Just like the man who spearheaded the It Takes A Community concerts at the Pines Theater in Look Park Aug 19-20, the weekend is shaping up to be a lil’ bit country, a lil’ bit rock ‘n’ roll.
Launched last year by Staind frontman Aaron Lewis in response to his children’s local school district’s closing of three of five elementary schools, It Takes A Community was set up as a nonprofit with an eye to reviving rural communities throughout New England. Its chief fundraiser then—a two-day affair at Look Park—helped secure the funds to open the private R.H. Conwell Education Center, paying for everything from desks, books and school supplies to teachers’ salaries.
“We have seen firsthand the necessity for smaller communities to have a voice and determine their own local needs and priorities,” Lewis notes. “Our foundation strives to do just that—to build a collective of local community members and empower them to take charge of their own community’s future.”
In the year since the inaugural concerts, the veteran rocker has made his official foray into the country world, with his solo CD Town Line at number one on the Billboard Country Albums Chart.
And as evidenced by this weekend’s lineup, the second annual It Takes A Community concerts are both an embrace of his newfound country friends and ode to his multi-platinum rock roots.
Friday’s show features country music performances by Rhett Akins, Frank Hannon (of Tesla) and Alexa Carter. Saturday brings the rock of Corey Taylor (of Slipknot/Stone Sour infamy), Lo-Pro, Otan Vargas and Tesla proper. And of course, the host himself will take to the mic on both evenings.
Single day tickets to It Takes A Community 2011 range from $45 to $78. Special VIP meet and greet packages are also available at dysfunctionalstaind.com.
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In other altruistic audio news, sister act June and Jean Millington of Fanny fame are looking to pack ’em into the Big Barn in Goshen Aug. 20. Proceeds from this event are earmarked for the organization they founded, the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA), an endeavor which assists women and girls in music-related business. That’s an issue the sisters know well, particularly considering that Fanny was one of the first all-female rock bands to be signed to a major label in the history of the industry. From 1969 to 1974, in fact, they released five albums for Warner Brothers Records and toured internationally.
This weekend’s local show comes on the heels of The Millington’s newest studio offering, Play Like A Girl, and in addition to selections from that and some greatest hits, the band promises a 1960s dance set.
Gates open at 2 p.m. for this 3 p.m. show, which also includes a cookout. Suggested donations for adults range from $50-$150; food and nonalcoholic beverages will be provided. Children under 13 enter free, and those 13 to 21 pay $25.
Camping and community housing are also available. In the event of rain, the concert will be moved from the lawn outside the venue into the Big Barn. For more information or to make reservations, kindly point your browser to ima.org.
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Last up, Ludlow Fire Department’s Dan McKenney checked in to report that the success of his organization’s annual Labor Day Boot Drive has spurred an offshoot event this weekend that is, to all outward appearances, as loud and local as as it gets.
“The fire service nationwide has a 50-plus year relationship with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and our Labor Day collection raised more than $6,000 for the cause,” McKenney explains. “So, that being said, we also want to make a direct impact and give to our neighbors who are struggling with this crippling disease. And we plan to do just that from the proceeds raised by our Rock The Boot 2011 concert at the Ludlow Fish and Game Club [lfgclub.org] this Saturday, Aug. 20.”
Lending sonic support to the day-long benefit are no less than Grateful Dead duplicators Lobsterz From Marz, Ludlow natives Keith Hopkinson and Prodigal Kings, and a special reunion of 70s/80s scene stalwarts Timberlake.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
