With Halloween here, there’s a static excitement in the air.
Adding to the seasonal festivities, a charity concert was hosted this Friday by Nick Painter of Acoustic Resonance and Kathryn Steih, the lead singer of local independent band Walk Your Bike. This shindig featured tunes by other local talents such as The Rabbit Done Died, The Griots, Acoustic Resonance and Walk Your Bike, with a special shadow puppet performance by
Pat Elkins.
Music played into the wee hours of the night in the eclectically decorated Dreamland Theatre in downtown Ypsilanti. The room housed a clutter of church pews and old theatre seats facing a projector screen and stage beneath a ceiling that mimicked
the night sky.
“I’m excited to be in the Dreamland Theatre because it’s a really cool space,” event coordinator Kathryn Steih said. “I’m just excited to play and excited to plan an event for the Food Gatherers because we’ve never done it before.”
The Food Gatherers are a Michigan-based non-profit organization that serves Washtenaw County. According to Nick Painter, this organization “feeds homeless and starving people” with canned food donations.
“All the cover charges are being taken in cans and all the cans are going to Food Gatherers,” Steih said. “A lot of their government funding was cut this year so it’s really important that they receive support from the people.”
In the name of helping others, a group of students and music fanatics alike joined together to rock out. When The Rabbit Done Died played, the crowd put on its dancing shoes and started to boogaloo. Some of the wildest dancing was happening right on stage as the talented musicians acted out their songs and swapped instruments like a well-oiled machine.
According to band saxophonist, pianist and singer Mary Scott, “Making music with such an artistic and individualistic group is a thoroughly satisfying and unique experience, and just a ton of fun. We play off each other really well, and everyone brings something to the table.”
The music was gritty, witty, playful and passionate with vocals that howled to the heavens and enough power to make the trumpet sing.
The Griots, a new band with a chill blues vibe, was drastically different from the former performers. Its songs were highly instrumental with a vocal tease that was so soulful it nearly brought me to tears. The two guitars fused with the smoky vocals and a tambourine to give way a toe-tapping good time.
The projector screen was put to good use when local Pat Elkins put on a shadow puppet show. His piece was wholly original, based on a story he wrote and performed on his own called Split Infinitives. Elkins takes us on a journey through outer space, to a graveyard and deep into the ocean with cosmic characters, adorable monsters and a whole lot of whimsy. He hand-crafts his creatures using cardboard, an exact-o knife and some wire. “I just wanted to do something fun,” Elkins said.
The musical lineup was planned with expertise and gave a new flavor to every set. The lights dimmed as Acoustic Resonance wooed the room with romantic chords on a lone guitar and soothed souls like a lullaby.
Following was the final act, Walk Your Bike, which had the entire audience on its feet, wiggling and wailing along to a
combination of rock, reggae, swing and Latin sound.
By the end of the night, the bin at the front door was filled to the brim with donations for the Food Gatherers that will help feed the hungry in Washtenaw County.
The concert was an excuse to go out, dance till your feet were sore, sing at the top of your lungs and pal around with your friends – all for a good cause.
