A couple of real, live, Texas angels were unplugged in a benefit performance for the Interfaith Care Alliance at La Zona Rosa in Austin on October 1^st. Abra Moore and Lisa Loeb, along with boyfriend, Dweezil Zappa (son of pop icon, Frank), played acoustic sets to raise money for the Austin-based non-profit organization providing care to people living with HIV, AIDS, and other life threatening diseases.

The atmosphere of the venue was not typical of La Zona Rosa. In what is normally a standing room only club, folding chairs were arranged in rows in front of the stage. The stage itself was decorated with candles and flowers, and soft music wafted, setting a mellow mood, more like that of a church Christmas pageant than a pop show. The audience, a bit older and predominantly female, had a distinctively Lilith-esque quality.

Abra Moore perpetuated the mellow theme first by playing new songs on an upright piano and then switching to acoustic guitar for several cuts from her release, Strangest Places, including last year’s hit "Four Leaf Clover." Appearing a bit disoriented on stage at times due to the technicalities of being filmed live for the Internet, Moore nevertheless managed to deliver a full-bodied, unaccompanied, acoustic performance. Moore offers distinctive vocals that are reminiscent of the childlike warbling of another Texan, Edie Brickell, and songwriting abilities that have been compared to plucky female songsters, Alanis Morissette and Liz Phair. Calling Austin home since 1994, Moore has been conspicuously absent from the music scene of late, save for a duet release of "I’m In" with fellow Texan, Radney Foster.

Top 40 queen, Lisa Loeb, of Dallas, opened her set by performing a couple of solo acoustic numbers, including the cut "Do You Sleep" from the CD Firecracker. Afterwards, joined by Dweezil Zappa on electric guitar, she performed the hits "I Do," "Taffy," and "Stay," her break out single from the movie Reality Bites. While Loeb’s radio and video personas do not fully reflect the range of her talent, in a live performance, she imparts not only her abilities as an accomplished guitarist and insightful songwriter, but some personality behind those trademark cat-eye glasses.

The onstage exchange between the Zappa and Loeb was often cute and familiar, but Zappa’s presence provided some comic relief for between song banter. The central theme of the evening was that of a snack treat called Spunch that they had found in a convenience store on their ride from Dallas. Zappa spontaneously lit into various popular riffs, and Loeb appeased him by adding Spunch-related references. Such was the case with TLC’s "No Scrubs" ("I don’t want no Spunch, Spunch is a guy who can’t get no love from me") or the theme to the 70s cop show ChiPs (Spunch and John). Later the Spunch package was raffled off and Loeb, Zappa, and the lucky winner each sampled a bite. Impromptu give-and-take of this kind can be the downfall in many an artist’s onstage performance, but actually played fairly well with this team.

At times, Loeb and Zappa appeared to be playfully disagreeing, but it was evident that Loeb was in charge of her show, banishing Zappa backstage so she could perform her final number, Wishing Heart, alone. Another year together and they’ll be the new Sonny and Cher.

Loeb referred to a compilation CD in support of the Sundance Film Festival that both she and Moore provided tracks. Look for the cut, Falling in Love ("The time between meeting and finally leaving is sometimes called falling in love"), on that CD, as well as a song on the Anywhere But Here movie soundtrack. And a new release with Zappa is expected next year.

With over 600 in attendance and a raffle of one of Moore’s Bourgeois guitars (worth over $4,000), the Interfaith Care Alliance raised funds and awareness for their cause. For more information on the Alliance, go to icare.home.texas.net on the web or call (512)459-5883.