Alternative singer and songwriter Anastasia Elliot headlined a concert Jan. 23 at the Lowbrow Palace to support The Great Khalid Foundation and the victims of the Aug. 3 shooting that left 22 dead and several dozen injured at an El Paso Walmart.
Elliot is a champion of music education so when she learned that The Great Khalid Foundation advocates for the same thing, Elliot and her team organized the benefit concert to ensure the foundation’s outreach can continue.
“The focus that they have on the children, I think that’s so awesome,” Elliot told The Prospector in an exclusive interview. “They’re putting all their efforts into place and it’s beneficial so you can feel good when you donate money to them.”
Despite recovering from a plane crash, Elliot persisted on supporting The Great Khalid Foundation and the El Paso community that experienced a tragedy months before.
“It’s terrible. Just knowing that could happen at any moment, especially in such a normal, public place like that,” Elliot said. “But it’s pretty amazing to see how the community here has come together and made the most of it, trying to give back to everybody and support the families of the ones that were lost.”
Judah Holiday is a singer and songwriter who is also on tour. He showed his support by opening for Elliot.
“I didn’t feel like I could start my trip off without paying respects to what happened. The very first thing we did was go to Walmart where it happened because, you know, it’s hard. It’s very hard to understand,” Holiday said. “As a musician professionally, I feel like we have a responsibility to do these types of events.”
Norma Alvarez, who is a student at Sound Stage Nine and attended the event, said Elliot’s advocacy was especially close to her heart.
“I feel like a lot of artists are taking in mind gun violence and just violence itself should not be allowed in any sort of way. I think that their way of expressing it in their music and their personality is just perfect,” Alvarez said. “The artist (Elliot) spent one day and she completely fell in love with it (El Paso), because that’s how our community is. Loving and really supportive.”
Alvarez also attended a Q&A session that Elliot held January 22.
“It gives you hope because a lot of people are not going to give you the opportunity. Her opening herself up to us, just gives you that fire,” Alvarez said.
Elliot continued onto Austin for her tour and plans to maintain her outreach by bringing classical music to the masses.
“My goal is impacting as many people as possible and in different ways. I love doing speaking engagements and helping new artists to find themselves,” Elliot said. “I want to use this world that I’m creating to give people a place to escape and find parts of themselves. I think this project, for me, is something I’ve really used to heal the trauma and hope that it can be the kind of place for other people to heal.”
Updates about Elliot’s tour and her music can be found on her website, her Instagram page at @anastasiaelliot, her Twitter account @AnastasiaElliot and her Facebook page @officialanastasiaelliot.
Updates about Holiday’s tour can be found on all social media platforms @judahholiday.
Check out the exclusive interview Elliot did with The Prospector.
Exodis Ward may be reached at [email protected]
