Alpha Rev at RoseFest Unplugged

Alpha Rev play The Smith Family Chapel at Riverbend Church on Friday, October 16, as part of RoseFest Unplugged. It's an acoustic set, and the main draw is that Casey McPherson, the band's frontman, is debuting brand-new Alpha Rev material. He wrote these songs over five years spent on the frontlines of biotechnology, divorce, new love, and fatherhood to a child with a rare disease.

That last part is the reason for the whole night. RoseFest Unplugged is an intimate evening that bridges music and genetic medicine to help children with rare diseases, with the night's proceeds funding that work. When McPherson's daughter Rose was diagnosed with an ultra-rare genetic condition and the traditional healthcare system offered no options, he founded To Cure A Rose Foundation (TCAR) to rewire how rare-disease treatments are built. Through TCAR, he developed RareLabs, the first patient-directed lab, which created treatments like Rosiphersen, as well as AlphaRose Therapeutics and RINAE.AI, an AI design platform that condenses genetic medicine creation from years to minutes, and the Monarch System, which uses wearable 'digital twin' technology for clinical-trial monitoring.

On stage, the band's sound is rooted in lyrical wisdom and contemporary tribal rhythms, with drummer Tabber Millard and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bryant. McPherson also fronts Flying Colors, so this is a chance to hear his songwriting in a stripped-back setting, with the new acoustic material taking center stage. The show starts at 6:30 PM at The Smith Family Chapel at Riverbend Church, 6301 Liveoak Dr, Austin, TX 78746.