For the third year in a row, Fort Worth — no stranger to civic appreciation of its local musicians — will once again host the Amplify 817 Showcase on Saturday.
“It’s so beautiful,” singer-songwriter Averi Burk told KXT in 2022. “Having people that support you … endlessly and especially a city. I’ve never seen a city support artists so heavily. It’s just been so beautiful.”
The Amplify 817 Showcase finds the Fort Worth Public Library, via its Amplify 817 streaming platform, shining a light on an eclectic line-up of Fort Worth-based artists. This year’s event will take place at Fort Brewery & Pizza, and kick off at 6 p.m.
(Amplify817, a significant city-led effort, gives local musicians both money and exposure, paying acts for a three-year window to stream their work on a free-to-use platform.)
This year’s performers include buzzy alt-rock quintet Celestial L’amour, rapper J/O/E, singer-songwriter TRVR? and rock five-piece the Nancys, which counts Sean Russell, Nolan Robertson, Kris Luther, Nick Tittle and Andrew Skates among its ranks.
Amplify 817 also introduced its “Amped-Up Music Tour” this year, which featured a series of performances around Fort Worth to build anticipation for the third annual Amplify 817 Showcase. (And yes, there’s tour merch.)
“Our annual showcase is another opportunity we have to financially and promotionally support our musicians who have become part of the Amplify 817 family,” said Rita Alfaro, lead curator and Fort Worth Public Library Music Librarian, in a 2023 statement. “We are constantly striving to find opportunities to support our artists and are thrilled to see the showcase grow.”
The event is free to attend, as the Fort Worth Public Library and donors to the Fort Worth Public Library Foundation are covering costs. Parking is also free. All seating is general admission, and first-come, first-serve.
Amplify 817 Showcase at Fort Brewery & Pizza, Fort Worth. 6 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
