On Saturday night, a small group of intrepid musicians braved an ice storm to do a benefit show for the Greater Falls Warming Shelter, an overnight Shelter in Bellows Falls, VT. This is the closing number where all three of us came together to perform.
Star of the County Down with Jesse Peters and Ali Chambliss
These were part of a benefit concert for the Greater Falls Warming Shelter in Bellows Falls, VT
If you’d like to make a donation, please send to:
Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA),
91 Buck Dr.,
Westminster, VT 05158.
Please mention that the donation is for the Greater Falls Warming Shelter and please reference the benefit concert.
The Greater Falls Warming Shelter opened November 22nd at 83 Westminster Street (behind Athens Pizza) to provide a temporary spot for an overnight stay. It will remain open until April and is staffed seven nights a week by volunteers who serve in two shifts from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. and 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. New volunteers are urged to contact the shelter at bfwarmingshelter@yahoo.com or leave a message at (802) 463-2567 to learn about the shelter and the on-going training provided. Members of the shelter steering committee will also be at the concert to provide information.
Benefit Show for Greater Falls Warming Center (clip #1)
I don’t yet have permission to post the other videos, so I’m holding off on samples from the sets of Ali Chambliss and Jesse Peters. Suffice it to say that they were quite wonderful and a lot of fun to watch. Below are my four pieces. The piece above the fold is the closing number the three of us did together.
The lead-up to the show itself was kind of an adventure. Jesse had been suffering from a major cold / laryngitis thing, so we weren’t certain he would be able to sing. I’m still recovering from a rotator cuff injury so I wasn’t sure how my playing would be, since a lot of day to day actions involving my left arm are painful, and all three of us had to brave an ice storm that came in that night.
Benefit Show for Greater Falls Warming Center (clip #2)
The ice storm, of course, also damped down the crowd– this was our second year doing the show. Last year we made $700. I’d expected to exceed that by some amount, but we ended up with anywhere from 1/8th to 1/4th last year’s audience but still managed to take in $350, which is part of why I’m asking your help. The ice storm itself was a perfect example of why the shelter is so important. It was a dangerous night to be out and illustrates how the shelter can be a matter of life and death.
Benefit Show for Greater Falls Warming Center (clip #3)
In the end, it was a pretty great show and a lot of fun to do, despite the ice and the thundersleet that came through as we were packing up, I’m glad we did it.
Benefit Show for Greater Falls Warming Center (clip #4)
I’ve talked to the other performers, and we’re all actually up for doing another show in the near future to make up for the paltry earnings of our February show. In the meantime, would you be willing to benefit a small amount to the shelter? Oil prices are up this year and they can use all the help they can get.
Even if you are unable to donate, would you be willing to do me the favor of sharing one of these videos (or this entry) with your friends and including the donation information when you do so? The more we can do to promote this shelter and its works the more we can do to drum up donations.