At LaZona Rosa in Austin, the benefit Jimmy conceived and worked his ass off to make happen came to happen in a wonderfully big way.  The biggest benefit crowd Austin has seen in a long time turned out for Jimmy and a great cause, and found themselves spending the day in a non-stop Austin singer/songwriter dream. 

For some insight into why the list of performers is so impressive, here's a clip from Third Coast Music by John Conquest, which appeared a couple of weeks before the show:

"If he's never acheived starving artist status, it's not because people putting on benefits over the years haven't tried, but after years of turning out for countless others, Jimmy LaFave is hosting a benefit for a cause dear to his own heart, the American Indian College Fund, and he's calling in a whole bunch of markers.  The lineup, at LaZona Rosa on Thursday the 22nd, includes LaFave himself, Terri Hendrix, Betty Elders, Toni Price, Michael Fracasso, Billy Joe Shaver, Eliza Gilkyson, Jon Dee Graham, Slaid Cleaves, Ginger MacKenzie (whose father was with the BIA), Mary Reynolds, George DeVore and Bobby Bridger, with LaFave still twisting on other luminaries."

Among those luminaries who ended up performing as well were Joe Ely, James McMurtry, Abra Moore, and Kevin Welch. 

According to the always reliable Mr. Conquest the day after the show:  "I've been to lots of festivals that were nowhere near as wonderful as this."

Even more wonderful, the place was packed throughout the day and evening, and raised thousands of $ for the college fund.

And get this;  the college fund folks are now said to be so pleased that they have pushed Jimmy's project to priority status, and are rumored to have asked board member/actress Wynona Rider to MC next year's version.