Preview: Austin Bat Cave Benefit at Club de Ville

More importantly, it will feature original music from local kids who were a part of the Austin Bat Cave programs that brought well-known musicians to the Bat Cave to perform, talk about the art of songwriting, and help the kids write their own lyrics. These creative youngsters have been hard at work over the past few months preparing songs to perform and recite on Friday along with the bigger names on the bill; it’s sure to be in turns inspiring, adorable, expressive, and just plain fun.

Doors opens at 8 p.m. and there is an $8 entry fee that will benefit Austin Bat Cave programs. Early guests will receive gift bags, and there will also be prizes, a raffle for gift cards to local restaurants and businesses, and a chance to pick up an Austin Bat Cave zine that collects some highlights of the students’ work and stories from volunteers.

Austin Bat Cave is based on the model of Dave Eggers’s 826 Valencia, a San Francisco kids’ writing nonprofit. All of ABC’s programs are free, and they serve hundreds of students across Austin in schools, workshops, and their after school tutoring center.