Band Together & United Way Greater Triangle Presents Gov’t Mule: A Throwback Concert for Mental Health
Band Together NC is going back to its roots for one unforgettable night of live music and impact at The Mighty Giveback, presented in partnership with United Way Greater Triangle. On Saturday, October 18, they’re hosting a retro-style, open-air concert and VIP block party outside Lincoln Theatre in downtown Raleigh—starring Southern rock jam-band legends Gov’t Mule, with special guests to be announced soon.
This year’s throwback show celebrates more than just nostalgia—it’s a nod to Band Together’s earliest community concerts, reimagined with the full Mighty Giveback experience: high-energy performances, incredible VIP hospitality, and purpose-driven fun that fuels change across the Triangle.
Gov’t Mule gets Back in The Saddle with music from their latest album, Peace…Like a River (Fantasy Records), a critically acclaimed follow-up to their GRAMMY-nominated Heavy Load Blues. Written largely during lockdown, the album sits where Southern rock meets bluesy swagger and jam-band soul. “Our mission has always been to create music that can stand up next to the amazing artists who influenced us,” said frontman Warren Haynes, of Allman Brothers Band fame. “I wanted to focus on what we learned to appreciate again.” Their songs explore themes of unity, empathy, and healing—values that align with our mission and the spirit of the Mighty Giveback.
They’ll be joined with 90’s ballad icon Edwin McCain and his full band, with Young Gun Silver Fox opening the entire evening with their smooth vibes.
The Band Together team saw an opportunity to reflect on their journey and reconnect with their community—just in time to build momentum for their 25th anniversary in 2026. “This is our old-school moment,” said Thorne Daubenspeck, Executive Director. “We’re throwing it back—and leveling it up with the goal to impact our community in a big way.”
As the Southeast’s largest annual benefit concert event, The Mighty Giveback is powered by two incredible local forces – Band Together and United Way Greater Triangle. It strives to deliver on both of their missions by connecting the community to nonprofits through the power of live music and investing in community-driven solutions. And this year, they lend their spotlight to support six local nonprofit partners advancing youth and family mental health in Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties:
- Boys and Girls Club of Durham and Orange Counties, in partnership with Stand Up Speak Out-NC
- El Futuro
- Foundation of Hope
- NAMI-Wake County
- Shining Light in Darkness
From art therapy and trauma support to bilingual care, community-wide mental health education, and ground-breaking research, these nonprofits are delivering critical services to meet our neighbors where they are. Together, they’re working to reduce stigma, increase access, and build a more connected, healthier Triangle.
Tickets: Here
Alvely Alcántara, LCSW
Rossy C. Garcia, MEd 
Katy Sims, MD 
Everardo Aviles, LCSW, LCAS (Eve)
As a medical anthropologist and social work researcher, Dr. Gulbas’ research embodies interdisciplinarity through the integration of applied theories of health and human development with qualitative and ethnographic methodologies. Her work seeks to understand how people—children, families, and providers—navigate complex sociocultural landscapes in the pursuit of mental health. Most of her work, to date, focuses attention on developing more robust interpretations of suicide risk. With funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health, this body of research has contributed to advancements in theoretical and empirical knowledge of the broader contexts within which youth suicide risk is situated. 
R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez is a developmental psychologist and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the principal investigator of a study that examines the impact of immigration-related threat and stress on school communities. She earned a PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University and hold a BA in human biology from Stanford University. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first gen college student.
Dr. Parra-Cardona is an Associate Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHSSW) at the University of Texas at Austin. At the SHSSW, he serves as Coordinator for Mexico and Latin American initiatives. He also serves as Area Director for Research at the UT Austin Latino Research Institute. Dr. Parra-Cardona’s program of research is focused on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based parenting interventions for low-income Latinx populations in the US and Latin America.
Bianka Reese, PhD, MSPH is a research scientist and program evaluator specializing in adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her previous research in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her work as the Research and Evaluation Manager at SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led largescale evaluations of multilevel, community-based sexual health promotion initiatives and research projects aimed at elevating the voices of diverse youth in North Carolina. Dr. Reese is currently the Senior Research Strategist at Creative Research Solutions, LLC, an award-winning national evaluation, research, and assessment firm.
Tania Connaughton-Espino, MPH is an independent researcher focused on adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her interest in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her previous work with SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led the training and evaluation department, conducted capacity-building workshops for youth serving professionals including on the topic of how to be more affirming of LGBTQ youth, and from her extensive experience working with the Latinx population in NC.
Maru Gonzalez, EdD is an Assistant Professor and Youth Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her areas of inquiry include youth development with a focus on activism, social justice, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people across familial, school, and community contexts. 
Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, PhD
Hector Y. Adames, PsyD