Music 4 Vets Benefit Concert

November 1, 2014 in Charlotte, NC a ground breaking "Music meets Charity" event will take place at Meetings on Mint at 1510 South Mint Street and will be hosted by Rize Records and LadyLake Music.

Music 4 Vets is a charity program that not only recycles and provides musical instruments to veterans but provides them with musical therapy.

Performers for the event are: A.O, Omar A, Nick Shaw, B.B.P, I-10 Connect, Diane Cameron, International Nova and headliner Doc G. of PM Dawn. 

If you can't make it to Charlotte, it will be simulcasted in real time online over the Giving Stage network. Giving Stage is a virtual venue that raises money for environmental and social change. 

One of the best features about this event is the fact that it is all volunteer based and tickets to attend are absolutely free! To secure a free online ticket or to donate to this event, click here.

Punk, Rock, MUSICA!

Friday night at Musica in Akron, OH, 4 very diverse bands rocked the venue where The Black Keys got their start.

First up was the two man band, Dead Gumbies, hailing from Cleveland. With Robin on guitar, Ratrod on drums and both of their voices combined, these two are something unique. Their sound is like Alice Cooper minus a bass player. You can check them out here and be sure to like their Facebook page.

(Dead Gumbies at Musica, Akron- Photo by: Tori Lee)

Next, Fractured Past hit the stage. These guys reminded me of a heavier and more vocally talented Chevelle. They were great live and had awesome stage presence. They covered Metallica's "One" and absolutely rocked it. You can check out their first music video on YouTube for "Away" and like them on Facebook. Their album "Life as of Yesterday" is kickass and they are currently working on a new one.

(Fractured Past at Musica Akron- Photo by: Tori Lee)

Then rock n' rollers from Pittsburgh, SuperMonkey, came out and rocked the crowd. They opened with their track "Falter" that you can hear on their debut album. If you like good old American rock n' roll, check these guys out here. Their upcoming shows are this Friday Oct 17 at the beautiful Palace Theater in Greensburg where they will be opening for Blues legend, Robin Trower then the next night SuperMonkey will be performing in Cleveland at Phantasy. On Halloween expect some surprises when they play at IUP's Brown Hotel for the Halloween Nirvana night.

(SuperMonkey at Musica Akron- Photo by: Tori Lee
& Shawna Sadzewicz hula hooping in front)

Finally, punk rock band May Day Riots came out and changed the atmosphere of the venue. Pumping up the crowd with a punk rock version of Pat Benatar's "Heart Breaker," they showed their skills. Their new album will be out on October 25th. Be sure to check out their Facebook and ReverbNation sites for more info and while you're there listen to my personal favorite, "Don't Tread on Me."

(May Day Riots at Musica Akron- Photo By: Tori Lee)

My favorite part of the night was that the diversity of the music on stage matched the diversity of those in attendance. Old school rockers to new age punk rock fans were in the crowd. People sitting in the back bar enjoying a variety of draft beers to festival heads hula hooping in the front. Shawna Sadzewicz was as entertaining as the acts that performed that night while she literally was in the spotlight hula hooping with her LED hoop.

"Just practice and have fun with it," was Shawna's advice about hooping. That can be applied to everything we saw that night. Whether it's music or what you do in life- practice while still enjoying yourself is what it's all about.