.
Hutson and Good Company’s recording of the song did it proud.”
“Her interpretation of the lyric and her roots, blues feel brings the song to life,” noted a duly impressed Getz. “If Janis could hear it (and maybe she can), I think she would be pleased.”-Dave Getz
Shortly after Hutson returned to her home of Austin, TX. she put together a birthday celebration tribute to Janis Joplin that ended up being an Annual Event that took place at various venues in town. After 2020, the show was rebranded as “Kosmic- A Janis Joplin Tribute”, taking on a new energy with new theatrical elements added to the experience. Last year's Kosmic show at the 04 Center SOLD OUT so grab your tickets now!
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The South Austin Moonlighters are a roots & Americana band from Austin, Texas, who will be playing the songs of Little Feat.
The band started in 2011 when Lonnie got together a group of local music veterans to occasionally play together for the sheer joy of making music. Pretty soon it became evident that something special happened when we played together, and the band—which was originally meant to be a moonlighting side-gig for all of us—became our main gig.
Those of you who know us know that our success has come from working as a team. We hold each other up and inspire each other to keep pushing and challenging ourselves to be our very best at all times. We all sing and write songs. We take turns leading the band, singing harmonies and coming together to lift each other up.
At the end of the day we all love making music, sharing it with people and basking in the joy that our audiences reflect back to us.
The Moonlighters deliver their own unique brand of Americana music with organic, show-stopping vocal harmonies, incredible musicianship, and well-crafted, heart-felt songs.
The joy of making music is a tangible and contagious part of the Moonlighters’ live shows. They are often compared to The Eagles, Little Feat, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young—but the Moonlighters have a voice all of their own.
They write and perform original music 2012’s Live at The Saxon Pub, 2013’s Burn and Shine, 2016’s Ghost of a Small Town and the highly anticipated, Anders Osborne-produced album Travel Light, which was released on May 17, 2019.
