Throughout March, Austin FC honors Women's History Month by amplifying the voices of women leaders in our community and acknowledging the work they are doing to strengthen our Club, our community, and our city.
2024 Honoree - Marsha Milam
Among the immense variety of sounds and venues that make Austin the Live Music Capital of the World, it is really the people, both on stage and behind the scenes, that have earned the city its moniker. People like Marsha Milam, a longtime live music and entertainment event producer and creator, who have helped build a local music community unlike any other.
Keeping to the music theme in 2024, this Women’s History Month, Austin FC honors Milam for all her contributions and the significant role she has played in Austin’s music history.
It was the Unplugged at the Grove music series that solidified Milam’s presence on the local music map.
Unplugged, as it was lovingly called by some, was Austin’s longest-running free concert series. From 1993 until it’s final show in 2021, people gathered every Thursday from May through September at the now-closed Shady Grove on Barton Springs to enjoy some of Austin’s favorite bands, like Bob Schneider, Carolyn Wonderland, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Reckless Kelly, and so many, many more.
“Unplugged at the Grove music series was one of my favorite things I’ve ever done,” said Milam, Founder of Milam & Greene Distellery. “Standing there by the soundboard, under the beautiful old pecan tree, surrounded by friends and music lovers, listening to those outstanding artists fill the night air with their music, it truly encapsulated the best of Austin to me: joyful, soulful, communal, and accessible. It enabled me to spend 28 years spreading joy and happiness.”
Music’s power to bring people together is unmatched, she said. In her career she promoted and produced shows in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, El Paso and other cities. All told, her events entertained more than 100,000 music fans per season.
Today, Milam no longer promotes music events but still enjoys attending concerts. Since 2016, she has dedicated her time to her latest creation: Milam & Greene Distillery and Milam & Greene Whiskeys where she has assembled a team of outstanding whiskey professionals.
Whether catching a show or sipping on whiskey, for Miliam there is “never a dull moment.”
