After a few quiet years, 2023 marked our first year back in full swing! We could hardly list all the great things your support has enabled us to do this past year, but we’ll attempt with a brief recap of some of our favorite memories…
- Live eTown Radio Tapings:
Our final Live eTown Radio Show was taped just last week with Rufus Wainwright and Madison Cunningham, concluding our 2023 season. We recorded 15 new shows this year, most of them right here at eTown Hall, but also five on the road—from Red Rocks, to Bentonville, AR! We welcomed back previous guests like City and Colour, Bruce Cockburn, Peter Rowan, and The War and Treaty. We also introduced a variety of new voices to our stage, including Jake Blount, S.G. Goodman, Jess Williamson, and many more! You can find all these episodes on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube Channel.
- Community Events:
In addition to hosting live radio shows and regular concerts, eTown Hall also functions as a space for our Boulder neighbors to gather for a variety of community events. One of our most cherished recurring events is Nick Forster’s Hippy Bluegrass Church—this year, the congregation grew at a steady rate and has become one of our favorite ways to engage together. In 2023 we also introduced our monthly fee-waiver program to facilitate and assist community cultural groups with access and affordability to performance venues. These regular events have helped us support our thriving arts community and have welcomed an abundance of new ideas into our space.
- Solar Sessions:
In 2023, we continued to film our Solar Session series. Recorded in the solar powered-studio at eTown Hall, the Solar Sessions feature stripped down performances with some of our favorite artists, and an interview with Nick Forster. This year, we were honored to welcome Phil & Graham Lesh and Buck Meek to record sessions with us. You can find a playlist with all our Solar Sessions here.
- Promoting Boulder Culture & Arts:
One of our greatest achievements this year has been seeing Ballot Initiative 2A through its ideation to its passing in November’s election! 2A is an opportunity for the City of Boulder to secure long-term funding for critical community needs. This initiative will ensure that 50% of the tax revenue gathered from an existing 0.15% sales tax will be allocated to arts and culture. The other 50% of the revenue will be designated to the City General Fund to support homeless solutions, behavioral health, public safety, human services, parks, and other general needs. We can’t wait to see how its effects materialize in the coming years. Thank you to Create Boulder and our very own Nick Forster for spearheading the campaign—and for your help in spreading the word!
We’d love to hear your favorite eTown memory of 2023!
Send us an email at info@etown.org.