'Party' at city hall shorted Council-required payouts to musicians - Austin Monitor

"When Paul Uribe was asked by a local event promoter to perform with his band Mariachi Capital at the Party At The People's House mini-festival at city hall in late June, he was so taken by the event's anti-hate crime intent that he discounted the group's normal rate of $100 per musician, per hour rate to $80 per performer. What he, and many other performers for the day-long event, didn't know was a 2023 city policy instituted to help local musicians"

""I said it looks like a good cause... inclusion, democratic society, I love it. I said I'd certainly be honored to partake and help out. I actually gave them a discount just for the cause that it was," said Uribe, who sings, plays trumpet and acts as business manager for the band. "I'm not aware that there is a minimum for any city events, and then what constitutes a city event. If I would've known that I wouldn't have given a discount.""

"This was the second year Almost Real Things was hired by the city to promote and manage the festival, and received a $50,000 contract that was paid out of the city budget as a component of the "We All Belong" campaign intended to raise awareness about hate crimes. The company's proposal for the event specified $5,000 for musicians, with an additional budget line of $3,000 in in-kind musician services."

Paul Uribe and his mariachi band agreed to perform at a city hall mini-festival for $80 per musician, below their usual $100 rate, drawn by the event’s anti-hate-crime purpose. A 2023 city policy requires musicians at city events to receive a $200 hourly minimum, which would have entitled Uribe’s four-person lineup to $800 rather than $320. More than a dozen acts negotiated with Almost Real Things, the city-contracted promoter, about fees under the $200 minimum. Almost Real Things held a $50,000 city contract for the festival under the "We All Belong" campaign and budgeted $5,000 plus $3,000 in-kind for musicians. City staff and the promoter said they assumed the $200 minimum could be prorated.

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