25 July 2010

Spillapalooza Tucson











Gulf Disaster Benefit Concert, August 1st, 5pm, The Hut, Tucson Arizona


I like to volunteer once in a while.  Last year was branding the Tucson Historic Preservation Society.  Demion Clinco is a powerhouse of Tucson action and I'd do anything to help him out.  Good people.

When friend Kevin Henderson of the Swigs stopped by one June night over some drinkies, we were kicking around the lack of action happening over the Gulf Disaster.  At that point the direness of the situation hadn't quite sunk into public awareness.  Everyone was holding their breath that the 'junk load' or whatever was going to stop marine armageddon.

Then the brainstorm began in true Tucson grassroots style.  Make a benefit concert.  Why hadn't anyone done it yet?  Turns out, probably through some kind of global Gaia brainwave we weren't the only ones to come up with the name.  But hey, it's all about the cause isn't it.  I started working on graphics, got a logo, put up a website, made a web ad banner.  That's what I do.  Mine was the easy part.  The rest was all Kevin.

Kevin found someone to benefit.  The Center For Biological Diversity.  A nation-wide organization, that started in Tucson!  They aren't the ones that go out and put banners on stuff to get on TV.  These are the guys with lawyers that fight environmental issues in the courts and they have a burning need to stop offshore oil drilling pronto.

Then Kevin found a friendly venue, The Hut, that would donate all proceeds.  Then he tied down some great Tucson talent to volunteer their music for the occasion.  Al Perry, The Swigs, Fish Karma and the Love Generation, Loren Dirckes and Gila Bend, The Modeens, The El Camino Royales, The Wayback Machine, The Dusty Buskers, The Fisters, The Possibles, Vanessa Lundon, Aaron Gilmartin.

So, you're going to be there right!  Should be lots of fun on 4th Avenue for a great cause.  Honestly, watching Kevin during this process, I think he has a second career in activism.  We can probably see more of this from him in the future.