
(L-R) The Mrs' Mandy Prater, Andra Liemandt and Larissa Ness
Photo: Earl Gibson III/WireImage.com
SXSW 2018: The Mrs Host Kindnesspalooza Music Fest Benefit
Four-piece band the Mrs — comprising drummer Andra Liemandt, bassist Jenny Mason, keyboardist/singer Larissa Ness, and guitarist/vocalist Mandy Prater — are a force to be reckoned with, and their weapon of choice is kindness.
During SXSW 2018, the Mrs took the opportunity to harness all the focus on music in their native Austin, Texas. The result? Kindnesspalooza Music Fest at Rio on March 17 to raise awareness and funds for The Kindness Campaign, which was founded in 2015 by Liemandt.
Liemandt was inspired to launch the campaign after seeing the negative impact bullying had on her daughter's peers. As a result, TKC takes an anti-bullying stance and puts action behind the sentiment by providing schools with an innovative curriculum that "empowers students to recognize the transformative power of kindness."
Today is the day! We cannot wait. RSVP on our website for our show today RIO Austin with 2 stages full of bands, food trucks and more from 12-6pm. #SXSW #KINDNESSPALOOZA pic.twitter.com/cDx92767FU
— The Mrs (@themrsband) March 17, 2018
This year's Kindnesspalooza featured two floors of wall-to-wall inspiration, with Irish coffee on tap, a host of merchandise available for purchase to support the cause, a large community coloring wall, a magical positive affirmation mirror, a see-saw, and a crowd that spanned all ages, from parents with young children to adults of all ages. And, of course, there was music.
Singer/songwriter Ian Moore, pop/rock band Joseph King And The Mad Crush, rock duo Love & Choas, singer/songwriter Sarah Sharp, rock band Corbella, singer/songwriter Johnny Goudie, pop artist Madison McWilliams, country singer/songwriter Jordan Cody, rock musician Paul Renna, vocalist Courtney Santana, and the Mrs themselves all took the stage throughout the day to add some music to the proceedings.
With strong messages leading the charge, The Kindness Campaign has won over plenty of new fans over the years, including Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation. The Kindness Campaign partnered with Born This Way in 2017 — declared the year of kindness by Gaga's foundation — to present a special day of kindness on Dec. 14, 2017, at Austin Independent School District's Cunningham Elementary School.
With their positive message, embodied in the lyrics for their empowering signature song, "Enough" — "I'm enough, I'm enough, "I'm enough" — the Mrs have again proven that music and making the world a better place go hand in hand.