Booker T. Live Music Festival Aims to Showcase Dallas’ Future Music Stars

Booker T. Live, an annual music festival presenting students and alumni of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is returning to Strauss Square on Oct. 25.

This year’s lineup features guest artist and headliner Ishi, alumni such as singer Tippy Balady, Kole, John AQUA, DJ Amarji and Southern Ballroom Princess and student performers AKA + 2, Death By Monkey, i45, KAATII, RJ and Friends, Session0 and WIMEC.

The festival was conceived during the pandemic as a way for students to relocate their performances to a social distancing-friendly outdoor stage. Due to popular demand, it was brought back as a way to showcase student ensembles.

This year, however, the school is thinking a little bigger.

“My long-term dream is it becomes the ACL or the South by Southwest of Dallas,” says Lisa Walker, the executive director of the school’s advisory board.”We’re having headliners and other artists that may or may not be related to Booker T. and also constantly infusing new and up-and-coming artists that are at Booker T. or that have just graduated that are already kind of making waves on the music landscape.”

Booker T.’s illustrious alumni include Erykah Badu, Norah Jones and Edie Brickell. Walker hopes that in showcasing bands instead of school-sanctioned ensembles, Booker T. Live will be the kind of event where you can say you saw the school’s next big star before they get big.

“It was really me sitting down and thinking about, how do we reflect the diversity of the city and the diversity of Booker T?” Walker says of the process of choosing the student lineup. “Who are the up-and-comers? Who do you want on your radar before they head off to points unknown when they graduate?”

Ishi is one of Dallas’ most popular local bands. Walker is hoping their draw will bring in a whole new audience for the student bands.

“He’s been super supportive and we're excited about that,” she says. “Hopefully, there'll be people that love Ishi, and will come to see Ishi and be like, ‘Oh, wow. There's also these amazing young talents just down the street.’”

Ishi’s frontman, JT Mudd, echoed that goal when asked about his involvement in the festival.

“We’re here to bring awareness to the future generation of artists and try to give them the best foot forward,” Mudd says.

In addition to live performances, students will serve as hosts for the evening, and some art students will sell original works onsite. In a first for the event, a student has been chosen for a crucial leadership role behind the scenes.

“I have got the most kickass stage manager,” Walker says. “I've never worked with the student stage manager before, and I was a little hesitant, [but] he totally convinced me, and I'm telling you, he is a godsend. [...] We're working with all union technicians, and he is holding it down and doing as beautifully as anybody else.”

Above all else, Walker hopes Booker T. Live will further raise the profile of the high school, which she repeatedly calls an “incubator of talent.”

“I really believe there is a documentary that needs to be made about Booker T,” she says. “It's really a gem. I see it every day and it never ceases to amaze me.”

Booker T. Live will take place at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25, at Strauss Square, 2389 Flora St. Tickets are $30, and Booker T. student admission is $10. More information can be found at the AT&T Performing Arts Center website.