Save The Speakeasy Streamathon 2025

Streaming Music and Love – Save The Speakeasy Streamathon

Save The Speakeasy Streamathon 

If you are old enough, you may remember the Labor Day tradition of the Jerry Lewis Telethon. It was a labor of love to raise money for a special cause that was near and dear to the hearts of many. While attending the Save The Speakeasy Streamathon in person at the Old Town Tavern in Ann Arbor, I could not help but think back to Jerry and his kids.

You see, the Save The Speakeasy Streamathon is a labor of love. If you aren’t versed in the history of Johnny Williams and his Speakeasy in Ann Arbor, check out our post of the first Save The Speakeasy fundraiser at the Ark in January 2024. In a nutshell, a fire devastated Johnny’s house, and his insurance company failed to come through on their end, resulting in a significant shortfall. Here is where the love comes in. After years of love shown to the local music community by Johnny, those musicians, their families, and friends have joined together to help Johnny overcome the financial shortfall and restore his house and the beloved Speakeasy.

Fast forward to this weekend’s Streamathon. Led by Annie Capps, Chiara Barbier, and Judy Banker, organized a virtual and in-person six-hour musical performance that ran from 2p to 8p. Featuring artists from all over the country, the goal is to raise money to bridge the gap in funds needed to complete the restoration of Johnny’s home. Annie and Chiara managed the livestream, while Judy led the charge at the in-person portion of the event at the Old Town Tavern.

You can watch the entire livestream here.

Community, Music, and Love

We arrived just after 2 p.m. at the Old Town Tavern. As the streamathon got underway, a steady flow of friends streamed in (no pun intended). The man of the hour, Johnny Williams,, arrived shortly after and was quickly overwhelmed with hugs. We settled in for the next four hours to enjoy music, great food, and a few Guinness beers while soaking up the loving community vibes.

Centering on roots and Americana music, a ton of local talent took to the corner stage. While all the music was fantastic, I particularly enjoyed Steff Kayser’s cover of the Allman Brothers, the old-time country music of Kim and Matt Watroba, and the charming duet of Danny Kline and his daughter Frieda. Frieda also designed a great sign for the donation jar.

Between sets, Judy would jump on the streamathon with Annie to share the updates from the Old Town Tavern. Given the powerful amount of love and admiration in the room, I’m sure folks enjoying the streamathon from home could feel it. I kept thinking as we enjoyed the moment that this is what we need in our lives each day – a community of caring people looking out for each other. 

As we enjoyed the music, donations streamed in (no pun intended 🙂). Matching gifts multiplied the power of everyone’s donations. The importance of the Speakeasy, the love for Johnny, and everyone’s desire to help were clear.

Pictures

While we couldn’t stay for the entire Save The Speakeay streamathon, we did snag a few photos, which you can check out in our gallery. Many thanks to Judy, Annie, Chiara, and all the awesome musicians for pulling off this excellent event. Cheers to the Old Town Tavern staff for their outstanding service. If you want to donate, stop by the Save The Speakeasy website.