Hi, How Are You Project Reveals Austin Musical Lineup

AUSTIN, TX — Organizers of Hi, How Are You Day 2020 on Wednesday revealed the initial lineup for the musical event in January.

The Hi, How Are You Project presented by American Campus Communities is the third annual event returning to ACL Live at the Moody Theater on Jan. 22, 2020. Tickets for the concert will be available on Friday, December 6 at acl-live.com/calendar/hi-how-are-you-day-2020 and HERE for premium tickets and VIP packages.

All proceeds from Hi, How Are You Day 2020 will benefit the Hi, How Are You Project, a nonprofit organization named after the work of the late artist and musician Daniel Johnston, formed to educate people worldwide about the importance of open dialogue on mental health by funding research, events, and creating comprehensive training programs.

This celebration of Johnston's life and legacy doubles as tribute and call to action toward removing the stigma around mental health, and to encourage conversations about well-being, organizers described. HHAY Day takes place each year on Jan. 22, Johnston’s birthday, and brings stellar talent together for this great cause, officials noted.

Past HHAY Day performances have included legendary artists such as The Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo, The Black Angels, and more, many of whom collaborated with Johnston during his career. This year’s lineup stacks up with Grammy Award-winning rock band Cage the Elephant headlining, sharing the stage with other performers such as Austin’s own four-piece prog rock outfit White Denim; lead singer of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio Tunde Adebimpe; songwriter, musician, and guitarist Jason Falkner, who produced Johnston’s album Is and Always Was in 2009; singer/songwriter Katie Schecter, who recorded her latest EP with artists such as Nick Bockrath of Cage the Elephant.

More special guests will be announced in the coming days, organizers added.

HHAY Project is partnering with AXS and Stingray for HHAY Day 2020, which will be live-streamed on both platforms to give people around the world the opportunity to witness this special event. To further encourage community and conversations around mental health, American Campus Communities’ properties across the country will host live-stream watch parties on HHAY Day 2020.

"This year's Hi How Are You Day will have special significance as it's the first event since Daniel's passing. Many of the artists who will be performing have a long and close history with Daniel and his music,” Tom Gimbel, longtime manager for Daniel Johnston and Co-Founder of the Hi, How Are You Project, said in a prepared statement. “Their support has been really meaningful over the past two months. I'm excited to see that spirit of love and community take the stage at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on January 22."

HHAY Project founders Tom Gimbel and Courtney Blanton were inspired by Austin’s love for the iconic friendly frog mural titled Jeremiah the Innocent painted by Daniel Johnston — himself a world-renowned musician and visual artist despite his own struggles with mental health issues — to create the HHAY Project in partnership with Johnston’s family in 2018.

The overarching mission, officials said, is to remove the stigma and shame around mental health, encouraging people to check-in on each other with the mural’s message of “Hi, How Are You?” In July 2018, ACC, the nation’s largest student housing company with properties at more than 90 universities, purchased the Goodall Wooten building on which Johnston’s mural is painted in order to preserve his important work and legacy for future generations.

In 2019, ACC partnered with the HHAY Project to announce it will roll out a training and awareness program geared toward tackling the issues of mental health among college students. The organization is the hero sponsor of Hi, How Are You Day 2020, which is the Project’s largest fundraising event. Additional sponsors of this year’s event include Regions Bank, Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, and Giant Noise.

“We are proud to support the important efforts of the Hi How Are You Project as a key component of building community and connection among our student residents, our staff, and the universities we serve,” Bill Bayless, co-founder and CEO of American Campus Communities, said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to expanding our partnership with HHAY as we implement our training and awareness programs on peer-to-peer support for mental health and wellness in our communities across the country.”

Launching this month, more than 200 properties owned and/or managed by American Campus Communities will go through a special Hi, How Are You Project training. The effort will become a guiding tenet for American Campus’ Residence Life program, which offers events and information with health and wellness as a key topic, officials said. Asking residents, 'Hi, how are you?' is a simple step toward starting a conversation about their well-being and letting them know someone cares, organizers added.

Additional artists, programming details, and event information for HHAY Day 2020 will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information on the HHAY Project and HHAY Day 2020, please visit www.hihowareyou.org and follow along at @hihowareyouproject.

Courtesy image.

ABOUT HI, HOW ARE YOU PROJECT

The Hi, How Are You (HHAY) Project was created to generate new conversation around mental well-being. The name and city-proclaimed HHAY Day were inspired by Austin’s love for the iconic mural painted by Daniel Johnston. On Jan. 22 (Johnston’s birthday), people everywhere are encouraged to check in on a neighbor, friend, co-worker, family member, or loved one and ask, “Hi, How Are You?” The Project, created with the support of the Johnston family, funds research grants, creates media and peer-to-peer training programs that encourage open dialogue on mental well-being. Johnston was a world-renowned musician and visual artist despite his own struggles with mental illness. To learn more about how you can get involved or to donate, please visit www.hihowareyou.org.

ABOUT AMERICAN CAMPUS COMMUNITIES

American Campus Communities, Inc. is the largest owner, manager and developer of high-quality student housing communities in the United States. The company is a fully integrated, self-managed and self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT) with expertise in the design, finance, development, construction management and operational management of student housing properties. As of Sept. 30, American Campus Communities owned 168 student housing properties containing approximately 113,400 beds. Including its owned and third-party managed properties, ACC's total managed portfolio consisted of 205 properties with approximately 140,300 beds. Visit www.americancampus.com.