The Velvet Moon Happy Hour Brings Intimate Cabaret Celebrating Friendship, Storytelling, and Music to Austin, TX and then to Nanaimo and Vancouver, BC

Thanks to our Austin performance sponsors, Heather and Reed Arnos, Kristin Farwell, and Jef Hahl of Allure Real Estate

Acclaimed performers Liz Cass and Graham Yates invite audiences to step into an evening of elegance, laughter, nostalgia, and unforgettable music with The Velvet Moon Happy Hour, an intimate cabaret coming to Studio A in Austin, TX September 25th, 2026 before heading to The Nanaimo Conservatory of Music in Nanaimo, British Columbia on February 12 and the Canadian Music Centre in Vancouver on February 14, 2027.

Blending art song, cabaret, and storytelling, The Velvet Moon Happy Hour features music by Canadian composer Graham Yates, celebrated American composer William Bolcom, and the timeless songs of Édith Piaf, culminating in the iconic La Vie en rose. Throughout the evening, Cass and Yates weave personal stories of friendship, artistic collaboration, and the winding journey that connects Austin, Texas, with Vancouver and Nanaimo, BC.

The program includes Yates' Five Youthful Songs and Always Here, works that reflect his distinctive compositional voice—lyrical, deeply human, and infused with the intimacy of storytelling. Bolcom's beloved cabaret songs and Piaf's enduring classics provide both musical inspiration and emotional touchstones, highlighting the traditions that shaped Yates' own musical language.

Liz Cass

Cass and Yates first met in Austin in 2014 after Yates relocated from British Columbia to Texas and then back to Canada’s west coast. During this time, they became close friends and collaborators through music education, arts administration, and performance, navigating together the personal and cultural milestones of a transformative era. Cass became one of the earliest champions of Yates' compositions, premiering many of his songs throughout Texas and helping introduce his music to new audiences.

Now reunited, the pair celebrates a friendship that has crossed borders, endured changing times, and remained rooted in a shared belief in the power of music to bring people together.

"The Velvet Moon Happy Hour is really about connection," says Cass. "It's about the people who shape us, the places we call home, and the music that carries us through every chapter of life.”

“Plus we have created a cocktail named Velvet Moon,” adds Yates. “It just makes sense to create a cabaret show based on a cocktail..or is the cocktail based on the cabaret show?"

Graham Yates

Audiences are encouraged to arrive early, enjoy a signature Velvet Moon cocktail, and settle in for an evening where conversation, storytelling, and music unfold as naturally as a gathering among old friends.

Elegant, romantic, humorous, and full of heart, The Velvet Moon Happy Hour offers an intimate concert experience that celebrates collaboration, creativity, and the enduring bonds that transcend geography.