Playing blues to brighten the holidays

Capital Area Blues Society and Greater Lansing Food Bank join forces for a fundraiser

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As Lansing residents prepare to stuff their turkeys andmash their potatoes, local charities will be collecting donations forthe area’s poor and hungry. To celebrate the season of giving, twolocal charities are coming together to bring awareness and raise moneyfor their respective causes.

The eighth annual Breakin’ Bread with the Blues concertand fundraiser takes place Sunday at the Green Door Blues Bar &Grill in Lansing. The concert features performances by Frog and theMalonetones, Big Bill Harwell and the Blues Ambassadors and Zydecrunchand will be bookended by 2011 Blues Brawl winners Andy Wilson &Johnny D  and The Hoopties. Proceeds from the event benefit the Greater Lansing Food Bank and the Capital Area Blues Society.

“The event started in 2004 as a fundraiser for theCapital Area Blues Society,” said Mike Skory, president of the board ofdirectors for the society. “However, it soon became evident that theevent could also be used to help the local community.” Since the eventtakes place around the holidays, it made sense to partner with the foodbank, he added. 

Founded in 1995, CABS aims to preserve, promote andeducate about blues music in the Lansing area, Skory said. The foodbank provides assistance to families in Ingham, Eaton and Clintoncounties. The organization will use the money raised to feed localpeople during the holiday season, said Alex Bryan, the food bank’soutreach coordinator.

“You are able to support local musicians, a localbusiness and a local non-profit all in one,” Bryan said. “It’s acommunity investment in multiple ways.”

The event is also a way for local musicians to show offtheir bluesy talent. The Hoopties are excited to be closing the showand participating in an event that helps their community, said bassplayer and vocalist Jason Strotheide.

“We’re just glad to have the opportunity to help where wecan. We’re all very busy with our personal lives so we don’t performmuch and having time to do something that benefits our community inthis manner isn’t always feasible,” he said. “We’re looking forward togetting the Greater Lansing Food Bank a head start on a very busyseason.”  

Strotheide is also the former president of CABS and wasone of the original creators of the event. He said they chose aThanksgiving benefit to get a headstart on fundraising for the holidaysand to avoid the Christmas season, which is usually packed with events.

Fifty percent of the door and all food donated will go tothe food bank; the other 50 percent, according to Skory, will go to theCABS for production costs for the show and general operation of theorganization. The benefit also features a raffle for the 2011 BluesFestival signature guitar.

The Green Door’s weekly blues jam, featuring Bad Gravy, follows the event at 9:30 p.m.

‘Breakin’ Bread with the Blues’

Sunday, Nov. 19

Green Door Blues Bar & Grill, 2005 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing

Doors at 3 p.m.; concert 4 to 9 p.m.

$10, with a donated food item; 16 and under free with donation of a food item

www.cabsblues.com


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