Musicians are all about presentation — building a dynamic stage presence, and riveting a room’s attention to their art.
But amid all the flash and fanfare, real concerns, like an artist’s mental health, can be overlooked or downplayed.
Enter Amplified Minds, a Dallas nonprofit which provides free mental health services to the city’s creative community. To help draw attention to its work, Amplified Minds is hosting the inaugural Louder Than Stigma Fest, on Sept. 6 at the Kessler Theater, a night built around awareness, live music, art and community.
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All proceeds from Louder Than Stigma will benefit Amplified Minds and its ongoing mission.
“For every $100 raised, a dozen people receive access to free mental health care,” said Amplified Minds president Lauren O’Connor in a statement. “Louder Than Stigma is a powerful intersection of music, art and mental health — breaking stigma, building connection and making healing accessible to all. Free mental health services are not a luxury — it’s a necessity, and events like this help ensure no one is left behind.”
Cure for Paranoia, the fast-rising, genre-fusing collective led by front man Cameron McCloud, will headline the event, which will also feature sets from Sam Cormier, Gracen Wynn and Remy Riley.
McCloud, who has spoken publicly about his own mental health struggles, finds catharsis in the act of creation.
“I got placed on medication for bipolar depression and paranoid schizophrenia, but it turned out that the music was more therapeutic than the medication was,” McCloud said in a statement. “I created Cure for Paranoia as a source of therapy for myself, with the hope that eventually it could be therapy for someone else in the future.”
The Sept. 6 event will also feature a mental health activation area, which will help connect attendees with organizations dedicated to community care, mental health support and suicide prevention.
“This event is a testament to the power of supporting our artists and investing in their futures,” said Krista Kirkenaer-Hart, director of the Dallas Music Office, in a statement. “Together with Kessler Presents and the Dallas Music Office, we’re creating an environment where artists choose to make Dallas their home, helping to support a vibrant and lasting music scene.”
Louder Than Stigma Fest at Kessler Theater, Dallas. 8 p.m. Sept. 6. Tickets are $29.98.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky (@prestonjones.bsky.social).Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
